Sounded children: 75% between 5 and 12 drink caffeine (New York Daily News)

Sixty - five percent of children in a recent study bu caffeine each day.

Most children are unable to join their parents for a morning cup of coffee, but 75% of drink them caffeine, according to a new study.

The results of the study were published in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics.

In a study of 201 children, originally designed to watch phenomenon among children aged 5 to 12 doctors found as adults, children of caffeine more drank - usually at soda - at least they got to sleep.

While it may affect the behavior, it does not affect phenomenon, the study noted.

Children in the study between 5 and 7 years drank 52 milligrams of caffeine per day - or equivalent over 16-ounce Coca-Cola. Children between 8 - 12 years study twice as much drink that sink in 109 milligrams of caffeine per day.

American guidelines for consumption of caffeine are too old to be relevant, wrote of the authors of the study, but Canadian guidelines recommend no more than 85 mg of caffeine per day for 12 years.

As many parents know sleep affects the mood child General and ability to learn, discover new pointed out.

«Caffeine is not a man of boogie, but at a certain time for us all, too much caffeine is a problem, "William Warzak, a psychologist in the Department of Pediatrics at the University in Omaha Nebraska Medical Center says new discoveries. "We just don't know where to draw the line for children", he added.

The most disturbing part of the study experts is that it is not known how caffeine actually affects the growth and overall development by young people.

Doctors study argued that more must be done to consolidate what they noticed could be the possible effects of caffeine.

"Given the potential effects of caffeine on the behaviour of the child, a screen of consumption of caffeine may be useful for the assessment of children's behavioral health concerns," the authors of the study noted.

nmandell@nydailynews.com

Prion mutate and adapt to the host (Science Daily) environment

PharmaLive.com (17 December 2010) - the campus of Florida in The Scripps Research Institute scientists have shown that prions, the protein infectious bits that can cause deadly neurodegenerative diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow disease" have the ability to adapt to survive in a new host environment.

In this regard, even if they have no DNA and RNA, they behave like viruses, producing mutations structural distinct self-perpetuating offering a clear evolutionary advantage.

The study was published this week in rapid review Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and online publishing.

"We have discovered that when a strain specific prion is transferred to a different cell line brain cells, its properties change gradually, giving rise to a variant strain which is better suited to this new cell environment," said Charles Weissmann, MD, Dr., head of the Department of infectology Florida Scripps, who led the study. "If these same prions are then transferred to another cell lineage, they change again, to adapt to these new host cells. And if it is returned to the brain, prions gradually regain their original properties. We have found material evidence that, at least in one case, the prion protein fold changed when its modified properties. »

Darwinian evolution without DNA

These new results come about a year after Weissmann and colleagues published a study in the edition of the journal Science which showed that the prions were capable of Darwinian evolution on 1 January 2010.

This study also showed that prion can develop a large number of mutations and mutations can bring such evolutionary adaptations that resistance to medicines, a phenomenon previously known only in bacteria and viruses. This study has also been suggested as normal - prion protein that occurs naturally in the cells of mammals – may prove more effective than its abnormal relationship with toxic therapeutic target.

"Because the prion can adapt to changing environments, it now becomes clear that it will be harder only imagined initially find medicines that will work against them," said Weissmann. "But if you could develop a drug that inhibits the formation of normal prion protein, you could essentially starving infectious prions and prevent reproduction." This approach to treatment, although technically demanding, may be considered because, as we have shown previously, deprivation of PrP is not harmful to health — at least for the health of the mouse. »

Folding and misfolding

Prions, which are composed only of protein, are classified by different strains, characterized by their incubation time and they cause disease. In addition to the BSE mad cow disease in cattle diseases caused by prions include scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease in deer and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Prions have the ability to reproduce, despite the fact that they contain no genome nucleic acid.

Mammalian cells normally produce cellular prion protein or PrPC. To infection, abnormal or poorly folded - protein called PrPSc - converts protein prion normal host in its toxic form by changing its shape or conformation. The Terminal is composed of large sheets (polymers) of these proteins, which causes mass of tissue and cell damage.

"The protein infectious prion can fold in different ways and according to the fold, results, different prion strain" said Weissmann. "As long as prions are stored in the same host, they retain their fold, feature so that the stem reproduce true."

When prions multiply, however, this trick is not always correctly reproduced, with a population of prions contains many variants, albeit at low levels.

The new study found that when a prion population is transferred to a different host, one of the variants may reproduce faster - an evolutionary advantage - and become the dominant strain. This new population also contains variations, which may be selected on others when transferred to a different host.

