The Mystery of the Migraine

The definition of a migraine according to the World Health Organization, is a headache disorder where pain-producing inflammatory chemicals are released around the nerves and blood vessels in the head. Migraines commonly occur during puberty, but are most prevalent in adults between the ages of 35 and 45. During a migraine, the pain can be either moderate or severe, and can be contained to one area of the brain or pulsing. Accompanying side effects include nausea, and an intolerance to normal levels of light and sound.

With migraines deemed to be one of the top 20 disorders with Years Lived with Disabilities (LYD), and one of the most expensive neurological disorders in society in the EU and the US, there seems to be very bleak hope for migraine sufferers. However, according to a recent study, a gene variation, responsible for the cause of migraines in the brain, has been identified.

This study was conducted by a collaboration of researchers from more than 40 centres from around the world, and was steered by the International Headache Genetics Consortium. The research team discovered that in 50,000 patients, the patients with a particular DNA variant on chromosome 8, between two genes -- PGCP and MTDH/AEG-1 -- have more potential for developing migraines. Upon further research, the team found that the DNA variant is responsible for regulating levels of glutamate, a chemical neurotransmitter that sends messages between neurons in the brain. These results suggest that an accumulation of glutamate over time, in the brain's synapses, could be the main stimulator of migraines.

Th researchers had to conduct a Genome Wide Association Study in order to examine the genetic data of more than 3,000 migraineurs, and 10,000 non-migraineurs, and they then corroborated their data by examining the genomes of a second group of 3,000 migraineurs and 40,000 non-migraineurs.

Until now, no genetic link has been identified to suggest that the accumulation of glutamate in the brain could play a role in triggering migraines. However, it does not end here . Further studies need to be conducted to test a broader range of subjects who may be less severely affected by migraines, so that a consensus can be reached for people suffering from all levels of migraine attacks.

In my view, this study is profound because of the results that arose from it. Before, a migraine was a vague concept, an enigmatic disorder, undefined and out of reach. Now, because of this study, and many more like it, a significant amount of light has been shed onto the mystery that is the migraine.

To Sleep or not to Sleep?.....

In today's tumultuous and fast-paced world, sleep is viewed as an indulgence, a luxury, a privilege. Hectic schedules and strenuous jobs have become the bread and butter of the world and simply put, there is no time for sleep. As they famous saying goes, "You can sleep when you're dead!"

However, this should not be the case. Sleep, more than anyone truly realizes, plays a profound role in our lives, and by depriving ourselves of it, we are ultimately contributing to our own cognitive decline.

A study was conducted by study author Jeffrey Ellenbogen, MD, with Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, along with a team of researchers and scientists in order to ascertain the effect of sleep on memory. Forty-eight subjects, between the ages of 18 and 30, participated in this study. They were divided into 4 groups: a wake group without interference, a wake group with interference, a sleep group without interference, and a sleep group with interference. each of these groups were told to memorize a list of 20 pairs of words.

The wake groups were taught the words at 9 am and were tested at 9 pm after remaining awake for 12 hours. The sleep groups were taught the words at 9 pm and were tested at 9 am after a night of sleep. Just before being tested, the interference groups were taught another word list consisting of 20 pairs of words. However, while the first word in each pair was the same on both the lists, the second word was different. This way, the brain's ability to handle competing information was tested, known as interference. The interference groups were then tested on both lists.

The results of the study found that the sleep group without interference had a memory recall which was 12% higher than that of the wake group without interference. Similarly, the sleep group with interference had a memory recall which was 44% higher than that of the wake group with interference. Overall, the study showed that the subjects who slept after learning the new information had a higher memory recall compared to that of the subjects who were awake.

Based on this experiment, one can conclude that sleep does in fact protect memories from interference, and strengthens them as well. This study provides insights into how the sleeping brain interacts with memories, and serves as a reminder for those who tend to overlook the importance of sleep.

The Restoration of Memory

If you had the ability to restore your memory with literally, the flip of a switch, wouldn't you jump at the opportunity? Well, that is precisely what Theodore Berger of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, along with a team of scientists from Wake Forest University set out to achieve.

