Category Archives: Admin

What Makes You Stop Unwanted Thoughts?

Posted on November 21, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Pending assignments, midterms on rainy days, that second serving of dessert – disengaging from unwanted thoughts is a part of daily life. But for people with many psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. this can take the form of intrusive memories, hallucinations, rumination, and more. In November 2017, Chemists and Neuroscientists from University of Cambridge led by Dr Taylor Schmitz identified a specific multi-level mechanism that inhibits out unwanted thoughts.

The researchers recruited 30 healthy participants to do “Think/No-Think” tasks where they learned to associate logically unrelated words, for example, moss/north. The participants then saw the word on a screen and received a green or red cue to think or not think of the associated word, respectively. In other words, if you see moss and the cue is green, you should think of north but suppress that thought if the cue is red. Throughout the experiment, the scientists monitored the activity of brain regions through fMRI and the compositions of the chemicals involved through 1H NMR spectroscopy.

fMRI machine used to measure brain activity.  Source: Wikimedia Commons

The researchers discovered that the neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger) GABA, specifically in the hippocampus, a vital area for memory, suppressed unwanted thoughts by limiting activity in neighbouring cells. They also found that our ability to inhibit unwanted thoughts and prevent them from returning increases with the concentration of GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) present in our hippocampus at rest. The results indicated that this relationship is not observable in GABA concentration from other brain regions such as the visual cortex and the prefrontal cortex, which were previously assumed to play a key role in memory/thought suppression as well.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) molecule.  Source: self

Hippocampus: key area associated with memory.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Although the paper did not focus on possible treatments using pharmaceutical methods to regulate GABA, the findings have immense potential in treating a wide range of psychiatric conditions marked by intrusive thoughts. This makes it a monumental finding for neuroscience and this paper has been tweeted about 255 times and appeared on 76 news articles since its release 2 weeks ago on Nov 3, creating a ripple in the neuroscience community.

To me, the specificity of the finding is the most fascinating aspect of this research. Neuroscience research heavily relies fMRI and MRI methods that can only indicate the areas of the brain active from which researchers then infer the likely neurotransmitters involved. However, these methods do not tell us how these chemicals interact with each other or the mechanism by which they influence behaviour. This basic but fundamental knowledge discovered by the Cambridge researchers was made possible by combining conventional neuroscience approach with spectroscopic methods. Interestingly, this highlights the growing need for interdisciplinary research to solve more complex mysteries in science, which is currently a critical issue in the scientific community.

Mia Hasan

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Is the Secret to Longevity in our Genes?

Posted on November 20, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Increasing life expectancies of the world. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Lifestyle and luck aside, the average human in the twenty-first century has a life expectancy of 80 years. For many people this may seem like a long time, but what about people who live to 100 years old or even older? Is there some secret to longevity they are not telling us?

The small fraction of the population who live to the age of 100 or more are called centenarians. An even smaller fraction of people, who live to be significantly older than 100 are supercentenarians. If you ask them what it takes to live a long life, you will get a wide range of answers: “morning walks and chocolate”, “tell the truth”, “raw eggs and no husband.” Although these answers cannot be directly correlated with longevity, scientists are looking for answers in our DNA.

It is true that a supercentenarian will have few than usual DNA variations known to increase the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other ailments, but researchers believe there is more to it than just luck. They suggest that there is a genetic code that actively protects against aging. This could explain why some supercentenarians are actually more healthy overall, than centenarians in the final months of their life.

DNA strands: Possibly hold the answer to longevity. (Source PublicDomainPictures)

Finding this sequence this is understandably hard since this “survival” phenotype is so rare and nonspecific. Of the billions of A’s, T’s, C’s, and G’s that make up our genetic code, it is hard to distinguish where these mutations occur and even more difficult to collect enough genotypes to confirm the theory.