"The result is that pray much devoid of genetic material, behave similarly to viruses and other pathogens, they can mutate and undergo an evolutionary selection," said Weissmann. "They do by modifying their folds, while viruses undergo changes in their sequence of nucleic acids".

Various related yet

The new study suggests that prions populations constitute a "quasi-species" similar to RNA viruses and retroviruses, such as influenza viruses and HIV.

The idea of a quasi species was designed by Manfred Eigen, a German biophysicist who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1967. Basically, a species almost is a complex population, self-perpetuating related and diverse entities that act in its entirety. It was Weissmann, however, that, in 1978, provided the first confirmation of the theory through the study of a particular Bacteriophage - a virus that infects bacteria - while he was Director of the Institut für Molekularbiologie Zurich Switzerland.

But this is where the comparison ends, Weissmann said.

"The fact that they behave like viruses does not mean that they are something like a virus", he said. "A bike is like a car that gets you from one location to another, but they are not the same." The end effect is the same, however. Prions, and viruses are able to modify their structure to survive.

The first author of the study is Sukhvir P. Scripps Research Mahal. Among the other authors Shawn Browning, Jiali Li and Irena Suponitsky-Kroyter to Scripps Research.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and family Alafi Foundation.

Warning: this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those PharmaLive.com or its staff.

Source of the story:

The story above is reproduced (with drafting adaptations by PharmaLive.com staff) of materials supplied by The Scripps Research Institute.

Reference of the review:

S. P. Browning Mahal, s., j. LI, i. Suponitsky Kroyter, c. Weissmann. The transfer of a strain of prions for different hosts led to the emergence of variants of strain. Proceedings of the National Academy of sciences, 2010; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1013014108

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited for this.

Warning lights mark molluscs that are not safe to eat (Science Daily)

PharmaLive.com (December 15, 2010) - red tides and similar blooms can make some seafood dangerous to eat, it may be difficult to tell if a particular package contains toxins that cause food poisoning.

A new type of marker developed by chemists at the University of California, San Diego and reported in the journal ChemComm makes it easier to see if molluscs are filled with producer of toxin agencies.

Oysters and mussels accumulate unicellular marine creatures called dinoflagellates in their digestive systems as they filter sea water to feed. Dinoflagellates are generally harmless, but sometimes they produce dangerous toxins. The trick is to find when.

Scientists believe symbiotic bacteria that live on the surface of the dinoflagellate probably help synthesize the toxins, but we know how. Genetic tools often used to untangle these relationships do not work for dinoflagellates have enormous genomes that are not well understood.

This group of chemistry professor Michael Burkhart has taken a different approach. They have implemented a system to add a tag fluorescent enzyme which allows a type of toxin, okadaic acid, but with a twist. By delivery of the tag for a lit the enzyme molecule they insured only parts of cells that are capable of toxin would shine.

Spots glow bright surface of dinoflagellates incubated with marker and symbiotic bacteria and Toxin accumulates in culture. These fires leave and stops the production of toxins, if chemists add antibiotics in the mixture.

The new marker has proved useful in with mussels live as well. Their entrails shines with toxin dinoflagellates producer before the poison transferred into the fabric of moulds itself.

This technique could could form the basis of a system of early warning for aquaculturists and in theory, it could reduce the risk of shellfish poisoning.

Very present, the method requires a microscope relatively expensive fluroscence to display the tagged cells but Burkhart team is optimistic that rapidly developing technology will be soon easy to detect with a handheld device markup.

National Institute of general medical practice and the American Chemical Society Science funded this project.

Warning: this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those PharmaLive.com or its staff.

Source of the story:

The story above is reproduced (with drafting adaptations by staff at PharmaLive.com) materials provided by University of California - San Diego. The original article was written by Susan Brown.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited for this.

Specific method to detect dangerous levels of fluoride (science daily)

PharmaLive.com (9 December 2010) - used in appropriate amounts, it can do more teeth and help in the treatment of osteoporosis. When excessive quantities are consumed, however, it can be a killer - carcinogen that causes bone, lung and bladder cancer. "it" is a common additive fluoride in the water drinking most communities and an ingredient in the vast majority of adult toothpastes commercially produced.

Determine the level of fluoride either water-soluble product consumption or the human body is an important and attractive for scientists challenge. For that, a researcher at the University of State of Florida has developed a molecular sensor that changes colour when a sample containing fluorine is added.