In their experiment, a group of rats were trained to push one lever up, rather than another, for a reward. Then, embedded electrical probes were used to observe and record changes in the rat's brain, especially in two major internal divisions (CA3 and CA1) within the hippocampus region (a region which translates short term memory to long term memory). Upon blocking the neural transmission between these two regions using pharmacological agents, the researchers observed that the previously trained rats no longer exhibited the long term learned behavior. In other words, by obstructing the flow of neurons between the CA3 and CA1 regions, the researchers could actually the prevent the formation and retention of the long term memory from occurring, hence, the rats were unable to remember what they had learned.

These scientists then ventured one step further, and designed an artificial hippocampal system which could duplicate the neural interactions between the CA3 an CA1 regions that occurred in the rat's brain. So, when the team activated the electronic device in the pharmacologically blocked rats, they observed that the long term memory was restored and the rats were able to efficiently perform their task.

In addition, the team discovered that by activating the same electronic device into rats with a normal, functioning hippocampus, the memory of the rat was actually strengthened and enhanced.

So ultimately, the significance of this experiment is enormous, because it will help scientists and researchers pave a pathway towards helping human victims of Alzheimer's and other cases involving cognitive decline.

Music for Thought?

Music has proved its importance and and has played its role in our society through multiple instances. Whether it be through enriching and entertaining the public, providing people with a subject of fascinating history, or developing a sense of unity among people with analogous interests, music has certainly shaped the world in which we live in.

However, despite the countless number of general purposes it serves, music has experienced several breakthroughs in the fields of science. In fact, music in itself has been found to be a healing and alleviating factor in the lives of many.

Within the human body, there are two vital organs which are primarily effected by music, the heart and the brain. To begin with, music is regarded as the most natural medicine for the heart. For example, by listening to relaxing music every morning, people having high blood pressure can reduce their blood pressure levels with the assistance of classical, Celtic, or raga music. Ultimately, it is the tempo or the pace of the music which determines the nature in which a person's blood level, heart beat, or breathing rate functions. Likewise, a daily dose of some jazz music can aid in speeding up the recovery process proceeding a debilitating stroke.

Accordingly, music plays a crucial role in the processes which occur in the brain such as reading and literacy skills, spatial-temporal reasoning, mathematical abilities, and emotional intelligence.

Listening to music like Mozart or baroque can enhance the brain's recall of information and memory power significantly. In fact, research has shown that the information which is acquired by the brain while listening to music can be reproduced, or recalled by simply playing the song again. To add, it has been observed that children with musical training develop a better memory as opposed to children who have had no musical training.

Any type of music, whether it be hip hop, R&B, jazz, etc, is capable of lightening a person's mood, and motivating someone to begin an activity making it seem more recreational rather than arduous. Similarly, music had the ability to enhance athletic performance and making it seem more enjoyable and lively by:
-Reducing the feeling of fatigue
-Increasing the psychological arousal levels
-Improving motor coordination

Though we may not yet realize, music is playing an integral role in our day to day life. From driving in the car, to working out at the gym, to even completing assignments, music is and always will continue influencing us for years to come.

The Nature Journal

Norman Lockyer, a former editor, was the man who founded the now world-renowned scientific journal entitled The Nature Journal on November fourth, 1869. Lockyer, having been only a professor at the Imperial College at the time, was not only Nature's founder, but its first editor as well. It was only in 1919 that he was eventually succeeded by Richard Gregory, the man who ultimately inculcated Nature into the international scientific community.

Subsequently after introducing the concept of an international scientific journal to the public, people began to conceptualize Nature's purpose. Despite being created for the sole purpose of publishing articles and journals on science's most modern discoveries and findings, it was established to present advances in the field of science in a manner which would indubitably draw its readers in. Nature, to this day, has made significant progress in keeping the public connected to the world of science and acquainting them with a sense of understanding of the scientific findings that are occuring everyday.

To provide you with a clearer understanding of the type of information which The Nature Journal publishes, here are a few examples.

• http://www.nature.com/

• http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101125/full/news.2010.633.html

In this particular article, Ewen Callaway elucidates how biologists have been successful in their attempts of constructing a programmable genetic 'circuit' that can rewire cells to respond on demand to just about any signal desired.