Despite the odds, researchers published an article that identifies new variants in chromosomes 4 and 7 associated with extreme survival and reduced risk for diseases. The study used 2,070 individuals who were the one percentile of survival for the 1900 U.S. year and analyzed their genomes. They found that there are longevity-associated variants (LAV) and survival to extreme age at death (eSAV) variants, LAV being more common in centenarians. Although this far from confirms proof of a healthy aging gene, it a step forward in unlocking the secrets of living a long, healthy life.

-Mya Dodd

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Solid State Detector for Alkylating Agents

Posted on November 19, 2017 by | 1 comment

We know that anticancer drugs have severe side effects on patients, but have you ever wondered if healthcare workers are being affected too?

A recent study has found that 60% of hospital pharmacies contain high levels of toxic drugs and that 20% of BC healthcare workers were found with unsafe levels of cyclophosphamide (CP). CP is a chemotherapy medication that has side effects, such as hair loss, low blood cell counts and can be as severe as low infertility and increased risk of developing cancer.

Dr. Love’s research group at the University of British Columbia have synthesized derivatives of 4-(4-Nitrobenzyl)Pyridine (NBP). These derivatives serve as an effective DNA model because they have very similar reactivity as DNA to toxic alkylating agents, which are active pharmaceutical ingredients mostly found as anticancer drugs.

Figure 1: the reaction of NBP with alkylating agent and then the addition of base. Source: JOC

To make the mechanism in figure 1 faster and more applicable, the researchers have developed a more acidic carbonyl derivative of NBP. They have incorporated this carbonyl derivative into a silica polymer to facilitate the deprotonation of the compound, and therefore, detect it with UV-visible spectroscopy to determine the amount of alkylating agent present.

Figure 2: The carbonyl NBP derivative before and after Methyl iodide (alkylating agent) exposure. Source: JOC

They found that this solid-state detector changes colour from white to purple when it detects toxic alkylating agents. For this reason, healthcare workers who are exposed to these anticancer drugs can use this sensor in a badge dosimeter, which allows them to monitor their exposure to alkylating agents.

I think this work is a turning point for a safer work environment. Exposure to unsafe levels of toxic anticancer drugs is not only limited to doctors and pharmacists, but it also affects a wide range of workers involved in drug transportation and administration. I think this paper shows that we are underestimating the number of healthcare workers that are in danger of anti-cancer drugs.

Renad Aldebasi

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You Snooze, You Lose

Posted on November 13, 2017 by | 3 comments

If you are like me, and have a hard time waking up in the morning, then you will definitely want to read this post.

A recent survey by Sleep Junkie found that just under 2/3 of people hit the snooze button at least once in the morning.

The majority of people hit their snooze buttons at least once in the morning. Source: Jam Loceng

You may hit the snooze button to get a couple more minutes of sleep, and then repeat several more times, thinking that those minutes will make you feel more rejuvenated.  However, according to researchers, hitting the snooze button can actually make you more tired and less productive throughout the day.

When we go to sleep, our bodies follow the Circadian Rhythm, a 24-hour cycle which controls our sleep cycle and releases chemicals like melatonin, a hormone that makes you drowsy and sleepy.  Melatonin production increases at night by a 4-step chemical mechanism in the brain and then decreases as you begin to wake up.  During the night, your body enters REM stages (light sleeping/dreaming) before going into deeper sleep stages.

This graph shows the REM and deep sleep stages that occur during a normal, uninterrupted Circadian Rhythm. Source: Lucid Dream Explorers

What happens when you wake up, hit the snooze button and go back to sleep? Melatonin releases and your body restarts the sleep cycle, going from REM into deep sleep stages.  When your alarm clock goes off again and you press the snooze button, you interrupt your body in the beginning of its sleep cycle, making you feel more tired and groggy.

This video by AsapSCIENCE shows the chemicals that are released both when you wake up and when you are falling asleep, and shows why you are tired and groggy in the morning.

I found these results really interesting because I hit the snooze button at least 3-5 times in the morning.  So I decided not to hit the snooze button for a couple mornings in a row, and even though I felt tired right when I got up, I definitely felt less tired during the day compared to days when I constantly hit the snooze button.

