Busy Busy Busy

Howdy,

I hope everyone is doing well. Christmas is almost here!!! Merry early Christmas everyone!

Busy weekend coming up...tomorrow I volunteer at the local fire department for the Christmas Mother event, after that I run off to volunteer at the hospital, and once I pull a mini-shift at the hospital I have rescue squad duty. I'm getting slammed with homework now in preparation for next week when we get our Christmas break. I have an AP Biology test covering four different chapters on genetics, an APUSH (AP US History) test covering four chapters, and an electronics test covering various types of IC chips. At least the college admissions process is over now for me. I got into UVA!!! Looks like I might make it to medical school afterall.

I'll let you know how duty goes this weekend. I have the feeling that there will be something interesting this time. I also completed the National Incident Managements System (NIMS) course which is now required for EMTs...that was fun. I want those five hours of my life back!

My parents want to know what I want for Christmas...I don't really know. I'm perfectly happy with what I have now; I don't really need anything. I'm thinking though an EMS star of life decal for my car and some kind of anatomy textbook. Any suggestions? I'm currently looking at Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology.

In Other News:

What The Public Needs To Hear During A Disaster

'Katrina revealed the impact of poor communications on the public during a disaster: chaos, distress and alarm. For future disaster communications, a new Temple University survey of Pennsylvanians* bears important findings, including how people prefer to get information during an emergency, which public agencies they're most confident in, attitudes toward emergency preparedness and actual preparedness. The findings will be presented today at the American Public Health Association meeting. "The catastrophic failure of the emergency response system in the wake of Hurricane Katrina reinforces the need to better understand the public's concerns and to include the public in emergency planning and response. This will help state and local officials effectively communicate important information before, during and after disasters," said researcher, Sarah Bass, Ph.D., assistant professor of public health.'

Genetic Clues To Sodalis Deepens Knowledge Of Bacterial Diseases

'By sequencing the genome of the symbiotic bacterium Sodalis, which lives off the major disease-transmitting insect, the tsetse fly, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have come a step closer to understanding how microbial pathogens cause disease. Led by Serap Aksoy, professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale School of Medicine, the team was highly interested in Sodalis because of its close relation to human bacterial pathogens like E.Coli, Salmonella and Yersinia.'

Ah!!! Genetics!!! They said the "G" word!

How Stem Cells Become Brain Cells, OHSU Discovery

'Researchers at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have discovered one key gene that appears to control how stem cells become various kinds of brain cells. The finding has significant implications for the study of Parkinson's disease, brain and spinal cord injury, and other conditions or diseases that might be combated by replacing lost or damaged brain cells. The research is published in the current online edition of the medical journal Developmental Biology. "In the early stages of brain development prior to birth, brain stem cells, also known as neural stem cells, will differentiate into neurons," explained Larry Sherman, Ph.D., an associate scientist in the Division of Neuroscience at the Oregon National Primate Research Center and an adjunct associate professor of cell and developmental biology in the OHSU School of Medicine. "In later stages, these same stem cells suddenly start becoming glial cells, which perform a number of functions that include supporting the neurons. We wanted to find out what factors cause this switch in differentiation. We also wanted to determine if the process can be controlled and used as a possible therapy. What amazed us is that it turns out a single gene may be responsible for this incredibly important task."'

Neuregulin-1 Protects Brain Cells From Damage Resulting From Stroke

'A naturally occurring growth factor called neuregulin-1 protects brain cells from damage resulting from stroke, according to an animal study conducted by researchers at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the Atlanta-based Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN). The finding, reported in the online edition of Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, could lead to the development of new stroke treatments. Stroke, the third leading cause of death in adults in the United States, occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. Deprived of oxygen, brain cells die within minutes, causing inflammation and further damage to tissue surrounding the site where blood flow is obstructed.'