- January 17, 2009
- 02:27 AM
- 823 views
How can I be failing? - Unskilled and Unaware of It
by Sr. Edith Bogue in Monastic Musings
I noticed a surprising phenomenon last semester. Several first-year college students were getting consistently low scores on chapter quizzes - and they did not seem the least bit bothered or concerned about it. They were similarly unperturbed about scores below 60% on the first exam. When they received their mid-semester grade report, though, two of them came to see me, astounded to get such low grades. Their surprise was, of course, surprising to me: how could they possibly think that they........ Read more »
Kruger, Justin, & Dunning, David. (1999) Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121-1134. DOI: http://www.apa.org/journals/features/psp7761121.pdf
- January 16, 2009
- 05:35 PM
- 1,383 views
NOS1 - An Impulsivity Gene?
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
Neuroskeptic has warned before of the pitfalls of candidate gene association studies. With small sample sizes and multiple comparisons, false positive results are all too common, especially in behavioural genetics. Yet it's not all bad. The renowned Klaus-Peter Lesch and colleagues have just produced a paper which is a cut above the rest. They report on an association between a promoter region polymorphism in the gene NOS1 and "impulsive" traits.NOS1 codes for the enzyme nitric oxide synthase 1,........ Read more »
Andreas Reif, MD; Christian P. Jacob, MD; Dan Rujescu, MD; Sabine Herterich, PhD; Sebastian Lang, MD;, Lise Gutknecht, PhD; Christina G. Baehne, Dipl-Psych; Alexander Strobel, PhD; Christine M. Freitag, MD;, Ina Giegling, MD; Marcel Romanos, MD; Annette Hartmann, MD; Michael Rösler, MD; Tobias J. Renner, MD;, & Andreas J. Fallgatter, MD; Wolfgang Retz, MD; Ann-Christine Ehlis, PhD; Klaus-Peter Lesch, MD. (2009) Influence of Functional Variant of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase on Impulsive Behaviors in Humans. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66(1), 41-50. DOI: http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/66/1/41
- January 16, 2009
- 04:57 PM
- 1,619 views
Phylogenetic inference under recombination using Bayesian stochastic topology selection
by Thomas Mailund in Mailund on the Internet
There’s an interesting paper in the current issue of Bioinformatics that I’ve just finished reading:
Phylogenetic inference under recombination using Bayesian stochastic topology selection
Webb et al. Bioinformatics 25(2) 197-203
Abstract
Motivation: Conventional phylogenetic analysis for characterizing the relatedness between taxa typically assumes that a single relationship exists between species at every site along the genome. This assumption fails [...]... Read more »
A. Webb, J. M. Hancock, & C. C. Holmes. (2008) Phylogenetic inference under recombination using Bayesian stochastic topology selection. Bioinformatics, 25(2), 197-203. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btn607
A. Webb, J. M. Hancock, & C. C. Holmes. (2008) Phylogenetic inference under recombination using Bayesian stochastic topology selection. Bioinformatics, 25(2), 197-203. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btn607
- January 16, 2009
- 03:29 PM
- 903 views
More on the peopling of the Americas
by blgtnjew in Hominin Dental Anthropology
In the previous post, I left out another part of the migration into the Americas that is marked by another set of haplogroups. It has been long believed that two major migrations occurred into the Americas. The first of the migrations were the ones that came down the Pacific coast and through the Cordilleran and Laurentide ice sheets nearly simultaneously around 15-14 kya. As previously mentioned, these populations quickly dispersed through the Americas is very little time. They were like speedi........ Read more »
U PEREGO, A ACHILLI, N ANGERHOFER, M ACCETTURO, M PALA, A OLIVIERI, B KASHANI, K RITCHIE, R SCOZZARI, & Q KONG. (2009) Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups. Current Biology, 19(1), 1-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.11.058
- January 16, 2009
- 01:31 PM
- 966 views
Lessons from the Placebo Gene
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
Update: See also Lessons from the Video Game BrainThe Journal of Neuroscience has published a Swedish study which, according to New Scientist (and the rest) is something of a breakthrough:First 'Placebo Gene' DiscoveredI rather like the idea of a dummy gene made of sugar, or perhaps a gene for being Brian Moloko, but what they're referring to is a gene, TPH2, which allegedly determines susceptibility to the placebo effect. Interesting, if true. Genetic Future was skeptical of the study because o........ Read more »
T. Furmark, L. Appel, S. Henningsson, F. Ahs, V. Faria, C. Linnman, A. Pissiota, O. Frans, M. Bani, P. Bettica.... (2008) A Link between Serotonin-Related Gene Polymorphisms, Amygdala Activity, and Placebo-Induced Relief from Social Anxiety. Journal of Neuroscience, 28(49), 13066-13074. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2534-08.2008
- January 16, 2009
- 01:30 PM
- 993 views
Serotonin! What Is It Good For?