However, researchers say that not hitting the snooze button won’t prevent you from being tired if you aren’t getting enough sleep.  We mainly press the snooze button because we didn’t get enough sleep the night before.

This article by Business Insider shows the pros and cons of snoozing and that in certain sleep stages, hitting the snooze button will have a stronger negative impact. The worst case for hitting the snooze button is if you are overtired because then you are more likely to enter a deep sleep.

So next time you are about to hit the snooze button, stop yourself and see how you feel if you get up on the first try.

– Jessica Hasker

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Turning Biofuel Waste Into Valuable Platform Chemicals

Posted on November 12, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Scientists have recently demonstrated a faster and more efficient way of turning biofuel waste into highly valuable chemicals. These findings could have a significant impact on the economics of making fuels and other products from renewable sources.

Lignin is a component of an abundant dry plant matter called lignocellulosic biomass. This biomass source makes up the cell walls of plants and enables the upwards transport of water and provides protection against environmental stress and microbial attacks. Due to the rigidness of its structure, lignin is difficult to break down. Scientists have been trying to find methods for extracting its valuable compounds for decades, as these compounds could subsidize biofuel production, making the cost of biofuel a more competitive alternative to petroleum.

Lignin Structure. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Seema Singh and a group of researchers from Sandia National Laboratories recently studied the metabolic pathway of a soil bacteria that can naturally break down lignin. They used this metabolic pathway to come up with a method of extracting lignin’s valuable platform chemicals. The method involved genetically engineering a tobacco plant to produce large amounts of an intermediate compound called protocatechuate (PCA) as it grew. This compound was then extracted from the plant without the need to break down the lignin. Next, an engineered E. coli was added to convert the PCA into muconic acid with a yield 34% greater than previous conversion methods.

Muconic acid and pyrogallol, another product obtained using this method, are platform chemicals that are currently only derived from petroleum, and together, have a combined market value of $255.7 billion. Muconic acid can be turned into plastics, nylon, resins, and lubricants; and pyragallol has applications in cancer treatment drugs.

Nylon 6,6. Source: Wikimedia Commons

The next challenge in this field will be to maximize the yield and rate of production of these chemicals. In order for this method to be used on an industrial scale, large amounts of muconic acid and pyragallol must be produced in a short amount of time to compete with the current petroleum derived methods.

– Joseph Bergvinsom

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The Therapeutic Power Of Dogs

Posted on November 6, 2017 by | 5 comments

Dogs, with their unconditional love for us, have a huge impact in our lives. They make us feel loved and secure at all times. But did you know that their love can be used in therapies?

Fig 1. Image of a Golden Retriever, from flickr

Dogs are commonly used in therapies, namely in the animal assisted therapy (AAT), to benefit human’s mental health. Hoffman and his team claim that dogs help us reduce anxiety in particular.

To determine how dogs can help reduce anxiety, Hoffman and his team carried out an experiment on a group of participants with depression. They were provided with two 30 minute interaction with a dog and a research assistant. During each session, they talked with the research assistant, such as about their hobbies, and their previous experience with pets. They could pet or hug the dog during the session.

Their state anxiety was measured for data analysis by having the participants complete the state anxiety inventory (STAI) before and after each session.

It turns out that the participants showed significantly reduced anxiety when a dog was present, which was not the case for when the dog was not present. As shown in the graph below, there was a significant decrease of -2.402 in mean STAI score after the dog assisted condition, while the controlled condition showed statistically insignificant change in score of -0.981.

Fig 2. STAI score before and after the therapeutic session with a dog

Hoffman’s team concludes that even a short 30 minute interaction with a dog is highly effective in reducing anxiety. Clearly, dogs are not only the best companion, but also a powerful therapeutic source. Having realized how much impact dogs have in our lives, I wish more people could recognize their importance and treat them better.

