Black belts’ white matter shows how a powerful punch comes from the brain

Karate experts are able to generate extremely powerful forces with their punches, but how they do this is not fully understood. Previous studies have found that the force generated in a karate punch is not determined by muscular strength, suggesting that factors related to the control of muscle movement by the brain might be important.

The study, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, looked for differences in brain structure between 12 karate practitioners with a black belt rank and an average of 13.8 years’ karate experience, and 12 control subjects of similar age who exercised regularly but did not have any martial arts experience.

The researchers tested how powerfully the subjects could punch, but to make useful comparisons with the punching of novices they restricted the task to punching from short range – a distance of 5 centimetres. The subjects wore infrared markers on their arms and torso to capture the speed of their movements.

As expected, the karate group punched harder. The power of their punches seemed to be down to timing: the force they generated correlated with how well the movement of their wrists and shoulders were synchronised.

Brain scans showed that the microscopic structure in certain regions of the brain differed between the two groups. Each brain region is composed of grey matter, consisting of the main bodies of nerve cells, and white matter, which is mainly made up of bundles of fibres that carry signals from one region to another. The scans used in this study, called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), detected structural differences in the white matter of parts of the brain called the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex, which are known to be involved in controlling movement.

The differences measured by DTI in the cerebellum correlated with the synchronicity of the subjects’ wrist and shoulder movements when punching. The DTI signal also correlated with the age at which karate experts began training and their total experience of the discipline. These findings suggest that the structural differences in the brain are related to the black belts’ punching ability.

“Most research on how the brain controls movement has been based on examining how diseases can impair motor skills,” said Dr Ed Roberts, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, who led the study. “We took a different approach, by looking at what enables experts to perform better than novices in tests of physical skill.
“The karate black belts were able to repeatedly coordinate their punching action with a level of coordination that novices can’t produce. We think that ability might be related to fine tuning of neural connections in the cerebellum, allowing them to synchronise their arm and trunk movements very accurately. …

via Black belts’ white matter shows how a powerful punch comes from the brain.

Physical Face Cloning

Physical Face Cloning – YouTube.

Interesting, but I’d like to see one with eyes.

Earthworms soak up heavy metal

Earthworms could be used to extract toxic heavy metals, including cadmium and lead, from solid waste from domestic refuse collection and waste from vegetable and flower markets, according to researchers writing in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management.

Swati Pattnaik and M. Vikram Reddy of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, at Pondicherry University, in Puducherry, India, explain how three species of earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia fetida and Perionyx excavates can be used to assist in the composting of urban waste and to extract heavy metals, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, zinc, prior to subsequent processing.

With rapid increases in urban populations particularly in the developing world, there is a growing problem of how to manage organic waste and to find alternatives to landfill disposal particularly for domestic food waste and that from vegetable markets. According to the research team, it is an unfortunate fact of life that much of this waste is currently dumped on the outskirts of many towns and cities and is causing serious pollution, disease risk and general ecological harm. It also represents a considerable wasted resource, whereas the organic matter might be exploited usefully in growing food crops.

The process of vermicomposting in this way allows such waste materials to be remediated and the compost used subsequently for use in growing human food without the risk of accumulating heavy metals in crops. The team says that up to about three-quarters of the various heavy metals can be removed by the worms from solid waste. The E. eugeniae species was the most effective worm at remediating solid waste and producing rich compost. The team’s tests on vermicomposting reveal that the heavy metal content of such waste can be reduced to levels significantly below the permissible safe limits.

The worms’ digestive system is apparently capable of detaching heavy metal ions from the complex aggregates between these ions and humic substances in the waste as it rots. Various enzyme-driven process then seem to lead to assimilation of the metal ions by the worms so that they are locked up in the organism’s tissues rather than being released back into the compost as worm casts. The separation of dead worms from compost is a relatively straightforward process allowing the heavy metal to be removed from the organic waste. …

via Earthworms soak up heavy metal.