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
Absolutely nothing...? Not quite, but it may be good for a lot less than anyone thought. At least according to a recent paper in PLoS One describing what happens to mice given genetic knockout which left them almost completely unable to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin (5HT).The mice lacked either one, or both, of two genes called TPH1 and TPH2, which code for two related enzymes called tryptophan hydroxylase-1 and tryptophan hydroxylase-2. These are necessary for the production of serot........ Read more »
Katerina V. Savelieva, Shulei Zhao, Vladimir M. Pogorelov, Indrani Rajan, Qi Yang, Emily Cullinan, & Thomas H. Lanthorn. (2008) Genetic Disruption of Both Tryptophan Hydroxylase Genes Dramatically Reduces Serotonin and Affects Behavior in Models Sensitive to Antidepressants. PLoS ONE, 3(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003301
- January 16, 2009
- 01:30 PM
- 1,152 views
A Gene for Power-Line Leukemia?
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
Some people believe that living near high-voltage power lines raises the risk of childhood cancer. Most people are skeptical. A Chinese group have just published a paper in the journal Leukemia and Lymphoma, claiming that a genetic polymorphism in the XRCC1 gene, which has been previously linked to various cancers, raises the risk of electromagnetic field (EMF)-related leukemia. People who believe in EMF-related leukemia are happy. The Daily Mail report on this study quoting no less than three s........ Read more »
You Yang, Xingming Jin, Chonghuai Yan, Ying Tian, Jingyan Tang, & Xiaoming Shen. (2008) Case-only study of interactions between DNA repair genes (hMLH1, APEX1, MGMT, XRCC1 and XPD) and low-frequency electromagnetic fields in childhood acute leukemia. Leukemia and Lymphoma, 49(12), 2344-2350. DOI: 10.1080/10428190802441347
- January 16, 2009
- 12:34 PM
- 1,145 views
Ancient DNA analysis of the Icelandic settlers
by Thomas Mailund in Mailund on the Internet
I’ve just finished reading this paper in PLoS Genetics:
Sequences From First Settlers Reveal Rapid Evolution in Icelandic mtDNA Pool Helgason et al. PLoS Genetics, 5 (1) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000343
Abstract
A major task in human genetics is to understand the nature of the evolutionary processes that have shaped the gene pools of contemporary populations. Ancient DNA studies have [...]... Read more »
Agnar Helgason, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Shyamali Ghosh, Sigrún Sigurðardóttir, Maria Lourdes Sampietro, Elena Gigli, Adam Baker, Jaume Bertranpetit, Lilja Árnadóttir, Unnur Þorsteinsdottir.... (2009) Sequences From First Settlers Reveal Rapid Evolution in Icelandic mtDNA Pool. PLoS Genetics, 5(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000343
- January 16, 2009
- 12:26 PM
- 1,198 views
2008 - Our progress and achievements (part 2)
by Cancer Research UK in Cancer Research UK - Science Update
In the previous post, we looked at some of our research successes in fundamental cancer biology over the past year.
Another important aspect of our work is understanding cancer risks, and finding ways to prevent the disease.
