Bronchiolitis is an inflammation of the small passages in the lungs (bronchioles) of children, usually caused by a viral infection.  Some children have infections with few or minor symptoms.  It begins as a mild upper respiratory infection that can develop into increasing respiratory distress with wheezing and a tight wheezy cough over just a couple of days.  The infant’s breathing rate may increase a lot, and the infant may start to become short-tempered or anxious-looking. If the disease is severe enough, the infant may turn bluish, which is an emergency.  There have been many viruses found that seem to be the cause of bronchiolitis, including respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, influenza, or parainfluenza.  The virus is transmitted from person to person by direct contact.

This article is about a study done to determine whether or not specific types of pollution increases the risk of infants developing bronchiolitis.  The researchers analyzed about 12,000 diagnoses of infants with the developing disease between the years of 1999 and 2002 in southwestern British Columbia.  They monitored the levels of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter from monitoring stations within 10 kilometers of the homes of the infants to determine exactly how exposed the children are to the pollution.  They also used maps of land use regression to assess intensities of ambient pollution with respect to traffic and wood smoke.  The researchers also used other confounding variables including sex, gestational age, maternal smoking and breastfeeding.  As a result, they found that bronchiolitis is definitely linked to the amount of exposure to specific pollutants.  Nitric oxide increased the illness by 8%, nitrogen dioxide by 12%, carbon monoxide by 13%, and sulfur dioxide by 4%.  Infants who lived within 50 meters of a highway had a 6% increased chance of getting the illness and those who lived in a higher wood smoke exposure area had an 8% increased chance.

Pollution can cause many different respiratory diseases for infants, but these researchers focused on bronchiolitis for many different reasons.  First, it is the main reason for infants to become hospitalized within the first year.  Secondly, it is pretty harsh for an infant’s lungs to handle.  Lastly, the disease is pretty costly to handle and resolve.

Reflection

I became interested in this article for many different reasons.  I am currently attending Fairleigh Dickinson to become an elementary teacher, so anything involving children catches my attention.  Also, I have had much experience with infants working in an infant room for two years, dealing with children ranging between 2 months and 18 months old.  When a baby is sick, so much changes, and a parent may need to take many days off from work to help the child get better.  With the economy right now, parents need to try everything they can to avoid having to do so.  A parent should take into consideration the amount of pollution is around the area they live in, along with the area their child’s school is in.  I felt that this article was a great way to keep parents educated on different concerns regarding their children, pollution that harms their children, and the places where their children spend the most amount of time.

Works Cited

American Thoracic Society. “Air Pollution Increases Infants’ Risk Of Bronchiolitis.”

ScienceDaily 7 November 2009. 7 November 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/11/091106084243.htm>.

Recently scientists realize that the precise molecular arrangement within natural pathways in organisms have been highly tuned for specific processes.  Compounds can be exploited directly and vital information over how new products can be synthesized by mimicking the biochemical process.  The bright future for research and development of natural products will soon be discussed by the European Science Foundation.  Some compounds investigated have shown to be effective against the HIV virus in laboratories.

Source:
http://www.esf.org/research-areas/physical-and-engineering-sciences/news/ext-news-singleview/article/nature-inspires-new-highly-specific-drugs-and-organic-products-481.html

Source
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20091112/LIFE02/911120304/Rutgers-professor-receives-plant-breeding-award

After reading the article, I agree with what it says. I think that if you have a pet in your life than you will not have as high of a blood pressure. Pets are great companions because they will love you no matter who you are and what you do. I have a pet dog and I love her. She makes me happy and I love playing fetch with her. She is a chocolate Labrador named Toby. Dogs can keep you in shape because they always love to walk and play. When I had a bad day my dog always makes me feel better.