-Clair Yoon

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Butterflies and Climate Change

Posted on November 6, 2017 by | 2 comments

The temperature outside is quickly dropping and winter is soon approaching. As humans we can bundle up to stay warm or turn the heat up in our homes however some insects such as butterflies don’t have that same luxury. As butterflies are poikilothermic organisms which means they cannot regulate their body temperature and depend on external factors for their body temperature to change. However, climate change is currently playing a key role for the lives of butterflies.

A study done from 1976-1990 by various researchers found that there was a relationship between the weather and population fluctuation in British butterflies. The also found that 28 out of the 31 species studied had trends that were associated with the fluctuating temperatures and rainfall. The warm weather, especially in June, was the best for the butterflies.

Thymelicus sylvestris. One of the butterfly species that were researched. Source: Wikimedia Commons 

 

The research began with 34 plots to study the butterflies in 1976 which then increased to over 10 sites from 1979. The Central England Temperature (CET) data was used to analyze the trend of the butterflies. Different analytical methods were used to analyze the data and future abundance predations were also made.

 

I find this research to be very important for now and the future as it tells us that climate change is having a big effect on the lives of current living things, such as the butterflies in this research. I believe decreasing greenhouse gasses and the emission of CO2 gas can significantly help organisms and insects using their body for normal functions. In the case of the butterflies, they are accurately using external temperatures to regulate their body.

Greenhouse Gasses. Source: Wikimedia Commons

-Harjot Gill

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Your Brain in Love

Posted on October 30, 2017 by | 3 comments

Have you ever rejected someone who was madly in love with you? Have you ever been rejected by someone you really loved?

Neuroscientist, Helen Fisher, asked these two questions 20 years ago, both to which 95% of men and women said yes. Determined to understand this magic, she began a multipart project in 1996 to investigate the neurochemistry involved in romantic love.

She studied couples who had just fallen madly in love with each other, individuals who were dumped by their partners that day (talk about a rough day, huh), and couples who have been married for 20+ years. The fMRI scans revealed that people in love show brain activity in the same regions, the nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), as those addicted to hard drugs such as opioids and cocaine. Both of these areas are associated with dopamine production and distribution. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) associated with the brain’s reward system, primarily involved in addiction, cravings, energy, and motivation.

Brain areas associated with dopamine.             Source: Wikimedia

Dopamine. Source: self

Essentially, this means that lovers and drug addicts show similar behaviour. I think that perhaps romantic love is an even stronger addiction in a sense that everyone experiences it at some point but the same can’t be said for other addictions such as substance abuse or gambling. Those in love show the same fundamental symptoms of addiction: craving, tolerance, emotional dependence and when they get dumped they experience withdrawal and relapse.

Another neurotransmitter involved, according to Fisher, is serotonin which regulates mood, anxiety, and depression. Interestingly, she found that new lovers and long-term lovers had the same basic reward systems, with one exception. The fMRI scans showed that new couple had more activity in brain regions linked with anxiety; whereas long term couples showed activity is regions associated with calmness and pain suppression.

Serotonin. Source: self

With 20 years of research on the brain in love, Helen Fisher is a household name in Neuroscience. She nicely summarises her major findings over the years in this TedTalk. Dating platforms such as Match. com, Tinder, and others use her research on what attracts people to each other in their algorithms.

I think love as a positive addiction is certainly an interesting perspective. I believe that the scope of this can go far beyond just algorithms. Perhaps this means that building strong and healthy relationships can help people recovering from addictive behaviours such as substance dependence, binge eating disorders, gambling, etc. by acting as a reward replacement. Additionally, with rising divorce rates cross-culturally, understanding the mechanisms involved in love and how we form relationships, can help us become more empathetic and build long-term relationships as a society.

 

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Ocean Acidification is The Evil Twin of Climate Change

Posted on October 28, 2017 by | 1 comment

Have you ever wondered where does our carbon dioxide emission end up?. It turns out that oceans absorb 25% of our carbon emission.

As carbon dioxide enters the seawater, it reacts with water and carbonate ions, which decreases both the pH and carbonate ions concentration (Figure 1). This is known as ocean acidification. 