Here are just a few examples of our progress in this area in 2008…
Breast cancer risk
As we reported, researchers at [...]... Read more »
P. D.P. Pharoah, A. C. Antoniou, D. F. Easton, & B. A.J. Ponder. (2008) Polygenes, Risk Prediction, and Targeted Prevention of Breast Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine, 358(26), 2796-2803. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa0708739
T. Pischon, H. Boeing, S. Weikert, N. Allen, T. Key, N. F. Johnsen, A. Tjonneland, M. T. Severinsen, K. Overvad, S. Rohrmann.... (2008) Body Size and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers , 17(11), 3252-3261. DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-08-0609
V S Benson, K Pirie, J Green, D Casabonne, & V Beral. (2008) Lifestyle factors and primary glioma and meningioma tumours in the Million Women Study cohort. British Journal of Cancer, 99(1), 185-190. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604445
F. J. Gilbert, S. M. Astley, M. G.C. Gillan, O. F. Agbaje, M. G. Wallis, J. James, C. R.M. Boggis, & S. W. Duffy. (2008) Single Reading with Computer-Aided Detection for Screening Mammography. New England Journal of Medicine, 359(16), 1675-1684. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0803545
L Linsell, C C Burgess, & A J Ramirez. (2008) Breast cancer awareness among older women. British Journal of Cancer, 99(8), 1221-1225. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604668
COLLABORATIVEGROUPONEPIDEMIOLO. (2008) Ovarian cancer and oral contraceptives: collaborative reanalysis of data from 45 epidemiological studies including 23 257 women with ovarian cancer and 87 303 controls. The Lancet, 371(9609), 303-314. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60167-1
R L Bowen, S W Duffy, D A Ryan, I R Hart, & J L Jones. (2008) Early onset of breast cancer in a group of British black women. British Journal of Cancer, 98(2), 277-281. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604174
- January 16, 2009
- 12:10 PM
- 820 views
Faith healers sabotage vaccination efforts
According to the World Health Organization, the second most important thing that we can do to improve child health around the world is better vaccination (number one is clean water). So anything that blocks vaccine uptake, especially in low income countries, is a major healthcare problem.A recent study has looked at the factors that affect vaccine uptake in Haiti, and found that the vaccination rate is an astonishing 50% lower in children whose mothers are frequent users of faith healers. This ........ Read more »
Adamson S Muula, Matine M Polycarpe, Jayakaran Job, Seter Siziya, & Emmanuel Rudatsikira. (2009) Association between maternal use of traditional healer services and child vaccination coverage in Pont-Sonde, Haiti. International Journal for Equity in Health, 8(1), 1. DOI: 10.1186/1475-9276-8-1
- January 16, 2009
- 11:25 AM
- 2,030 views
Global Warming, The Carbon Cycle, and Fish Poop.
by Mike Dunford in The Questionable Authority
When we talk about the role of fossil fuels in climate chance, what we're really talking about is the carbon cycle. That's the term that scientists use to describe the different forms that carbon is stored in on the earth, and the different ways that it can move from form to form. Understanding the carbon cycle is one of the keys to understanding both the effect of burning carbon-based fuels and the issues involved in trying to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. According to a paper in t........ Read more »
R. W. Wilson, F. J. Millero, J. R. Taylor, P. J. Walsh, V. Christensen, S. Jennings, & M. Grosell. (2009) Contribution of Fish to the Marine Inorganic Carbon Cycle. Science, 323(5912), 359-362. DOI: 10.1126/science.1157972
- January 16, 2009
- 10:37 AM
- 1,273 views
Psychiatric Illness in Huntington’s Disease
by Shaheen Lakhan in Brain Blogger
Huntington’s disease can be a devastating illness for patients and their families. The disease is directly inherited — if you have a parent with Huntington’s disease, you have a 50% chance of inheriting the abnormal huntingtin gene yourself. Unfortunately, if you inherit the huntingtin gene, you will certainly develop the disease. While there is no [...]... Read more »
E. van Duijn, E.M. Kingma, & R.C. van der Mast. (2007) Psychopathology in Verified Huntington's Disease Gene Carriers. Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 19(4), 441-448. DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.19.4.441
J M Hamilton. (2003) Behavioural abnormalities contribute to functional decline in Huntington's disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery , 74(1), 120-122. DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.74.1.120
Raphael M. Bonelli, & Gregor K. Wenning. (2006) Pharmacological Management of Huntington's Disease: An Evidence- Based Review. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 12(21), 2701-2720. DOI: 10.2174/138161206777698693
- January 16, 2009
- 10:15 AM
- 1,223 views
Squeezing the genome: how to shrink your whole-genome sequence to 4 MB
by dgmacarthur in Genetic Future
A new paper in Bioinformatics describes an efficient compression algorithm that allows an individual's complete genome sequence to be compressed down to a vanishingly small amount of data - just 4 megabytes (MB).
The paper takes a similar approach to the process I described in a post back in June last year (sheesh, if only I'd thought to write that up as a paper instead!). I estimated using that approach that the genome could be shrunk down to just 20 MB - compared to about 1.5 GB if you stored........ Read more »
S. Christley, Y. Lu, C. Li, & X. Xie. (2008) Human genomes as email attachments. Bioinformatics, 25(2), 274-275. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btn582
- January 16, 2009
- 09:58 AM
- 2,067 views
Bug Photo of The Week: Tachinid Growth Inside Bombyx Mori
I always write about these cool parasitoids which eat the host from the inside out…but I rarely, if ever show pictures of the process. Let’s change that, shall we?
