New UCLA Study Shows Link Between TBI And PTSD

Evidence regarding an existing link between traumatic brain injury and the influence it has on post-traumatic stress disorder has been discovered by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)�researchers in a new study published in the journal�Biological Psychology. Their report also suggests a link between anxiety disorders and mild traumatic brain injuries.

UCLA researchers say that it was the analogy observed between traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder in military personnel. Studies have been conducted on rats. Until now, no reason for this correlation has been found. The simplest answer would have been that it’s nothing more than a coincidence. Rats were tested both physically and emotionally. After inflicting a brain trauma, researchers used “fear conditioning” techniques on the laboratory rats and further analyzed the results.

�“We found that the rats with the earlier traumatic brain injury acquired more fear than control rats (without traumatic brain injury),” said Fanselow, a member of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute. “Something about the brain injury rendered them more susceptible to acquiring an inappropriately strong fear. It was as if the injury primed the brain for learning to be afraid.”

Traumatic Brain Injury

After accumulating the data required, scientists analyzed the amygdalae of the test rats, a structure that�has a key role in the processing of emotional reactions. Analysis showed an increased number of receptors for the neurotransmitters that affect the learning process.

The result of the study suggests that the amygdala is left in a more responsive state after a brain injury is inflicted, thus making patients more susceptible to experience post-traumatic stress and fear.

The study was funded by the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense. Researchers, along with Michael Fanselow, include neurosurgery and pharmacology professor David Hovda, also UCLA’s Brain Injury Research Center director, graduate student Floyd Buen, postdoctoral fellow Andrew Poulos and associate professor Christopher Giza.

“One of UCLA’s great strengths is the spirit of collaboration that allows scientists from very different departments to combine their very different expertise to answer important but difficult questions,” added Michael Fanselow, main author and professor at UCLA

Signalling Molecule Hif1 Prevents Fat Combustion, According To New Study

Scientists�from ETH Zurich have discovered a new action mechanism of a rather well-known molecule called Hif1. In simple words, it was found that Hif1 prevents fat burning, mechanism that may pay a major role in the pathogenic�chain of obesity.

A group of researchers led by Willy Krek, Cell Biology expert at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich demonstrated that the molecule called Hif1, has an intense activity in white adipocytes of the abdominal fat in laboratory mice. This particular molecule makes sure that the fat tissue�is not dissolved even when a low in calories and fat�diet is adopted.

The good news is�that scientists�also discovered that this process can be reversible. When Willy Kerk and his team suppressed the activity of Hif1 molecule, the switched off metabolic route regained its normal activity, melting the fat deposits and burning excess�fatty acids.

Abdominal Obesity

Hif1 molecule is a compound that is generally present when tissues increase their size very quickly and�lack oxygen as a result.�This particular mechanism is generally true�for cancerous tissue and�abdominal fat tissue.�Basically Hif1 acts on the cellular metabolism reprogramming it, determining cells to lower their oxygen consumption by lowering production of energy molecules known as ATP in the mitochondria. Therefore cells have to switch to other energy sources�to survive and�obtain their energy from burning glucose – glycolysis ( the process can be maintained even in the absence of oxygen – anaerobic glycolysis). In other words the Hif1 molecule helps cells gain their needed energy even they lack the needed oxygen supply.

ETH�Zürich researchers in the first phase studied the link between the Hif1 molecule and abdominal fat on a laboratory mouse mode. The mice were given a rich in fatty acids diet and their body mass index increased rapidly. Researchers then discovered that a high concentration of Hif1 was present in the abdominal fat tissue. This finding suggested that the fatty tissue had a poor blood supply and adipocytes were lacking oxygen.

The clear effect of the molecule was observed only when researchers switched off Hif1. The abdominal fat in mice stopped the growing process even after the mice�continued their fat-rich nutrition plan. The overall weight of the animals remained unchanged. After scientists switched to�a normal fat diet plan, the animal loosed weight.

In the end, scientists also�discovered the way in which the Hif1 molecule opposes burning fat.�Hif 1 acts by diminishing�the production of a certain�enzime called Sirt2, which also plays a major role in the�fat burining process. So, by turning off the Hif1 molecule in mice models, the production of Sirt2 enzyme is reduced,��and the fat burning process is enhanced.

This particular correlation between abdominal obesity, Hif1 molecule and Sir2 activity was also observed in�obese human models.

Effective Measures Against A Possible Influenza Outbreak Identified By Scientists

The�Spanish flu pandemic killed over 50 million victims worldwide between 1918 and 1920. The influenza epidemic�occurred after World War researchers believe that it had the same root as bird flu (H5N1). The victims were generally�young people with a good health status,�children and experts believe it was one of the worst pandemic in human history�as it affected not only�people with�weakened immunity.