Common parasite may trigger suicide attempts

A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually be causing subtle changes in the brain, leading to suicide attempts.

New research appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry adds to the growing work linking an infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts. Michigan State University’s Lena Brundin was one of the lead researchers on the team.

About 10-20 percent of people in the United States have Toxoplasma gondii, or T. gondii, in their bodies, but in most it was thought to lie dormant, said Brundin, an associate professor of experimental psychiatry in MSU’s College of Human Medicine. In fact, it appears the parasite can cause inflammation over time, which produces harmful metabolites that can damage brain cells.

“Previous research has found signs of inflammation in the brains of suicide victims and people battling depression, and there also are previous reports linking Toxoplasma gondii to suicide attempts,” she said. “In our study we found that if you are positive for the parasite, you are seven times more likely to attempt suicide.”

The work by Brundin and colleagues is the first to measure scores on a suicide assessment scale from people infected with the parasite, some of whom had attempted suicide.

The results found those infected with T. gondii scored significantly higher on the scale, indicative of a more severe disease and greater risk for future suicide attempts. However, Brundin stresses the majority of those infected with the parasite will not attempt suicide: “Some individuals may for some reason be more susceptible to develop symptoms,” she said.

“Suicide is major health problem,” said Brundin, noting the 36,909 deaths in 2009 in America, or one every 14 minutes. “It is estimated 90 percent of people who attempt suicide have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. If we could identify those people infected with this parasite, it could help us predict who is at a higher risk.”

T. gondii is a parasite found in cells that reproduces in its primary host, any member of the cat family. It is transmitted to humans primarily through ingesting water and food contaminated with the eggs of the parasite, or, since the parasite can be present in other mammals as well, through consuming undercooked raw meat or food.

Brundin has been looking at the link between depression and inflammation in the brain for a decade, beginning with work she did on Parkinson’s disease. Typically, a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, have been the preferred treatment for depression. SSRIs are believed to increase the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin but are effective in only about half of depressed patients.

Brundin’s research indicates a reduction in the brain’s serotonin might be a symptom rather than the root cause of depression. Inflammation, possibly from an infection or a parasite, likely causes changes in the brain’s chemistry, leading to depression and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide, she said.

“I think it’s very positive that we are finding biological changes in suicidal patients,” she said. “It means we can develop new treatments to prevent suicides, and patients can feel hope that maybe we can help them. …

via Common parasite may trigger suicide attempts.

Cats can kill.

FDA Investigates Codeine Safety After Children’s Deaths

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that it was investigating the safety of codeine for post-operative pain relief in children following reports of three deaths and one life-threatening emergency related to its use after tonsil surgery.

The children were between the ages of 2 and 5. All had received standard doses of codeine, but doctors believe each had a genetic trait that caused them to develop toxic levels of drug in their bodies.

“This will be news to the majority of [doctors] who are not well versed in opioid pharmacology, and it is very important,” says Dr. Elliot Krane, a professor of anesthesia and pediatrics at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

The reason that codeine may be a special case is that it requires extra processing by the liver to work.

“Codeine doesn’t work in its natural form,” explained Dr. Joseph R. Tobin, professor and chairman of anesthesiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. ”It must be converted by enzymes in the body to its active form.”

This active form is morphine. For most patients, taking codeine leads to a relatively safe and therapeutic level of morphine in the body. In nearly a third of the patients who metabolize the codeine slowly, there may be minimal or no effect.

However, in the rare case of “ultra-rapid metabolizers,” the liver quickly converts the codeine into high levels of morphine in the blood — a potentially deadly situation.

“If you are an ultra-rapid metabolizer, then the concentration of the active form of the drug can rise in the patient’s bloodstream quickly,” said Tobin. “When this is also associated with residual anesthetics, a child may be at risk to stop breathing or become completely obstructed.”

