On Incidental By-catch and Whale Wars
By Erica Westly | July 1, 2009
A minke whale off the Canadian coast
Credit: Rene Ehrhardt via Flickr Creative Commons
I’ve seen several reports about data presented at last week’s International Whaling Commission meeting, but the most compelling study I’ve read about involves “incidental by-catch.” Japan and Korea are the only countries that allow the sale of whale meat derived from whales and dolphins accidentally caught by fisherman.
At the meeting, two researchers presented genetic data showing nearly 50 percent of the whale meat found in Japanese markets last year came from minke whales from Japanese and Korean coasts. In the past, Japan has claimed the by-catch figure is closer to 20 percent. Needless to say, some researchers have speculated that some of this “incidental by-catch” may actually be intentional.
Japan has been bound by the International Whaling Commission’s ban on commercial whaling for over 20 years. And yet, whaling for “scientific purposes” is still allowed. Japan is permitted to catch up to 150 minke whales a year, and, much to environmentalists chagrin, much of the whale meat sold at Japanese and Korean markets comes from these “scientific” catches.
Obviously, whaling remains a hot political issue. Some Japanese politicians claim whale meat is an essential part of their cultural heritage while many researchers and environmental groups want to outlaw the practice completely. The two sides have been struggling to come to an agreement since the 1980s, but as this most recent IWC meeting indicated, the arguing isn’t likely to end any time soon.
And so, while researchers try to quantify threats like the incidental by-catch issue, fringe environmental groups like the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, started by Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson, take a more head on approach. The group’s attempts to confront Japanese whalers in the Antarctic are documented in the Animal Planet series “Whale Wars” (the second season just started last month).
I would personally prefer to watch a series featuring trained scientists instead of this rag-tag team of activists. On the other hand, sometimes it takes an activist to expose horrible truths. Take, for example, last year’s video of the Hallmark Meat Packing Co. shot by an undercover Humane Society activist. The Sea Shepherd’s footage of a minke whale getting harpooned and shot at with a machine gun has a similar “turn your stomach” feel.
If this were a show about marine biologists, I don’t know that this kind of footage would be included, although it all depends. Look at climate researcher James Hansen’s recent foray into activism.
Topics: Biology, Culture, Environment | No Comments »
Porn and Public Health
By Erica Westly | June 16, 2009
Credit: Stefan Kuhn via Wikimedia Commons
Last week, the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation announced that yet another porn star had tested positive for HIV. This new case puts the total number of actors infected since 2004 at 22, according to Los Angeles public health officials, and, they say, in all likelihood that number is even higher because many subjects lie about their occupation on test forms. Public health researchers have been calling for state and federal regulation of the porn industry for years. So, why hasn’t anything happened yet?
The consensus from many of the adult film studios seems to be “consumers don’t like sex scenes involving condoms.” “It takes away the whole fantasy,” one actor/producer told the LA Times. But the authors of the PLoS Medicine article (linked to above) point out that condoms are widely used in gay porn and in heterosexual films from Brazil, the second-largest adult film producer after the U.S. They also point to Nevada where both condoms and monthly STD testing are mandatory for sex workers.
Should California adopt a similar policy with the adult film studios? They already have the testing part down, and some argue that’s enough. But I don’t think you have to be a public health official to see that this recent case suggests otherwise. The real issue seems to be that the public health advocates can’t get a state politician to stand behind them.
Topics: Biology, Culture | No Comments »
The Aboriginal Astronomers
By Erica Westly | June 10, 2009
Boomerang in the Sky?
I know very little about ancient Aboriginal culture, so when I came across a post on the Tech Review arXiv blog about Aboriginal astronomy, I was intrigued. The article the post refers to concerns a circular stone arrangement known as the “Australian Stonehenge”. Just as with the British Stonehenge, there has been some scholarly debate over the purpose of the structure, officially known as Wurdi Youang. But, while most evidence suggests the British Stonehenge was probably just a burial site, the authors of the paper say there is strong evidence that the Australian version was used for astronomy.
The authors compare the monument to an Aboriginal rock engraving, which shows a man and a woman standing under a large crescent. Apparently, some anthropologists have argued the crescent represents an early boomerang, but the authors think it’s more likely that it depicts a crescent moon. After all, they say, Aboriginal mythology is replete with references to the sun and moon, and even more advanced astronomical phenomena, such as solar eclipses. The authors–one astronomer and one anthropologist– go on to explain how the stones in the Wurdi Youang arrangement could be used to predict eclipses and other solar and lunar events. Still, they acknowledge that “while the evidence for actual measurements or records is suggestive, it remains unproven.”