If a similar pandemic occurred today, scientists belive that vaccination might be helpful but�vaccine production�would not be�hastened in time for a significant effect�to be achieved. Hospitals�would soon be overcrowded and many�sick patients�would need to be treated at home by family members.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions or NPIs�would be very useful�in that situation, containing the pandemic and spread of the H5N1 virus according to Richard Larson and Stan Finklestein, members of MIT's Engineering Systems Division who came out with a plan of preventing the H5N1 virus from spreading between people who come into close contact.

Their approach was to look into the home dynamics and come up with rather inexpensive methods of prevention, that common people could take in order to prevent infection and care for their family members in the same time.

Larson and Finklestein discovered that simple gestures such as hand washing, use of masks and temperature control, humidity and air circulation could have a major impact upon the chances to get infected. Their results were published in the December issue of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.

Transpolating their results and findings regarding the bird flu, these measures could also help prevent the transmission of regular seasonal flu, infection that takes the lives of about�30,000 U.S citizens each year.

The scientists were motivated�by the growing fobia�of devastating H5N1 strains that could be the source of a major outbreak in the future. Larson and Finklestein, have been�focused�on�non-pharmaceutical interventions that could help prevent the spread of the disease.�With their study they�reviewed 40 studies that analyzed�non-medicinal�ways of preventing influenza and isolated the most effective methods that could reduce�transmission.

Influenza virus�can be transmitted�very�easily. The most common route of transmission of�the infection is through tiny droplets of saliva eliminated�by infected persons�during breathing or coughing (Flugge�droplets), droplets that can be worn away by air currents and inhaled by others.�Scientists recommended the�following methods of prevention:

• Proper hand�with antibacterial soap and alcohol based hand sanitizer for a minimum of 20 seconds�after�exiting a patient’s ward or room
• �Covering the�nose�and mouth�with a mask, though it has not been proven yet that common masks can actually block viruses they can prevent unconscious face touching with a hand that came into contact with infected surfaces.
• Installing�air filters can remove nearly 98 percent of virus particles.
• Raising�the air temperature and humidity can kill or at least disable virus particles.
• Installing�a UV lamp. Ultraviolet�light kills viruses by genetic alteration.

Nothing we're proposing is controversial,� Larson says. Our contribution is systemically going through the decades of scientific literature and picking out what we thought were exemplary pieces of work and putting them in an engineering-systems framework.

Scientists Are Working On Bionic Contact Lenses That Stream Real-Time Information In Front Of The Eyes

Scientists announced that a�type�of contact lenses that�will�project of images in front of the eyes�could be soon available to the population.

Bionic contact lenses were�a result of�a�collaboration between researchers at the University of Washington and the University of Aalto, Finland. They announced that the lenses have obtained good results�during animal testing.

Technology will allow those who use contact lenses to read these texts and e-mails that “float” in front of their eyes�or to “improve” the 3D images generated by a�computer. Scientists working�are now working on a�lens�design�that is safe to be implemented in humans. However, researchers still�face some problems with the power supply�of the�device. The prototype developed by researchers�is working only when�the wireless�battery is a few centimeters away from the device. Researchers are optimistic that they will be able to improve the device, now that tests on rabbits have shown that the lens does not have dangerous�adverse health effects.

Bionic Contact Lenses

Scientists say that these lenses could be used by drivers, allowing them to see their journey and moving speed projected on the car’s�windshield. Also, contact lenses could be used for virtual games, and connecting them to the biosensors�in�the patient’s body may allow them to�display medical data such as blood pressure and�blood sugar levels.

Professor Babak�Praviz, research team leader, revealed his team’s next goal: “Now we are working to introduce a pre-programmed text in the lens”.

Designing the contact lens, researchers had to use metal layers with a thickness of only a few nanometers, or 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. They also used LEDs with a maximum diameter of 0.3 millimeters.

Researchers from doctor’s Praviz�team are not the only�scientists working to develop this type�technology. A Swiss company, Sensimed, already launched on the market�so-called “smart contact lenses”, which uses a chip to monitor intraocular pressure, helping patients suffering from glaucoma.

Arnaud Bertsch, researcher at the École�Polytechnique�Fédérale de Lausanne�and one of the specialists who worked with the Sensimed��company , commented that�five years ago this type of technology seemed�detached from SF movies, but can become reality soon. Bertsch�believes that contact lenses, 10 years from now�will be fully computerized displays,� and huge steps�have been already�made in terms of miniaturization.