by Brittany Schwartz

Corey Haas is a seven-year-old boy that was born with a retinal disease. Most of his vision is already gone, and in order to get around he clings to his parents and walks with a cane. In school he could not see the blackboard at all and had to sit with an aid in the back of the room with a large type computer screen and materials in brail. Up until 13 months ago Corey was legally blind and expected to eventually lose all of his sight. After his eighth birthday he underwent an experimental gene procedure where he injections in his left eye. His vision in his left eye began to improve rapidly. Corey is now nine years old and drives-go carts, plays on a little league baseball team, navigates wooded trails near his home in Hadley, N.Y., and he can finally read the blackboard in class. This gene therapy research is considered promising, however experts in vision problems say it is unclear how many people with impaired vision it will actually help. Gene therapy has also had many set backs. In the journal Lancet, a study was reported involving seven adults, and five children from Belgium, Italy, and the United States. All of the people involved have a rare but serious disease called Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a congenital retinal disease. Each patient’s eyes were injected with the virus with the normal version of the gene REP65 inserted into its genome. The virus invades the light sensing cells in the eye and inserts its own DNA into the cells DNA, and the crucial human gene was included. All twelve patients had significant improvement after two weeks, this meant that the inserted gene as functioning. Realistically there is no return to 20/20 vision however their vision improved tremendously. One of the leaders of this study Dr. Jean Bennett, who is an ophthalmology professor at the University of Pennsylvania stated that, “participants could read signs or see numbers on their cell phones, stripes on their clothes, patterns on furniture, wood on a violin or marble on a table.” Out of all the patients children improved the most, it’s a possibility because fewer photoreceptors decayed. However, Tami Morehouse, 44 years old, the oldest patient, who was often housebound due to her loss of sight, now walks to meet her children when they get off the bus and even saw her daughter hit a home run. This gene therapy research is one of the closest of any methods to achieving results. Unfortunately it cannot help everyone with impaired vision, because certain eye diseases destroy photoreceptor cells, which are needed in order for gene therapy to work. Specific genes also need to be identified for various strains of diseases. The problem is that without photoreceptors the gene therapy does not work, and that limits the number of patients it can help. Another leader in this study, Dr. Katherine High, who is the head of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, states that in the future researchers will inject 3 year olds and even 6 month olds in both eyes. Dr. High continues, “This would give you the best chance of salvaging as much visual function as possible.” During the experiment the body did not mount an immune response that destroyed the invading virus, which was a big reason it was successful. Dr. Bennett believes its because, “the eye is enclosed and protected from the blood supply, so the injected compound does not escape.” Researchers did assume that eventually the patient’s sight improvement would eventually stop after about eight weeks, according to Dr. High however, “patients are reporting continuous improvement.” This suggests that their brains might be continuing to adjust to the new visual pathways. The researchers and doctors do not want to jump the gun and call this a ‘cure’ but it is certainly a reversal of blindness.

Reflection: I have pretty good eyesight, however over the years I can tell that my eyesight is not as clear as it used to be. I can barely see certain words on a screen if they are small and far away. Not to say that I need glasses and I am definitely not complaining because overall I have great eyesight. Many of my friends have terrible eyesight including one of my Aunts and both my parents. My Aunt was born with a serious eye disease but I am not sure what it is exactly called, all I know is that as a baby is she had not gotten the surgery she did she would be blind today. Thankfully my parents and friends only need glasses or contacts, however I know that at time it can be frustrating for them in case they forget their glasses or their contacts, or they lose a contact when they are not at home to replace one. I know that if without those aids seeing blurriness would bother me a lot. Reading about that young boy and how he could have been legally blind his entire life, without being able to experience what most of us take for granted. This idea of people not being able to watch movies, see their loved ones, look through pictures, and have a hard time doing basic day to day activities makes me sad. After reading about this research that is being done, I feel it is amazing and to know that one day doctors will be able to cure blindness, is a wonderful thing. Also, with this type of research opens up many doors to finding cures for other harmful and debilitating diseases that people should not have to live with. I hope that they continue their research and one day find the cure for blindness or find a way to avoid it all together. This way people like Corey and Tami do not have to miss out on life’s greatest treasures.

Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03eye.html?_r=1&ref=science

by Melissa Freitas

Diabetes has become an increasing problem in recent years within the United States. Much of society has become more and more sedentary in their lifestyles. In addition to the low levels of physical activity and movement, the food choices that many make only add to the diabetes epidemic. Foods that are high in sugar as well as fat are being consumed in greater quantities and often play a major role in the development of diabetes. Also, genetic factors may contribute as another factor.

Genetic factors are being studied by researchers at the University of Maryland. The researchers are examining the genes of the fruit fly in order to determine what leads to insulin resistance and both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Leslie Pick, one of the researchers involved, has changed certain genes in these flies in order to represent the loss of insulin production. As of November 2009, the research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Pick says that the altered flies have elevated blood sugar levels, are lethargic, and seem to be breaking down their fat tissue in order to get energy when eating while normally they should be storing fat.

In this experiment, fruit flies with the genus species Drosophila melanogaster are being used. The researchers have deleted a cluster of five genes encoding DILPs or Drosophila insulin-like peptides. The mutant flies have been compared to unaltered flies that have been completely starved. The result has been that they both broke down their fat to get energy. Humans suffering from diabetes are unable to use nutrients that are present in their bodies and, as a result, like the flies, they break down stored energy to gain the needed nutrients they otherwise would not get.

Quite surprisingly, the use of flies is highly recommended in experiments relating to human disease. Human and disease genes can frequently be matched with fly genes due to the close relationship between them. Flies are also much easier and efficient to use in this experiment because of the high number of flies that can be used and the mutations are able to be completed more quickly and easily than they would in other insects or animals such as the commonly used mice. The researchers hope that using the flies can lead to the identification of gene targets that would aid in determining diabetes treatments.