Unfortunately, few people are likely to know whether they are slow, regular, rapid or ultra-rapid metabolizers until they take codeine for the first time. Also, because the mechanism controlling this drug’s metabolism is based on a person’s liver enzyme properties, there is no way to change how the drug is processed in any one person.

via FDA Investigates Codeine Safety After Children’s Deaths – ABC News.

The genetic test costs a few hundred dollars, but it might save you money and save your life later according to this.

Experts report that approximately $300 billion is wasted each year on drugs which apparently do not work in people who have certain genes. These people never receive the full benefit from these drugs.  Others are getting dangerous side effects.  … Based on what type of genes you carry, you may be:

• a poor drug metabolizer
  If you are a “poor metabolizer”, you do not break down drugs well.  This may result in too much drug in the body which may lead to a dangerous side effect or even death.  In some cases, your body may not be able to break down certain drugs to their working form and therefore the drugs will not work properly.

• an extensive or “normal” drug metbolizer
  You metabolize drugs at the normal rate.

• an ultra-rapid drug metabolizer
  If you are an “ultra-rapid” metabolizer, this means you break down drugs too fast, causing them to be of no use in the body.  If medications do not work properly, conditions such as high blood pressure, blood disorders, and cancer will be left untreated and may even lead to death.

… Genetic tests for drug response usually cost a few hundred dollars.  The cost of having a genetic test done should be weighed against the cost-savings and benefits that might result.  If you know the results of your genetic test before you start taking a medicine, your doctor will know which drug is best for you.  You will not waste money purchasing medicines that the test shows will not work or cause dangerous side effects.  This could be life-saving in many diseases.   If you weigh the cost of the test against the costs you would face if you developed a serious side effect or took a drug that did not work, the cost of taking a test would be far less than the cost of treating complications.

Getting tested is a once in-a-lifetime experience because your genes do not change over time.  Since many drugs are metabolized by one enzyme, you may only need one test.  Once you are tested, you can keep your genetic test results for the rest of your life and share them with future care professionals.

Some insurance companies may cover genetic testing depending on your policy and your reasons for testing.  If you are interested in getting tested, you can call your insurance company to find out the cost and requirements for testing.  Your doctor will have to order the test for you. …

 

2 Additional Anthrax Cases Identified in Colorado

Two more cows have died from anthrax exposure in northeast Colorado, expanding the first outbreak of the disease in the state in 31 years to three ranches.

Last week, 60 cows died on a Logan County ranch, where anthrax was positively identified in one animal. Officials say it’s likely they all died of the disease.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture said Wednesday the additional cows were on two separate adjacent ranches. Both died from the disease.

State Veterinarian Keith Roehr said all three ranches involved share fences and the new cases likely are the result of cows grazing in an area with soil containing anthrax spores.

Neighboring herds have been vaccinated. No cows left the affected ranches so none entered the food supply and no human infection has been reported, Roehr said.

Anthrax kills livestock within hours of infection and can decimate herds if animals are not quickly treated, he said.

Anthrax is caused by a bacterium that forms in spores and can lie dormant in soil for decades until ingested. Humans get anthrax most commonly through direct contact with infected animals usually when spores get into a cut or abrasion on the skin. Without treatment it can be fatal, but early treatment with antibiotics is very effective.

The personnel on the three affected ranches are working with their doctors and public health officials and are being given antibiotics as a precaution, Roehr said.

Agriculture officials are investigating the incidents and the Northeast Colorado Health Department is trying to ensure that anyone at risk for a possible exposure receives treatment.

All of the initially infected carcasses have been incinerated. Fire kills anthrax spores so burning is the best means to dispose of the carcasses, state agriculture officials said.

“At this point we really don’t anticipate any health threat for the residents in northeast Colorado in regards to anthrax or from the smoke or plume from the incineration of the carcasses,” Tony Cappello, the district public health administrator for the Northeast Colorado Health Department, said in a statement.