Gene Responsible For Muscle Repair Discovered By Scientists

A team of scientists from London and Berlin, using DNA sequencing techniques discovered a new gene that is�aiding the differentiation process�of stem cells into muscle cells. The study was published this week in the journal Nature Genetics.

The scientists based their study on several children coming�from families with a history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy�(a genetic skeletal muscle fiber disorder�characterized by degeneration that causes progressive atrophy of most muscle groups, resulting in installation of variable motor disability , depending on the type and evolutionary stage).

With the aid of state-of-the-art, DNA sequencing technology, researches discovered a malfunctioning gene called MEGF10 for a family living in the United Kingdom. After further research, the same defect was discovered in other families from Asia and Europe.

DNA

These result could be the basis of future genetic�screening programs that could early diagnose this terrible�condition.

Muscle stem cells also�called�satellite cells�are dependent upon the action of MEGF10�gene,�and are normally in close contact with the surface of muscle fibers, where they remain dormant. In case of injury , these stem cells become active and start to proliferate and merge themselves with the�muscle fibers. The MEGF10�gene plays a key role in this binding process as they provide�the ‘sticky’ substrate used by the stem cells to fuse with muscle fibers.

The muscle mass represents about 40 per cent�of the�normal person body weight therefore�it needs to be constantly�maintained.�MEFF10 plays a key role in the process of muscular regeneration and abnormalities�lead to progressive muscle weakness�not only of all muscular groups but also the ones that are part of different internal organs.

The new DNA sequencing technology relevance is more and more�emphasized by scientists as it allows them to sequence impressive numbers of genes with lower costs at the same time. This means that more families�suffering from�rare genetic disorders, may find�more answers in the near future and escape�from�an ‘idiopathic’ diagnosis.�When the exact cause�and mechanism of�a disease is known�there is�only one step�left to�a new�or better�treatment option.

Starving-Bacteria Antibiotic Resistance Can Now Be Overcomed

Nowadays�clinicians encounter more and more�antibiotic-resistant infections even though the antibiogram�shows sensitivity of the certain�bacteria�to medication. This�impossibility to cure�antibiotic sensible infections is�quite a paradox�and doctors are facing it�each day in practice. A possible explanation�of this resistance is that, during the infection, the bacteria lacks nutrients. Bacteria which lack key nutrients for its development tends to be resistant to almost every type of antibiotics class, even the ones it haven’t encountered before in order to develop resistance.

A study published in Science magazine this week, tries to explain what exactly leads to starvation-induced antibiotic resistance, and how�could clinicians overcome it.

Bacteria is usually lacking key nutrients when body nutrient supplies are exhausted or when they tend to form a tightly assembled group known as biofilm�according to Dr. Dao Nguyen from the McGill Univeristy.

Biofilms�are groups of bacteria covered with a slimy coating, form of organization that can be found both in human tissues (where they cause the infection)�or in the natural�environment of the bacteria. This biofilm�protects the bacteria from the bactericide�action of antibiotics making them able to tolerate extremely high doses of antibiotics that�would normally kill them.

Sensitive Bacteria

Bacteria that are living outside the biofilm�can receive�more nutrients that are diffusing in, leading to starvation of the bacteria that are living inside clusters, rendering�them highly resistant to antibiotics, said Dr. Pradeep Singh, senior author of the study. Most antibiotics target cellular�functions that are active during bacterial growth, but�when bacteria�stop�the growing process these cellular�targets can not be attacked by the active substances,�leading therefore to resistance. This is quite a discovery�but it also leads to a major dilemma: in order to sensitive bacteria, growth stimulation would be required, and this is not an option during human infections.

Dr. Dao Nguyen and��Dr. Pradeep Singh then turned their attention to another possible mechanism.

It is not a new thing that bacteria issue certain chemical compounds�when they sense that nutrients are running low. These chemicals warn bacteria and determines them to prepare their metabolic pathways for starvation. Could these chemicals be also the cause of the antibiotic resistance effect?

The team genetically created bacteria that lack these signal compounds, determined them to enter starvation and then measured, using an antibiogram, the antibiotic resistance of these bacteria. The results were amazing. Starved bacteria that were not alerted by chemical compounds�were thousands of times more sensitive to antibiotics, even if they stopped�growing and the antibiotics were lacking active cellular targets.

This is a major breakthrough as this could mean that antibiotic resistance of starved bacteria could now be inhibited. This study also demonstrated that�protection of�starved bacteria is provided by chemical compounds�released when nutrients are running low.

After these results scientists tried to answer two key questions.

