(Medical Xpress) — A team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recently discovered a new protein that enables HIV to destroy human cells. The finding provides scientists with a critical glimpse into the complex interactions between HIV proteins and human proteins, a discovery that could potentially lead to new HIV drug therapies. The study was published in the January 19, 2012 issue of Nature.

(Medical Xpress) — Researchers from the University of California have found that negative social interactions can cause internal inflammation that may over time lead to possible health consequences. In the study, the results of which the team has published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team writes that stressful events can lead to increased production of cytokines, molecules that are produced when inflammation occurs.

So, under his vision, government continues to grow. Government assumes responsibility for more agencies and assumes control over more aspects of our daily lives. How is government, at all levels, managing the programs and control they have now?

In one day, I took notice of the interactions that I had with government at the local, state and Federal level and also took notice of their performance. Here is what happened.

Local Government:

I live in a small town. In order for me to have my garbage picked up on Monday mornings, I have to purchase stickers to put onto my bags of garbage before I put them on the street. Easy, right? Not so fast. I have to physically go to, pay for and pick up my garbage stickers from the town offices. The office is only open for 4 hours a week: Wednesday 10am – 12pm, and Friday 2-4pm. Given that I have to work to pay for the stickers, I am at work durning the 4 hours the offices are open. I dont have garbage stickers.

State Government:

First, I went to the DMV to inquire as to what would be required to transfer my out of state registration to a NY registration. The friendly clerk gave me three government forms to fill out and I was told it was going to cost me around $200.00. Included in this was a $50.00 charge from the state to provide me with a NY title. I am no longer making payments on my truck. Ive owned it outright for years. I entered into a financial agreement with a lender to buy my truck. The agreement was that the bank would lend me the money to buy my truck and they would hold the title of ownership until I paid off the loan. That makes sense. Nowhere in that contract was the state involved. They were not the lien holder, they didnt lend me the money, they didnt make any of the payments. Why, now, years later, does the state government has the power to issue me a title to a vehicle that I worked for and paid for? But they do.

Next, in my mail I foud a statement for child support. I havent been liable for child support in about 5 years. Despite numerous contacts with the state involved (not my nativeNY), they will not turn it off. Ive had custody of my child for years and now he is grown and out of the house. But, I can not get this turned off. Ive called them, provided them with court documents, sent letters all to no avail. Every month, like clockwork I receive a child support statement. The bureaucracy of that state government can not grasp that circumstances change, kids grow up and they should be reactive to this.

Federal Government:

Our Federal government is a shining example of inefficiency and disorganization. Granted, as a retired military member, I may have more contact with our Federal government than most. But, in one day:

I submitted a travel voucher to the finance office. The clerk at the desk walked me through the process step-by-step and was very helpful. She took the time to describe each document and receipt that I needed to give her. I complied. She then told me it would take, on average 5-7 business days to process. Ok.

Eleven business days later, when I handnt either received payment or heard anything, I went back to the office. There was a different person behind the desk. Regardless, she again was very friendly and helpful while informing me that there was no record of the paperwork I submitted, nor was there any record of my having been there at all. Gone. My claim just disappeared. I was also told that office was the wrong office to go to anyway and they shouldnt have taken my claim. I was given a phone number to call their regional office and sent on my way. I called their regional office and was informed that I needed the receipts and papers that I submitted to the first office. Of course, I didnt have those papers because I had followed instructions and turned them into the first Federal finance office. I am still spinning in circles on this one.

As a veteran, I submitted a medical claim to the Veterans Administration on 28 February 2011. Today, I made my fouth visit to my local VA office to determine the status of my claim. After starting from scratch as if I had never been there and once again describing my issue for the fourth time, the very friendly and helpful clerk made a phone call. After a couple redirects and some time on hold, the clerk finally had an answer. She related to me that the VA representative on the other end of the phone told her that my claim is still sitting on their desk. It has been sitting on his desk for nine months as they werent sure they had all the required records. He would look into it and call my local VA rep on Monday. Note that at no time during those nine months had I received an iquiry or letter from the VA asking if me if they had all my records. Our bureaucratic Federal Government hard at work.

Next, I went to my local Federal Post Office. I moved here about four months ago and submitted an official change of address form to have my mail forwarded. Not long afterward, I started to receive my fathers mail. When I asked how to fix that, I was told that I had to submit another change of address card just to make sure it goes through. I did so. That was two months ago. I am still receiving my fathers mail. Again, I asked how to fix this. Now I was told to submit another change of address card but this time I changed my fathers address from my house back to his house. Another example of the complete inefficiency of our government to manage the simplest and most mundane of tasks. Although it hasnt happened yet, I am completely confident that my father very soon will be receiving my mail at his house.

I am sure that Im not unique. This is the run-down of the interactions between one person and their local, state and Federal governments in just one day.