It’s unclear why anthrax suddenly has surfaced after no reported cases in Colorado in more than three decades, Roehr said. The three ranches are in the South Platte River Valley, where floods followed by drought are common and the region has alkaline soil types, characteristics favorable to anthrax spores, he said.

via 2 Additional Anthrax Cases Identified in Colorado – ABC News.

Four-star general being investigated for lavish trip spending

A four-star Army general is under investigation for allegedly misusing hundreds of thousands of government dollars on travel, hotels and other unauthorized expense, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.

The general has been identified as William “Kip” Ward, the first leader of the U.S. Africa Command.

Among the allegations are that Gen. Ward allowed family members and other unauthorized people to fly on government planes and that he spent excessive amounts of taxpayer dollars on hotel rooms, transportation and other expenses when he traveled as head of the Africa Command.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to decide on Ward’s military future following the release of a Defense Department inspector general’s report, which is now under legal review and is expected to be out within the next couple of weeks.

Panetta could demote Ward before he is allowed to retire, effectively forcing him to retire at a lower rank and reducing his benefits.

Because Ward’s alleged offenses occurred while he was a four-star general, he could be forced to retire as a three-star, which officials said could cost him as much as $1 million in retirement pay and overtime. It was not immediately clear whether Ward also could face criminal charges or whether he will be fined.

Service members can retire only at the rank at which they served honorably, and a four-star general is the highest rank in the Army.

The inspector general’s investigation lasted about 17 months. Ward did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.

While the exact amount of alleged misspending was not disclosed, the estimated total raises comparisons with the $823,000 allegedly spent by dozens of employees of the General Services Administration, who were accused of lavish spending during an October 2010 conference at a Las Vegas resort.

Panetta’s options regarding Ward are limited by complex laws and military guidelines.

via Four-star general being investigated for lavish trip spending | Fox News.

Air Force’s Hypersonic X-51A jet fails latest test flight, is lost over the Pacific

After approximately 15 seconds of flight, the experimental aircraft designed to fly at six times the speed of sound was unable to maintain control during a test run Tuesday and was lost, the Air Force said in a statement.The unmanned X-51A WaveRider was expected to reach Mach 6 after it was dropped by a B-52 bomber off the Southern California coast near Point Mugu, but a faulty control fin compromised the flight.”It is unfortunate that a problem with this subsystem caused a termination before we could light the Scramjet engine,” Charlie Brink, the X-51A program manager, said in a statement. “All our data showed we had created the right conditions for engine ignition and we were very hopeful to meet our test objectives.”

Engineers hoped the aircraft would sustain its top speed for five minutes, twice as long as it’s gone before.The Waverider successfully detached from the B-52 and fired the rocket booster as planned. Then its scramjet engine was supposed to take over as it attempted to climb to Mach 6. But that never happened. Fifteen seconds after separating from the rocket booster, the Waverider lost control, preventing a test of the scramjet engine. …

The Pentagon has been testing hypersonic technologies in hopes of delivering strikes around the globe within minutes. The jet is designed by Boeing Co.

Last year, in its most recent test, the X-51 fell for about four seconds before its booster rocket ignited, but the aircraft failed to separate from the rocket and plunged into the ocean.

During the first flight of an X-51A in 2010, it reached near five times the speed of sound for three minutes.

Program officials said they will evaluate the exact cause of the latest failure. Only one of the four X-51A vehicles remain, and officials have not decided when or if that vehicle will fly at this time, the statement said.

via Air Force’s Hypersonic X-51A jet fails latest test flight, is lost over the Pacific | Fox News.

Another hypersonic craft, the HTV-2, reaches Mach 20, which is 20 times the speed of sound. The distance from New York to London is 3,458 statute miles. A statute mile is just the formal name for a mile. Siri says Mach 6 is 4,567 miles per hour and Mach 20 is 15,220 miles per hour. Thus, if the X-51A WaveRider at Mach 6 takes 1 hour from New York to London, the HTV-2 could do the trip in about 15 minutes.