First�does the starvation alarm actually leads to bacterial resistance in human infections? In order to prove this the team tested the sensibility of bacteria�, unable to�sense when nutrients are running low,�in mice infections, isolates taken from different patients and laboratory cultures. The result was unchanged: unaware of starvation�bacteria were by far more sensitive to antibiotic�treatment.

The second question was targeting the exact mechanism of the resistance�process. What does actually leads to extreme antibiotic resistance in starved bacteria?

The scientists found that the bacteria were protected against free radicals (toxic forms of O2) , the exact mechanism of action of antibiotics (they generate oxygen free radicals that kill the bacterium).

New Treatment Shows Promise For Acne Scars

A new treatment, with good results , AZFICEL-T�technique ( first used to treat wrinkles), �was used in a study conducted by Dr Munavalli�G, for moderate to severe depressed acne scars. AZFICEL-T�technique is using doner's own fibroblast cells ( that�produce collagen I�and II) extracted from a small portion of skin and afterwords multiplied and�injected in the skin lesions (scars). Some adverse reactions were present�like erythema ( 11,1 % of cases), swelling( 10,1 % cases), irritation, rash, bruising, pain, headaches but not severe enough to abandon trials

Dr. Munavalli G. said “This is an off-label use of AZFICEL-T. It can provide a very viable alternative to more invasive, risky methods, such as fractional ablative or traditional ablative laser resurfacing, for the improvement of acne scarring with potentially long-lasting results. Further studies are being considered for a larger-scale trial to obtain a formal US Food and Drug Administration indication for the treatment of acne scarring” .

Acne Treatment

Acne is the most frequent skin problem,� being a result of hypersecretion�of sebaceous glands, worsened sometimes by bacterial infection and inflammation and causing different skin lesions like pimples ( small� protrusions appeared on the skin, which sometimes contain pus), blackheads (small formations, black, arising from the accumulation of a mixture of seborrhea�and dead cells that block pores) , whiteheads (small white formations arising resulting the blocking of pores)� or cysts (deeper lesions).

The most exposed areas of skin are those areas are the face, chest, shoulders and back. Acne can also be found on the arms or thighs, but cases are extremely rare.

It affects mostly teens, due to constant changes in the hormonal balance during puberty, but it can be seen in all ages as well. Other factors worsening acne problems are malnutrition (eating too much chocolate, snacks, fast-foods), heredity, sweating, the use of cosmetic products that can irritate pores, etc. Acne not only causes physical discomfort, but can have a major emotional and social impact on life.

The emotional impact can be greater, especially in adolescents and can cause embarrassment,� mood swings, depression, self-isolation or low popularity. Girls and boys are equally affected by acne, but males tend to presend more severe forms. A long-term problem is scar healing, that can affect that can affect a person’s entire life.

So this new treatment gives new hopes to people affected by severe acne scars and can improve both appearance and self-esteem.

Researchers Discover Brain Cancer Mechanism Responsible For Neuron Death

Scientists from the�Virginia Commonwealth University�and Institute of Molecular Medicine� discovered the way through which the most common type of brain cancer leads to neuron cell death also known as neuron degradation.

The research results can help scientists�further, to find new treatment options to halt neuron degradation and new treatments for other nervous system disorders.

Paul B Fisher recently published study in the Cancer Research journal, revealed that�a certain�gene also known as oncogene ( gene that�can determine cancer onset) astrocyte�elevated gene AEG-1�determines neuron degradation by increasing the toxicity effects of glutamate on neurons. Glutamates�are essential�for neuronal transmission�thus for memory and learning skills. Glutamates�can acumulate�in�the sinaptic�spaces (the spaces between two neurons) and determine neuron exhaustion by overstimulation�them, process also named exicitoxicity.

Neuron Death

Paul’s B Fisher Study is the first study that provides a theory on how brain cancer leads to neurodegeneration, and�provides a link between AEG-1�oncogene and neuron cell death. The AEG-1�onocogene was found present in over 90% of patients with�brain cancer.

Glioma is the most common�type of brain cancer and statistically the second cause of death due to cancer in adults aged between 20 and 39 according to Paul.

The study also targeted possible therapeutic aproaches�for inhibiting AEG-1�oncogene and neuron degradation due to glutamates. Fisher’s scientists team also found�that�AEG-1�onocgene�negatively corelates�with�a glutamate�transporter (EEAT2) in cells that feed and support the neurons also�known as glial cells.�The transporter was found responsible for regulating glutamate leves�in synapses spaces. Altered transport and regulation leads to neuron cell death. The study also showed that during the transcription process the AEG-1�onocgene�can interfere with� EEAT2�transporter, leading to neurotoxicity due to excessive glutamate. The theory was demonstrated in practice using samples from patients suffering from glioma.