If you’re a regular reader of this weblog, you’ve seen me mention Compsilura concinnata before. It’s this neat little parasitoid fly which, unlike many parasitoids, can live [...]... Read more »
Ryoko Ichiki, & Hiroshi Shima. (2003) Immature Life of Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) (Diptera: Tachinidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 96(2), 161. DOI: 10.1603/0013-8746(2003)096[0161:ILOCCM]2.0.CO;2
- January 16, 2009
- 07:31 AM
- 988 views
Viruses jumping species
by iayork in Mystery Rays from Outer Space
One of the reasons for epidemics and pandemics, is a virus that jumps from one species to a new one. Among the original population (let’s call it the “natural host”), there’s a certain level of immunity . Individuals have been infected and survived, and walk away with some resistance to the virus. That limits the [...]... Read more »
N. Decaro, V. Mari, M. Campolo, A. Lorusso, M. Camero, G. Elia, V. Martella, P. Cordioli, L. Enjuanes, & C. Buonavoglia. (2008) Recombinant Canine Coronaviruses Related to Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus of Swine Are Circulating in Dogs. Journal of Virology, 83(3), 1532-1537. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01937-08
- January 16, 2009
- 06:35 AM
- 1,475 views
The genetic history of Iceland
by dgmacarthur in Genetic Future
Razib has an excellent discussion of a brand new paper in PLoS Genetics, which uses DNA samples from medieval Icelandic skeletons to explore the genetic history of the Icelandic population.
This population is of course of great interest to human geneticists: the Icelandic company deCODE (the home of over half the authors on this paper) has used its exclusive access to the DNA and genealogical and health records of Icelanders to publish vast numbers of studies on the genetic basis of human disea........ Read more »
Agnar Helgason, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Shyamali Ghosh, Sigrún Sigurðardóttir, Maria Lourdes Sampietro, Elena Gigli, Adam Baker, Jaume Bertranpetit, Lilja Árnadóttir, Unnur Þorsteinsdottir.... (2009) Sequences From First Settlers Reveal Rapid Evolution in Icelandic mtDNA Pool. PLoS Genetics, 5(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000343
- January 16, 2009
- 02:55 AM
- 1,339 views
Friday Weird Science: Things you shouldn't do "for kicks"
by Evil Monkey in Neurotopia
Not only are these things you shouldn't do for kicks, but things that you should NEVER EVER have your friends do to you at a bachelor party. Those people are not your friends.
You'd think that, no matter how drunk you were, you wouldn't agree when someone said "Hey, let's see if we can fit this in your penis..."
Quin, G, McCarthy. G. "Self insertion of urethal foreign bodies". Journal of Accident and Emergency Medicine, 2000 May; 17(3): 231.
Oof. Really, I'm a girl and I'm crossing my leg........ Read more »
G. Quin. (2000) Self insertion of urethral foreign bodies. Emergency Medicine Journal, 17(3), 231-231. DOI: 10.1136/emj.17.3.231
- January 15, 2009
- 11:15 PM
- 1,939 views
Neurobiology of Psychosocial Stress and Depression
by Dr Shock in Dr Shock MD PhD
Psychosocial stress predisposes to depression, especially chronic stress. Stress together with a functional genetic variant of the serotonin transporter gene and dysregulation of the stress hormone cortisol increase the risk of depression. Stress reactivity might be an important link between a genetic variant of the serotonin transporter gene, stressful life events in early years and [...]... Read more »
C. Liston, B. S. McEwen, & B. J. Casey. (2009) Psychosocial stress reversibly disrupts prefrontal processing and attentional control. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0807041106
- January 15, 2009
- 08:12 PM
- 974 views
Voodoo Schadenfreude
by The Neurocritic in The Neurocritic
Voodoo doll, by SickboyMost hip researchers in cognitive neuroscience and human brain imaging have already heard about the critical new journal article with the incendiary title: "Voodoo Correlations in Social Neuroscience" (Vul et al., in press - PDF). If you haven't, you can read a comprehensive summary here and a micro version here.Avenging Voodoo SchadenfreudeNature News ran a piece on the debate and the burgeoning backlash from an angry mob of researchers whose methods were derided as fatal........ Read more »
Edward Vul, Christine Harris, Piotr Winkielman, . (2009) Voodoo Correlations in Social Neuroscience. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
- January 15, 2009
- 06:05 PM
- 976 views
Autism in California: The MIND's new epidemiology
by Michelle Dawson in The Autism Crisis
The MIND's recently published autism epidemiology (Hertz-Picciotto & Delwiche, 2009) has been widely publicized (press release is here, typical media story is here), with the upshot that large increases in reported rates of autism are real rather than apparent and should be studied as such. Bloggers have taken on several aspects of the MIND's new autism epidemiology (here, here, here, here, with more and a summary here) as well as discrepancies between the paper itself and how it has been promot........ Read more »
Irva Hertz-Picciotto, & Lora Delwiche. (2009) The Rise in Autism and the Role of Age at Diagnosis. Epidemiology, 20(1), 84-90. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181902d15
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