Figure 1. The chemical process of ocean acidification. Source: PMEL Carbon Program

Dr. Trional McGrath is a Chemical oceanographer from National University of Ireland. She has investigated ocean climate change since 2008 and she believes that the ocean acidification will increase by 170% in 2100!.

Why do we care about ocean acidification and how it will affect humans and living species in the water?. To test the consequence of this issue, researchers have placed a sea butterfly, which is an essential food source for many marine species, in a water with the expected pH of 2100 (Figure 2). They found that the sea butterfly’s shell dissolves in 45 days (Figure 3). Not only sea butterfly, but also many marine species, such as crabs, oysters, and corals need carbonate ions to build their shells. So, if the concentration of carbonate ions is decreasing, these species can no longer build their shells and they dissolve!.

 

Figure 2. Sea butterfly. Source: TED

Figure 3: The shell of the sea butterfly dissolves in the expected 2100 pH. Source: TED

In addition, researches have also tested the effect of ocean acidification on tropical corals, which support a quarter of marine animals that are reef dependent. They found that they will dissolve in 6 months by the 2100. If the coral disappears, these reef dependant animals might not survive. 

Figure 4: Tropical corals dissolve in a period of 6 months in the expected 2100 pH. Source: TED

Ocean acidification is a serious issue and it is directly affecting our ecosystem and our marine food chain. if we don’t reduce our carbon emissions, most of the marine species will extinct in the next century.

 

Renad Aldebasi

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Concussions – Not Just a Knock on the Head

Posted on October 23, 2017 by | 1 comment

One in five Canadians have been concussed from playing a sport according to a recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute.

1 in 5 Canadians have had a concussion from playing a sport. Source: Twitter – Healthy Minds Canada

Within the last 4 years, I have had 3 concussions from playing soccer, making me one of five Canadians to get concussed from a sport.  My most recent concussion happened last October and I still have symptoms including: light sensitivity, headaches and trouble focusing.  I saw a neurologist during the summer and he explained how chemical influxes of potassium and calcium are the major causes of these concussive symptoms, especially for the first few weeks or even months after.

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury from a blow to the head, that causes the brain to move around in the skull.  This short video by Smithsonian, describes a concussion in simple terms.

What most of you might not know, is that concussive symptoms are not just from the brain being shaken and bruised.  Secondary symptoms, which increase a concussion’s effect, are from the chemical imbalances released when the brain is hit.  Free-radical overproduction and ion imbalances decrease the energy that nerves use to function.  The ion imbalance prevents the nerve cells from generating energy to recover from the injuries.

A paper by Christoper Giza and David Howa describes how neuronal depolarization and neurotransmitter release delays recovery from concussions and causes secondary symptoms.

Right after the blow to the head, neurotransmitters and ions like potassium and calcium are released in large quantities.  Neuronal depolarization, when positively charged ions enter the cell, occurs when potassium ions flow out and calcium ions flow into the cell disrupting the normal concentrations.

The figure below shows the overall trends of these ions during a concussion.

Potassium and calcium levels in the brain after a concussion. Data source: National Athletic Trainers’ Association

The influx of calcium ions disrupt neuron connections, slowing brain processes, causing confusion and trouble focusing.  Calcium build-up also prevents mitochondria from making energy, causing headaches.

The potassium ions pushed out of the cells cannot be balanced by the cell’s normal processes.  The excess potassium increases depolarization, creating a positive feedback cycle that suppresses the neuron, and significantly slows neuron activity, causing slower thinking and trouble formulating thoughts.

Lastly, neurotransmitter influxes inhibit neuron activity causing temporary memory loss and learning difficulties, for a week up until even 8 weeks after.  This release of neurotransmitters in higher amounts causes the initial potassium and calcium ions influx.

Currently, the scientific knowledge available about concussions is limited, so researchers have been looking at the biochemical changes that occur in the brain after a concussion happens.  By understanding the biochemical processes of concussions and how long these effects last, researchers can make a positive impact on athletes’ health and well-being.

-Jessica Hasker

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