On a larger scale, the governments at every level are facing fiscal problems as their expenditures exceed their revenues. We do not have a tax problem, we have a spending problem. The Federal government is $15+ in debt.AMTRAK, the Post Office, Social Securityare all broke and running routine deficits.New York is projected to have a $350 million shortfall for fiscal year 2012 and a $2 billion projected shortfall for 2013(http://bit.ly/WDa0M) and is Governor Cuomo is forced to make spending cuts. Local governments are also facing budget shortfalls and are making tough choices on funding and taxes.

Given their complete inefficiency in running anything, why would anyone even consider voting for any candidate that is proposing greater control of any government over anything? And, the worst part of it all is how much they charge us for it.

Mathematical modeling of cancer usually involves describing the evolution of tumors in terms of differential equations and stochastic or agent-based models, and testing the effectiveness of various treatments within the chosen mathematical framework. Tumor progression (or regression) is evaluated by studying the dynamics of tumor cells under different treatments, such as immune therapy, chemotherapy and drug therapeutics while optimizing dosage, duration and frequencies.

In a paper published last month in the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, Controlled Drug Delivery in Cancer Immunotherapy: Stability, Optimization, and Monte Carlo Analysis, authors Andrea Minelli, Francesco Topputo, and Franco Bernelli-Zazzera propose a differential equation model to describe tumorimmune interactions. We study the dynamics of the competition between the tumor and the immune system, Topputo explains.

The relationship between cancers and the immune system has been studied for many years, and immune therapy has been known to influence tumor regression. Clinically called immunotherapy, it involves using external factors to induce, enhance, or suppress a patients immune response for treatment of disease. In this study, the therapy consists of injecting a type of immune cells called dendritic cells, which generate tumor-specific immunity by presenting tumor-associated antigens.

In particular, cancer immunotherapy has the purpose of identifying and killing tumor cells, says Topputo. Our research considers a model that describes the interaction between the neoplasia [or tumor], the immune system, and drug administration. Such modeling and simulation can be used to assess the impact of drugs and therapies before clinical application.

Using ordinary differential equations, the authors model the progress of different cell populations in the tumor environment as a continuous process. Within the dynamical system presented by the tumor environment, they apply the theory of optimal controla mathematical optimization methodto design ad-hoc therapies and find an optimal treatment.

The end goal of the control policy is to minimize tumor cells while maximizing effectors, such as immune cells or immune-response chemicals. The aim is to minimize the tumor concentration while keeping the amount of administered drug below certain thresholds, to avoid toxicity, says Topputo. In common practice, one searches for effective therapies; in our approach, we look for efficiency and effectiveness.

Elaborating on a prior study where indirect methods used to solve the optimal control problem are not effective, the authors use direct methods that apply algorithms from aerospace engineering to solve the associated optimal control problem in this paper. Optimal protocols are analyzed, and the duration of optimal therapy is determined.

The robustness of the optimal therapies is then assessed. In addition, their applicability toward personalized medicine is discussed, where treatment is customized to each individual based on various factors such as genetic information, family history, social circumstances, environment and lifestyle.

We have shown that personalized therapy is robust even with uncertain patient conditions. This is relevant as the model coefficients are characterized by uncertainties, Topputo explains. Further studies would include designing optimal protocols by considering personalized constraints based on individual patient conditions, such as maximum amount of drug, therapy duration, and so on.

Other future directions would be the use of more diverse models and studying the effectiveness of treatment combinations. More detailed approaches like agent-based models that describe tumor-immune interactions and hybrid therapies that consist of combined chemotherapy-immunotherapy treatments should also be considered, says Topputo.

More information: Controlled Drug Delivery in Cancer Immunotherapy: Stability, Optimization, and Monte Carlo Analysis, Andrea Minelli, Francesco Topputo, and Franco Bernelli-Zazzera, SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, 71, pp 2229-2245 (Online publish date: December 20, 2011)

Provided by Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (news : web)

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Public release date: 22-Jan-2012

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Contact: Giuseppe Tettamanzi
g.tettamanzi@unsw.edu.au
61-040-542-1886
University of New South Wales

A new class of electron interactions in quantum systems

Physicists at the University of New South Wales have observed a new kind of interaction that can arise between electrons in a single-atom silicon transistor.

The findings, to be published this week in the journal Physical Review Letters, offer a more complete understanding of the mechanisms for electron transport in nanostructures at the atomic level.

We have been able to study some of the most complicated transport mechanisms that can arise up to the single atom level, says lead author Dr Giuseppe C. Tettamanzi, from the School of Physics at UNSW.

The results contained in this study open the door for new quantum electronic schemes inwhich it is the orbital nature of the electrons – and not their spin or their charge – that plays a major role, he says.