• http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101124/full/468492a.html

As you can deduce from this article, by Lizzie Buchen, it entails what microbiologists who study human bowels can learn from those who study the bowels of Earth.

Nature is one of the world's most prestigious and acclaiming journals, and has also been cited as one of the world's most interdisciplinary journals as well. There is a myriad number of fields of scientific research in which recent important discoveries have been published as either articles or letters. To name a few, molecular biology, genetics, astronomy, biophysics, chemical sciences, and more. In fact, a majority these have either made their way to Nature's front page or have been included in the journal themselves.

Bioremediation

Today, various methods are exercised in order to remove detrimental toxic wastes, such as oil, from water bodies throughout the world. Among these toxic eradicating methods, several have proven to be quite successful namely, the process of bioremediation.

Bioremediation is a method during which bacteria and other microorganisms are used to ameliorate the process of obliterating traces of toxic oil and wastes present in water and soil. The microorganisms that are used in bioremediation complete their tasks by decomposing the toxic chemicals into simpler and less-hazardous compounds, such as carbon dioxide and water.

Consequently, many have adopted the technique of adding copious amounts of bacteria to areas contaminated by toxic chemicals hoping that they would increase the rate of the decomposition of the toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, several instances involving bioremediation have demonstrated that an abundant addition of bacteria to a infiltrated area ultimately gives rise to a rapid growth of the bacteria. Eventually, these bacteria may be unable to augment the rate at which they decompose toxic chemicals, compelling many to believe that several nutrients and materials which are essential in order for bacteria to survive, are insufficient in areas clouded by these toxic chemicals. Nutrients such as oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, are often limited in areas surrounded by hazardous, toxic chemicals.

The Blue Gene Project

Several diseases in our world have taken their toll on many innocent lives, some of which, researchers have not yet discovered the cure for. Diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, HIV AIDS, Parkinson’s and cancer have produced drastic effects, compelling several doctors and scientists to unveil the truth behind diseases, why they occur, how to slow down their progression, and in some instances, even prevent them.

Fortunately, several technology companies such as IBM have pledged their support towards discovering the direct causes and preventions of many incurable diseases by initiating an IBM Research Project. This project, entitled the Blue Gene Project, was inaugurated by IBM, the Thomas J. Watson Research Center, the Lawrence Livermore National Library, and the U.S Department of Energy in December 1999. The Blue Gene project is a research project aimed at unearthing the frontiers in computer architecture by designing several supercomputers built to reach speeds in the PFLOPS (petaFlops) range, or one quadrillion calculations per second (this is extremely fast). Four different Blue Gene projects are in development, namely-: Blue Gene/L, Blue Gene/P, Blue Gene/C, and Blue Gene/Q.

In order for scientists and medical microbiologists to emerge with revolutionary solutions to prevent complex diseases that occur due to the misfolding of proteins, they require massive supercomputers and sophisticated algorithms to analyze the mechanisms behind protein folding, which was why the Blue Gene Project was founded.

Proteins are basically composed of amino acids arranged in long chain molecules. As enzymes, they play a vital role in all of the biochemical reactions which occur in the body, and as antibodies they recognize invading elements and allow the immune system to destroy all unwanted invaders. However, in order for proteins to execute there important roles, it is essential that they transform from their polypeptide form, into a fold or three-dimensional shape. This transformation is known as protein folding. However, when a coil polypeptide folds incorrectly, inactive proteins are produced which eventually clump together or “aggregate” causing lumps to form in an area of the body. This defect ultimately leads to the rise of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cystic fibrosis, Mad Cow disease, and several types of cancer.
It is extremely astonishing to know that proteins assemble into their fold as fast as in a millionth of a second, giving just cause for companies such as IBM to develop supercomputers built to reach a high range of speed in order to simulate a bimolecular phenomenon like protein folding and discover how proteins fold so quickly and reliably and to identify what happens when this process goes awry.

The Blue Gene Project was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by the U.S. president, Barack Obama, on September 18, 2009, and one of its supercomputers, Blue Gene/L, was announced as the world’s fastest computer because it had exceeded the NEC Earth Simulator with a speed of 36.01 TFLOPS.

Looking towards the future, The Blue Gene Project is focused on developing several new Blue Gene systems in order to experiment nuclear simulations and advance their scientific research.