Unreavelling�the mysteries of EEAT2�transporter is a very useful�descovery as researchers can now focus on finding better treatments of other neurodegenerative disease such as Lou Ghering’s Disease also know as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer, epilepsy and many more.

Paul’s B Fisher laboratory�was the pioneer of EEAT2�cloning, and now has turned its attention for screening for certain drugs that can be used to regulate EEAT2�transport thus preventing�the process of�neuron degeneration.

“You can feel like a mental patient, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like one.” — Marsha Linehan, founder of DBT.

Borderline

Borderline , in psychiatry, was thought to be on the border� between psychosis and neurosis. Meaning almost but not entirely crazy. The disorder is characterized by �instability in mood, self-image, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. This typically means people suffering from BPD�have chronic feelings of emptiness and low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts and gestures (cutting), anger issues, and even bisexual tendencies. Marsha Linehan, an expert on BPD, describes �borderlines�as the psychological equivalent of third-degree-burn patients. They simply have, so to speak, no emotional skin. Even the slightest touch or movement can create imense suffering.�

The term borderline �basically reffers to INSTABILITY as the hallmark characteristic of the disorder.�

The basic �life-style is dominated by crisis:

• Behaviour can become highly unpredictable
• Mood states tend to be extreme and labile
• Persistent feelings of alienation and emotional emptiness

Women with bordeline personality disorder

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS:

INTERPERSONAL INSTABILITY is obvious in relationships and interactions with others

SPLITTING reffers to a predictable pattern of alternately devaluing and idealising others.Devaluation appears to be unpredictably triggered by sudden angry responses to perceived �or actual interpersonal loss. Borderline patients are �hypersensitive to behaviors of others towards them.

SELF-HARM�and SUICIDAL IDEATION refer to impulsive harmful behaviour towarsd self that vary widely in severity.Self-harm is sometimes intended to elicit a rescue response from others but also may be used to relieve severe feelings of emptiness, numbness,frustration, anger, or interpersonal tension. Common self-harm behaviours include cutting and burning, hitting objects and drug overdose.Suicide thaughts and attempted suicide in response to perceived or actual trauma or crisis characterise severe forms of the disorder.

Borderline Personality Disorder

MANIPULATION refers to relating to others as objects for the purpose of achieving unstated goals. Manipulation may be covert or overt, but the aim almost always is to obtain caretaking responses from others.

ANGER and DYSPHORIA are commonly experienced or chronic negative mood states. Dysplays of negative emotions can vary greatly but can reach levels of intensity that simply overwhelm the affected person.Negative emotions also include loneliness and boredom.Complaints of never experiencing good or happy emotions may not be an overstatement.

DYSPHORIA

DEREALISATION refers to transient experiences in wich nothing seems real.When derealisation also includes depersonalisation, the affected person does not feel real and instead feels like adisembodied observer.

IMPULSIVE AGRESSION may manifest as alarming episodes of substance abuse, promiscuity, fighting, self-harm.

The cause of BPD�is unknown, but almost certainly there is a history of childhood trauma. This includes parental abandonment and neglect, poor communication �in the family, and physical and sexual abuse. Clinically, BPD is often wrongly diagnosed �as Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD) because of the overlap in mood instability symptoms. The main difference between these two is that borderline symptoms are triggered by interpersonal difficulties while bipolar symptoms are autonomous and independent of relationship stres factors . Also medication is �far less effective�for treatment of borderline �than bipolar effective disorder .

Medications used to manage symptoms of borderline are ddetermined by the persons immediate treatment needs. Persons with this didorder are at �high risk �for depression, anxiety, stress, panic and substance abuse. In some cases antidepressants prove helpful. Severe impulsive agression may require short term antipsychotic medication(riperidone, olanzepine).Mood stabilization �medications (gabapentin)might improve severe mood instability.

Given the unpredictable mixture of clinical symptoms that can be associated with a diagnosis of borderline personaliy disorder, psychotherapy must be amphasised.

The primary psychotherapeutic goals for the bordeline personality disorder include:

• Crisis prevention
• Management and stabilisation of object relations.

The treatment of choice for BPD is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy��(DBT). It is �a form of talk therapy that helps patients �learn to manage intense emotions to minimize self-destructive behaviors and thus function better in relationships. The goal is to promote acceptance, yet encourage change.

“Pain creates suffering only when you refuse to accept the pain.”- Marsha Linehan

“Acceptance is the only way out of hell.”– Marsha Linehan