This article captured my attention for two reasons. The first is that diabetes has run in my family for several generations. Of course, I am sure that lifestyle choices do have a major role in getting full-blown diabetes; however, genetics definitely are significant, as well. The complications arising from diabetes can truly alter one’s life and it is quite frightening to know that a person’s body is having difficulty performing such a crucial function. The second reason this article captured my attention is that I was shocked that flies could actually bring about new information and advancements in diabetes treatment. I have never heard of flies being used in this way. However, after learning just how similar the genes of humans and flies are, I understand why they are being used.

Research like that being done at the University of Maryland is greatly needed. More people are suffering from this epidemic. Better treatments and preferably, one day, a cure must be found. I hope that research eventually brings an end to diabetes of all types and that it will be a thing of the past.

Source:

University of Maryland. “Diabetic Flies: Fruit Fly Model Helps Unravel Genetics of Human

Source:
Diabetes.” Science Daily. November 2, 2009. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172257.htm

By: Michael Sztuk

As flu season rapidly approaches, parents around the country are starting to face school closures. But the big question is how bad should an influenza outbreak be for a school to close. In a recent study led by epidemiologists John Brownstein, PhD and Anne Gatewood Hoen, PhD of the Children’s Hospital Boston Informatics Program, in collaboration Asami Sasaki of the University of Niigata Prefecture, tapped a detailed set of Japanese data to help guide decision making by schools and government agencies. The analysis was published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the November issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases (biologynews.net).

The issue is that many schools especially in the U.S. don’t have a specific or consistent algorithm to decide whether to shut down or not. Experts feel schools are not using quantitative data, and are focusing on political or fear-based decisions rather then data-based. The researches above have analyzed flu absenteeism data from a Japanese school district with 54 elementary schools, tracking flu seasons from 2004-2008. A school outbreak was defined as a daily flu absentee rate of more than 10 percent of students. But, you want to get a school closed before an epidemic peaks, to prevent transmission of the virus, but you also don’t want a school to close unnecessarily, explained the researchers. The researchers wanted to set standards for districts in the U.S. that would not be too complex, that could be easily implemented by schools. After their research they suggested three optimal scenarios for school shut down due to flu. The scenarios include: a single-day influenza-related absentee rate of 5 percent, absenteeism of 4 percent or more in two consecutive days, and absenteeism of 3 percent or more on three consecutive days.

These methods would give schools and government agencies a basis for timely closure decisions, by allowing them to predict the escalation of an outbreak using the absenteeism data, says researchers. The researcher used data from Japan because they closely monitor school absenteeism due to flu, and requires testing for the flu virus in students who become ill. As of now the CDC states “ the decision to selectively dismiss a school should be made locally, in conjunction with local and state health officials, and should balance the risks of keeping the students in schools with the social disruption that school dismissal can cause” (CDC).

I picked this article because flu and especially H1N1 is becoming a major concern for school districts. Hopefully this research will help schools determine the appropriate time if necessary to close schools because of the flu virus. This is a sensitive subject because we can’t just go around closing schools if students become ill with the flu, because it would greatly impact the learning of the students. But it is also important to take into consideration the health and safety of the student.  This relates to our class because we learned how viruses enter into our body and trick the healthy cells to become infected. The virus genetic material enters the cells nucleus, and can make it clone hundreds of thousands of new viruses. Then, the viruses’ protein enables the release of new viruses that attack and take over more cells, (National Geographic). While it is hard to determine when our schools should shut down because of the flu, we should focus on preventing the spread of influenza by practicing common hygiene like, covering our mouth and washing our hands.  It is also important to educate the population on how to prevent the spread of influenza and encourage people to get the flu vaccine.

Source: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2009/11/04/when_should_flu_trigger_a_school_shutdown.html

Dr Melanie Bahlo and Dr Max Moldovan and researchers from the University of Sydney are researching a link between individuals with the hepatitis C infection and their genomes. Dr Bahlo, Dr. Moldovan and the researchers from Sydney are exploring over 800 people who contain the hepatitis C infection. Their research has so far concluded that “people receiving hepatitis C treatment revealed that genetic variants near the interferon gene IL28B were associated with people’s response to treatment” (BiologyNews.net).

The treatment includes pagylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin. Although, this treatment is unsuccessful in 50-60 percent of cases Dr.’s Moldovan and Bahlo are conducting this research to conclude why the treatment works for the other 40-50 percent. Individuals with the greatest response to the hepatitis C infection have a specific genetic profile called rs8099917. Once publishes in the Nature Genetics journal, two more researchers came out and varified the same findings. This finding will now allow a person to know whether or not their genetic profile will respond positively to the treatment.

I lost my grandmother to hepatitis C in 2002. She contracted the infection through a blood transfusion many years before she passed away. The infection became chronic and attacked her liver. However, I am glad that there is now a way to find out if a person can and will respond to treatment for the infection. Due to the disease, my grandmother got liver cirrhosis. Hopefully this discovery can be helpful in treating the disease before it affects ones liver.

Source: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2009/09/23/discovery_could_improve_hepatitis_c_treatment.html