Topics: Culture, Miscellaneous | No Comments »
E-Cigarettes, as in What’s Up With?
By Erica Westly | June 2, 2009
Credit: uduokkamah via Flickr Creative Commons
I quit smoking over seven years ago (I had been smoking fairly heavily for nearly eight years at that point). My methods: nicotine patch plus copious amounts of Altoids. But I think the main reason I was able to quit successfully was that I had recently moved to a new town and started a new life where I was a non-smoker. None of my new friends smoked nor did any of my new roommates or coworkers. Within a few weeks, I was non-smoker Erica, and, for the most part, I’ve never looked back.
I realize, of course, that for most people the transition is not so easy. There’s something about the nicotine-cigarette-smoking combo that is really hard to let go. There are still times when I notice my senses perk up when I walk by someone on the street who’s smoking my former brand of cigarettes. So, I understand the allure of e-cigarettes, with their nicotine and fake smoke (although some varieties are apparently smokeless). I even found one patent for a cigarette with an optional “aromatic agent,” i.e. menthol.
But I also understand the concerns of the American Lung Association and other groups that have come out against e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids. In the end, they just seem too close to actual cigarettes to get people out of the habit. Maybe they work as a substitute for when smoking is not allowed (on a plane, for instance) but that’s different from something that helps someone quit smoking. Would water that looks and tastes like alcohol help an alcoholic quit drinking?
Of course, that’s not really an apt analogy because e-cigarettes actually contain the addictive drug. Which gets at an interesting question I haven’t really seen in the press coverage of e-cigarettes: are we prepared to say that nicotine is a dangerous substance? Yes, it’s addictive, but so is caffeine, and, as far as I’m aware of anyway, there aren’t any serious health risks as long as the dosage is within reasonable limits. I’m not saying I think smoke-free nicotine addiction will be sweeping the nation. In the end, nicotine’s a pretty boring drug. But if e-cigarettes become more widespread, it will be interesting to see which tactic public health officials decide upon. Will they argue the devices are potentially dangerous, or will it be more about their inefficiency as a smoking cessation tool?
Topics: Culture, Technology | 2 Comments »
Rare Disease Research Receives More Funding
By Erica Westly | May 21, 2009
Dudley Moore died of a rare neurological disorder in 2002
Credit: Alan Light via Flickr creative commons
Yesterday, the NIH announced the formation of a new program to create new treatments for rare diseases, i.e. diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 Americans. The FDA already had incentives for companies and research groups willing to develop drugs for rare disorders (their program is part of the Orphan Drug Act, passed in 1983). That program is relatively small, though, so the added $24 million that this new NIH program is devoting should be a welcome boost to patients suffering from rare disorders, such as Gaucher disease, and the physicians who treat them.
I was surprised that there was no mention in the NIH press release of the potential benefits rare disease research could have for more common disorders, though. After all, no disease occurs in a vacuum, and drugs designed for one ailment frequently have unanticipated applications (Viagra, anyone? Just read the history section).
Gaucher disease involves a genetic mutation that impairs lysosomal function (lysosomes are the chief components of the cellular waste management system). There’s actually a whole group of so-called lysosomal storage disorders, of which Gaucher disease is a part, but I digress. My point is that, while learning which genes are involved with regulating protein metabolism may be especially important for people with lysosomal storage disorders, the knowledge stands to benefit others, too.
This idea of rare disease research applying to mainstream disorders was illustrated beautifully the physician featured in Richard Preston’s ‘07 New Yorker article on Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (subscription required for full text), an extremely rare metabolic disorder with both physiological and psychiatric symptoms. Maybe as more researchers get into the rare disease game, more unexpected disease links will be discovered.
Topics: Biology, Culture | 1 Comment »
More on Gore and Stem Cells
By Erica Westly | May 14, 2009
I just found this article that the New Scientist published about a month ago on Al Gore’s involvement with iZumi, a biotech company specializing in induced pluripotent stem cells. The author spoke to a few different stem cell researchers, most of whom said essentially that supporting iPSC research is great, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on embryonic stem cells. Of course, what was interesting about the decision by Gore’s venture capital firm to invest $20 million in iZumi was the timing–Obama had reversed Bush’s ban on human ES cell research only a month before.
Gore hasn’t said he’s against ES cell research, so there’s no reason for ES cell opponents to call him an ally just yet. In fact, the Wall Street Journal quoted the former vice president as saying his investment in iZumi “shouldn’t be used as an argument against other kinds of research as long as it’s pursued ethically and along prescribed guidelines.”