The study, in collaboration with scientists from the ICMM in Madrid and the Kavli Institute in The Netherlands, describes how a single electron bound to a dopant atom in a silicon matrix can interact with many electrons throughout the transistor.

In these geometries, electron-electron interactions can be dominated by something called the Kondo effect. Conventionally, this arises from the spin degree of freedom, which represents an angular momentum intrinsic to each electron and is always in the up or in the down state.

However, researchers also observed that similar interactions could arise through the orbital degree of freedom of the electron. This describes the wave-like function of an electron and can be used to help determine an electrons probable location around the atoms nucleus.

Importantly, by applying a strong magnetic field, the researchers were able to tune thiseffect to eliminate the spin-spin interactions while preserving the orbital-orbital interactions.

By tuning the effect in two different symmetries of the fundamental state of the system…we have observed a symmetry crossover identical to those seen in high-energy physics, says Tettamanzi.

In our case this crossover was observed simply by using a semiconductor device which is not too different from the transistor you use daily to send your emails.

Tettamanzi, who was recently awarded a prestigious ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award fellowship, will now investigate another transport mechanism that can arise in quantum dots and single atom transistors called quantised charge pumping.

The idea here is to create a current flowing through a nanostructure without applying a voltage between the leads, but by applying varying potentials at one or more gates of the transistor, in an apparent violation of Ohms law.

Most people dont actively think about the long-term consequences of their online activities, according to a survey Microsoft released this week, along with tips for protecting yourself.

Your online reputation is shaped by your interactions in the online world and spans the disparate and varied data about you, whether created and posted by you or others, Microsoft Chief Privacy Officer Brendon Lynch said in a news release. This information can have a lasting presence online, and can affect your life in many ways — from maintaining friendships to helping you keep or land a new job.

Microsofts survey of 5,000 adults found:

• 91 percent have done something to manage their overall online profile at some point;
• 67 percent feel in control of their online reputation;
• 56 percent dont actively think about the long-term consequences of their online activities;
• 37 percent rarely or never search to see what information is available about them online;
• 17 percent have inadvertently shared information online that was intended to remain private, most commonly details about their personal lives (56 percent of those affected) and personal photos (38 percent);
• 49 percent do not use privacy settings on social networking sites;
• 14 percent have been negatively impacted by the online activities of others;
• Reported consequences include being fired from a job (21 percent of affected people), refused health care (16 percent), turned down for a job (16 percent), being turned down for a mortgage (15 percent) and not getting into the college they wanted (14 percent).

So what should you do?

• Search all variations of your name online from time to time to see whats out there;
• Consider separating professional and personal profiles, using different email addresses, screen names, blogs and websites (and dont link the two);
• Pay attention to privacy settings;
• Think before posting particularly personal information, photos and videos;
• Pay attention to who has access to what youre sharing;
• Dont do anything online that you dont want people to be able to see years and decades from now.

Read more Microsoft and tech news. Visit seattlepi.coms home page for more Seattle news.

This just in…

Many of us have accused our kids of faking stomachaches to get out of going to school. Well, if we take the results of a new study seriously, we may realize that their aches and pains may in fact be caused by stressful friendships and social interactions.

A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA and done at UCLA found that negative social interaction are linked to increased inflammation. And they are not yet talking about emotional inflammation but instead about physical inflammation that can lead to all kinds of physical symptoms. Although, this study focused on the reactions of young adults, there is no reason to believe that this wouldnt be the case with the younger generation.

We, as adults, know that stomachaches, chest pains, and even colds and headaches can follow a string of stressful social interactions. So, why on earth wouldnt this be the case with children and teens? For the love of God, I have been waiting for this study for decades. I can remember being curled up like a pretzel with writhing stomach pain in 7th grade when Lisa K. decided that I was an undesirable and that none of the girls in my English class should be allowed to talk to me. Her complaint was that I didnt show enough emotion. No one has ever accused me of that in my adult life.

When my teenage daughter complained about feeling pain and not wanting to go to school I was notorious for always doing a brief psychological check-in. Amanda-Darling, I would say — Is anything bothering you at school? To which she would invariably say — Mom — please stop being a psychologist. But now, I feel validated. Yes, probably she was ill when she stayed home from school-ill because of a virus or some other infectious illness but my heart and brain were in the right place when I did my psychological assessment.

Even as an adult, I choose to spend time with friends who make me feel good. Constant headaches from speaking to one friend or chest pains after speaking to a critical and downer friend and they are crossed off my list of go-to people. Friendships, I have always thought, should be a source of joy, understanding, and attunement. So, the next time your child-teen or tween wants to avoid school or a party for an unclear reason you should feel good about swooping right in and asking more questions — gently, indirectly, and unemotionally.

Good Luck!

Spokane police may wear body cameras

Among the reforms the Spokane City Council is considering for the police department is one that would put body cameras on officers to record their interactions with the public.