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises that 1 part per million (ppm) of fluoride ions is acceptable in drinking water, but more than 2 ppm is regarded as serious risk to health," said Sourav Saha, an Assistant Professor in the former USSR of the Department of chemistry and Biochemistry and integrative Institute of nanoscience. "" "" Because fluoride is carcinogenic even in small doses, a sensor is necessary to detect fluoride selectively at very low concentrations and in the presence of other naturally and biologically important ions. »

In collaboration with a team of students and fellows, Saha was able to develop such a sensor. His team of researchers has discovered that a compound called diimide (NDI) naphthalene interacts with uniquely colourful fluoride ions.

"NDI is a family of neutral (although electron deficient) aromatic compounds are colorless, that fluoride is added", said Saha. "A small amount of fluoride will quickly turn orange sample, while much more transform pink." In this way, it becomes very easy to determine the presence of fluoride in the water, but at what level. »

Although there are other sensors of fluoride, many many of them cannot distinguish between fluoride and other anions - negatively charged ions - that might be present in the water.

"Despite the fact that they can detect fluoride, they could not accurately measure the levels of fluoride," said Saha. "Naked eye detection of fluoride concentrations is an advantage of NDI based sensors. Our sensor relies on an electronic receiver NDI fluoride ion transfer in this case to change color or visible response event to generate a signal, that is. Electron transfer process can be reversed, and the sensor can be reclaimed and reused over and over again.

Designing an appropriate sensor laboratory Saha reached a remarkable "nanomolar" fluoride, sensitivity which means that it can detect approximately ten thousandth of one milligram of fluoride in a litre of water. This makes it one of the most sensitive sensors fluoride known to date.

Water fluoridation has been widely used in the United States since about 1960. Although often a subject of controversy, Saha says that he had to improve the overall dental health through a very basic chemical process. When added to water systems, fluoride reacts with a natural mineral calcium phosphate and product called fluorapatite compound. Fluorapatite then bindings with teeth in humans to form a hard layer services offshore corrosion protection. This is important for dental health.

However, an excessive amount of fluoride in water can cause a condition known as dental fluorosis, especially among young children. It follows an aspect marble of the tooth enamel as well as possible cracking and between teeth.

Fluoride is also used in several medications to treat osteoporosis brittle bone disease. Given appropriate amounts, fluoride appears to stimulate the formation of new bone tissue. However, when an excessive amount of fluoride accumulates in the tissues of the body, they can lead to a variety of diseases, health including skeletal fluorosis, causing pain and damage to bones and joints. Excessive fluoride over a length of time also was linked to development of osteosarcoma - malignant and potentially fatal - bone cancer and cancers of the lung and bladder. For these reasons and others, fluoride has not been formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of osteoporosis in the United States.

Artificial fluoridation of drinking water is commonly practiced in many industrialized countries. While the precise number is not available, possibly 400 million people living outside the United States are located in areas where water is fluoridated artificially, according to the British society of Fluoridation. Untold millions of others, especially in the regions of Africa, the India and China, based on water sources whose natural fluoride level exceeds EPA recommendations. Efforts to measure the amount of fluoride present in many of these areas are unclear and inconsistent.

"This is an issue very important for public health in the world," said Saha. "Some countries developing fluoridated water but are not a way to accurately measure." Others are drinking water was treated with fluoride, but which may contain dangerous amounts already naturally. Clearly there is a critical need for a sensor fluoride which can tell whether their water supply is safe. »

A document describing the results of his team was recently published by the journal of the American Chemical Society. He has written collaboratively by Saha and his postdoctoral researcher, Samit Guha. It was also stressed in the December 6, 2010, from chemical issue and new techniques.

In addition, Saha filed a US patent on his process of detection of fluoride in June 2010. It asks whether, in the following year, if the patent will be granted. If so, the next likely step would be to license his discovery to an external firm that could test it for the commercial potential and then, if all goes well, develop a marketable product.

"It's a clever idea," said John Fraser, assistant vice President the State of Florida research and Director of the Office of development of intellectual property and marketing and economic development. "Using a test simple color to determine safe fluoride levels will lead to a tangible benefit to society." Once commercialized, people benefit the United States, but in countries with high natural content but dangerous fluoride also. »

Warning: this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those PharmaLive.com or its staff.

Source of the story:

The story above is reproduced (with drafting adaptations by staff at PharmaLive.com) materials provided by Florida State University.

Reference of the review:

SAMIT Guha, Sourav Saha. Remote sensing by an Interaction Anion-p fluoride ion. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2010; : 101130112154057 DOI: 10.1021/ja107382x

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited for this.