It’s possible that iPS cells could prove better therapeutic options than hES cells, but it’s also important to remember that there are other reasons to study hES cells beyond developing direct bench-to-bedside therapies. Both iPS and ES cell research offer opportunities for new insights into a wide range of disorders, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and cystic fibrosis. Where would the field of genetics be if the only goal of the researchers involved was gene therapy?
Actually, some people have already started wondering if stem cell therapy will follow the path of gene therapy. See this community discussion in The Scientist and the editorial in Science that prompted the discussion if you can (subscription required).
Topics: Biology | No Comments »
Neurocinematics
By Erica Westly | May 6, 2009
Credit: mag3737 via Flickr Creative Commons
I don’t know if anyone I know got a chance to attend the Neurocinematics talk at NYAS Monday night. I wrote a profile of Hasson and his research (sadly, never published), and my friend Jeremy wrote about one of Hasson’s studies for LiveScience last summer. Anyway, I think using movies to study how the brain processes things like imagery and narrative timing is fascinating, and I hope Hasson and his colleagues continue to do well.
Topics: Culture, Psychology | No Comments »
Why We Still Need Mental Health Awareness Efforts
By Erica Westly | April 29, 2009
Seriously, who thought this toy was a good idea?
Earth Day may be outdated, but, given the way our culture uses words like “crazy” and “insane” to describe everything from cell phone taxes to bike tricks, Mental Health Awareness month, which starts in a few days, still seems warranted. So, in the spirit of mental health awareness, here’s a list of some of my favorite books and articles about psychiatric disorders:
1.) An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison, 1995
In this book, Jamison, a clinical psychologist, describes her experiences living with bipolar disorder. She recounts her struggles to stay on medication (the only drug that seems to work for her is lithium, which has an array of negative side effects) and the effects her disorder has had on her career. It’s extremely well written and quite moving.
2.) Is There No Place on Earth for Me? by Susan Sheehan, 1983
It started as a series of articles in the New Yorker, and became a book soon afterward. Sheehan’s detailed account of a female schizophrenic’s path in and out of New York state mental institutions serves as a perfect backdrop for discussing the issues hospitals and governments run into when trying to help the mentally ill. Mental health care has changed a lot in the past few decades, but the points raised in this book are still relevant today.
3.) A Depression Switch? by David Dobbs, the New York Times Magazine, 2006
The focus of this article is on deep brain stimulation, a recently developed surgical procedure that allows physicians to electrically stimulate buried brain areas, but, in addition to describing how the technique works, Dobbs also uses the story of a severely depressed patient to remind readers why finding new ways for treating depression is so important.
4.) The Troubled Children series from the New York Times, 2006
The four articles in this series used patient accounts as a vehicle for discussing the many issues surrounding pediatric psychiatry. Should psychiatric medications be tested on children? Are some disorders overdiagnosed in kids? As these articles illustrate, there are no easy answers to these kinds of questions.
Topics: Culture, Psychology | No Comments »
Oh, Earth Day
By Erica Westly | April 23, 2009
Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska, Credit: Elizabeth Westly
With the economy in shambles, I don’t know if many people did much to commemorate Earth Day this year (it was yesterday). I don’t remember seeing anything about it. At any rate, my boyfriend Josh just left a comment on my Earth Day post from last year with a link to a story by Elizabeth Kolbert about why Earth Day has lost its edge. Take a look.
Topics: Environment | No Comments »
Al Gore and iPS
By Erica Westly | April 20, 2009
Credit: Will Palmer via Flickr Creative Commons
A few days ago, USA Today reported that Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, a venture capital firm which lists Al Gore as a partner, would be investing about $20 million in iZumi, a Bay Area research biotech company that focuses on induced pluripotent stem cell research. Some have touted iPS cell research as an alternative to research using human embryonic stem cells, so funding this group seems like a peculiar choice for Gore, given that Obama recently reversed the ban on federal funding for hES cell research. Some religious news outlets have taken the deal as a political move by Gore meant to distance himself from “controversial” hESC research, but he clearly supported embryonic stem cell research when he ran for president in 2000. So, what’s the true story? Is Gore actively trying to endorse hESC alternatives, or is it just a coincidence that the venture capital firm’s decision comes so soon after the reversal of the hESC ban? Moreover, how involved is Gore with this venture capital firm anyway? These are the questions I’m working to find out, and hopefully I’ll have a more complete story soon. In the meantime, any help/tips would be greatly appreciated.
Topics: Biology | No Comments »