The Associated Press

Beverly Public Schools is sharing the results of a survey addressing issues impacting public education across the community. Survey topics included perspectives on the quality of education provided by the district, interactions with district leadership, decisions made that impact district operations, budget constraints, community relations, school operations and communications.

Overall, respondents reported favorable opinions of the education provided by the district, with 76 percent of staff and 69 percent of parents giving grades of A or B. In addition, most respondents recognized that quality schools are relevant to them, while indicating that increased funding to ensure quality education is important. And 80 percent of parents and community members said they understand the role of the seven-member elected School Committee.

Working in conjunction with independent research and communication firm K12 Insight, the district is engaging in a two-way dialogue with the entire Beverly community, with the goal of increasing transparency into district operations. This survey was also an opportunity for the school district to learn about the communitys awareness level of major decisions made this past year.

A total of 713 people responded to the District Climate Survey, representing a cross-section of district employees, parents and community members. Offered online in October, the survey is part of an overall comprehensive plan to engage the entire Beverly community.

Id like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our first District Climate Survey, said Marie Galinski, EdD, superintendent of Beverly Public Schools. Its essential that we hear everyones voice as we make decisions in line with our mission of maximizing the academic achievement and personal growth for every student.

Other findings indicate that the district needs to improve its communications with parents and community members, particularly around major school district decisions. Those decisions include the districts new five-year strategic plan, the decision to continue providing food services in-house, the transition to a new four-by-four block day at the high school level and the participation of all 9th-grade students in a Freshman Academy. Seventy-four percent of staff indicated awareness of these decisions, compared with fewer than half of all parent and community respondents. The majority of respondents, however, agreed that these are good decisions in support of education. Not surprisingly, staff was also more familiar with the districts budget constraints than were parents or community members.

The results of the full survey can be viewed on the district website at beverlyschools.org under Administration.

Mugur V. Geana, assistant professor of journalism, and K. Allen Greiner, associate professor of family medicine at the KU Medical Center, authored Youve Got Mail: Exploring Patient-Provider Email Communication in a Primary Care Setting. Greiner will present the paper at a conference hosted by the International Communication Association and the French Society for Communication and Information Sciences in March in Roubaix, France.

Geana, a former primary care physician in Romania, and Greiner, a family physician licensed in Kansas and Missouri, conducted an exploratory study examining 527 unique email messages from three general practitioners collected over 90 days. They removed all patient identification data and performed a content analysis on topics such as message characteristics, message content, content details, message tone, empathy and inclusion of other information sources.

There were some very interesting findings in how practitioners use email versus how patients use it, Geana said.

He was most surprised to find that doctors took an average of 23 hours to reply to a patients email, compared to about five hours for patients. However, they did not find any evidence of patients complaining about the response time. Due to the convenience sample, the findings do not have generalizable powers but suggest that some doctors place less importance on email as a tool for communication or that patients generally understand that doctors are busy and cant always respond quickly.

We did find that the more time it took the physician to reply, the lengthier of a response they gave, Geana said.

While patients didnt complain about response time, about 18 percent of their email messages did include complaints of some sort. Among the emails with complaints, nine percent were about the doctor, 13 percent about other medical personnel, 17 percent about their treatment, 61 percent about the evolution of their disease and 26 percent about other issues.

Treatments and lab tests were the most common topics of discussion for both patients and providers. Seventy percent of physician-generated emails were in response to a patients message, while the rest were emails informing patients of appointment times, medications, test results and the like.

Doctors and patients also tended to focus on different topics in their messages. Among emails mentioning specific body parts or organs, patients were most likely to discuss issues involving the musculoskeletal system 37 percent while doctors addressed topics pertinent to internal organs most often.

Twenty-three percent of patients emails were about medical problems of a family member or friend they were caring for. About a fourth of patients emails included updates on their condition; the majority of the updates, 44 percent, stated symptoms had become worse, while 36 percent said they were improving, and 19 said they had no noticeable change.

Although email software has been commercialized since 1988, Geana and Greiner write that it is estimated that less than 20 percent of primary care physicians in the United States regularly use email to communicate with patients, even though studies have suggested that it does improve patient-provider relationship and increases patient satisfaction.

Patient to physician email communication is slowly growing as a means of communication within health care. But it is still underutilized and not well-integrated into electronic health records systems, Greiner said. Many physicians are still resisting email interactions with patients out of fear of being overwhelmed by a large number of patients. This concern will only be ameliorated when the health care system moves from bricks and mortar, hospital-centered care, to more patient-centered approaches. Understanding the content of doctor-patient emails now, should help us build systems that take advantage of all new communication technologies.

The researchers hope to expand on the preliminary findings by using the data to drive research that will study both patients and providers to get more in-depth answers and shed more light on why they use email communications the way they do.

Provided by University of Kansas