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Immunology

Covid-19 and psycho-immunology of panic – Thrive Global

Weare living in a memorable time indeed.

Thisarticle is an exploration of one question: given the current situation, didyou reach out for more toilet paper or more connection?

Im sure youve had a thought or two about the toilet papersituation at this point. Its a global event. Ive come to see it assymptomatic of what Freud called a cornerstone that civilization requires toexist, i.e., the renunciation of instinct.

Toput it simply: Id. Primitive, instinctive, unsophisticated Id.

Freudsoriginal insight suggests that the sublimation of primitive aggressivetendencies is a pre-requisite for civilization. It is impossible to overlookthe extent to which civilization is built up upon a renunciation of instincthe noted. The repression of aggressive instincts is perhaps one of the mostimportant functions our ego has. An injured, or maladaptive ego (aswe say in clinical jargon), doesnt sublimate aggression well. Redirectedaggression or sublimated anything ideally turns into creativity and curiosity,by the wayboth a healthy thing.

Ascared human is not a creative, curious human.It doesnt get simpler. Most of us are familiar with the notion of the reptilianbrain, and currently, you can feel it right here in your gut PANIC. Themessage comes automatically from the survival part of the brain through ourbodily sensations, feelings, emotions and thoughts.

Itscreams: Hoard, protect, hide, cover. Mine!

Whatis furthermore unique during this time is that the message of uncertainty isofficial. The Covid-19s response team from the Imperial College in London,which is about as formal and authoritative as one can get, notes:

We, therefore, conclude that epidemic suppression is the onlyviable strategy at the current time. Thesocial and economic effects of themeasures which are needed to achieve this policy goal will beprofound However, we emphasize that it is not at all certain (emphasismine) that suppression will succeed long term; no public health interventionwith suchdisruptive effects on society has been previously attempted forsuch a long duration of time. Howpopulations and societies will respond remainsunclear(emphasis mine).

Thedefining characteristic of a traumatic event is perceivedhelplessness. Covid-19s imposition on the changes related to our day-to-day(look at Zoom stock) are less significant than the uncertaintyrelated to its outcome in the long term.

Thisuncertainty is evident in the questions that are elicited How long will itlast? When will things go back to normal? Can I (fill in the blank) whilethe epidemic is going on? Short of what authorities are describing aspreemptive personal hygiene measures in the social sphere, the truth is that theuncertain is greater than that which is certain now.

Thehuman brain particularly the amygdala does not like unknowns. But thatsbeside the point here. Let us get back to the toilet paper.

Toiletpaper. Toilet paper is panic, its primitive, its Id. What did we do for allthose years before we had any? I wonder! Its a well-known principle thatcharacter reveals itself under pressure. This principle has certainly applieditself in my own life; however, it is also true that many people may not haveexperienced the level of demand, uncertainty, and dread that Covid-19 elicits.The virus, therefore, has become an induced initiatory experience for most ofthe population.

Initiationinto what you ask. Stillness.

Onemust admit, however, that initiation into stillness implies a privileged pointof view. Our current social reality is that most of us are about to havematters made worse by this situation. Unfortunately, wrapping ourselves intoilet paper wont help.

Medical providers and emergency responders (all of whom willmost likely become ill) are running out of supplies and require donations towork.

Additionally,many are at risk of entering into a state of economic duress, which would becompounded by becoming ill: Oh, the medical bills if you end up needing thatrespirator!

Forthose who find themselves in the throes of economic duress compounded byillness or the fear of becoming ill, one word applies: Endure.

Itwill not help to fight the injustices of the system, or to try to make sense ofwhy airlines get bailouts while we cant pay our rent. We must pause, take aknee, and learn to calm our nervous systems down. When this is over, the resiliencewe have developed will allow us to flourish, and to take a stand for authenticindependence in our lives.

Thewisdom of political resistance applies here: Dont let the system get youdown. Trust me; Im an immigrant, and I know a thing or twoabout systemic pressures in this country.

Covid-19has not diverted the world from its path of economic inequality. On thecontrary, it has inflamed it. The clinical consequences are only one side ofthe problem. Im not proposing complacency about present inequalities far fromit. Rather, this is a call to see the situation as it immediately demands. Letus fight in one impossible battle at a time.

Letus attend further to the enemy at hand: fear itself.

Intrinsicto this situation and regardless of our economic status is the fear it produces.The brain here enters into a state of acute hyper-arousal triggering our mostbasic survival complex. This state supersedes our capacity for rationalexecutive functioning, e.g., understanding the contemplation being offered here.

Naturesdesign is quite sophisticated, after all, and when shit hits the fan weeither fight, run, or play dead. Crises unmask us, expose us and make us vulnerable.Such crises trigger every psychological defense available to us. And when thosefail? Dread sets in. You know the dark stuff.

Thebottom line is this: panic-buying, or pandemic-consumerism, is asymptomatic reflection of a nervous system gone astray. It isirrational behavior a mind confused and intensely reactive to itsprojections, primitive regression, and catastrophic thinking.

This survival strategy has obvious limits and misses the fact that the same environment that gave us the primitive drive, also gave us the pre-frontal lobe. However, we must decide to access it. Victor Frankl (someone the whole world should get acquainted with right about now if they havent yet) famously noted that:

Everything can be taken () but one thing: the last of thehuman freedomsto choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances, tochoose ones own way.

Frankls was a human insight birthed within a concentration camp. Something similar was suggested in WWII as a morale campaign during the bombing in London hence the sign. Who would have thought that the British stiff-upper-lip could be used as a paragon of sanity for the time?

Butaccessing the pre-frontal cortex is not just a choice (it is that too). It is asystemic, whole-body, physiological event. It is a central nervous system state.And accessing this state, for almost all of us, requires training the mind-body.

Yousee, stillness and distraction dont go together. And for the most part, we areall very distracted. We have become accustomed to a way of life in which thevirtual domain outweighs our direct sensory experience of the ourselves and theworld. Social media and the world of virtual social interactions have made itso that the desired image of ourselves outweighs reality. Covid-19 is a realitytesting principle the world was not expecting.

Becausewe are habituated to the blinding pace of our current world slowing down willfeel initially like a shock. Ive seen this repeatedly in meditation retreats orin wilderness solos, where students sit by themselves in Nature for severaldays at time. These practices arethousands of years old, and have been understood for millennia to havetremendous psychological and spiritual significance.

Ihave certainly experienced this myself.For me, it usually takes about three days of sitting for the staticwhite noise of the city to go away. There is a ringing in the ears that all ofa sudden lets up, allowing me to yield and relax; It is something hard toexplain; however, it happens to most of us, and nowadays, its measurable in alab.

However,lab measurements of brain wave activities during meditation practice are notthe point. Reactionary and aggressive protest around stillness is the point. Italmost sounds too benign to be true: defense-against-silence asthe core issue. But I propose that it is.

BlaisePascal noted famously that Allof humanitys problems stem from one persons inability to sit quietly in aroom alone.

Idont know about all, but I certainly know about most. In addition,the incapacity for stillness adds to all the other problems most of thetime, because an anxious mind projects fear everywhere and regresses intoneurotic self-preservation, as we discussed before.

Allof this ends up compromising the immune system. How do I know this? Becausestress kills. And if it doesnt kill you, it will certainly injure you. Morespecifically, your response to your fear will effect your immune system.

Fearis but a primitive, startle-based survival impulse that, at its best, serves asan orienting function. You want to be able to alert to the danger and be ableto respond to it as the situation demands. But anticipating the punch, blockingit before it comes, countering before the opening is there all miss thewisdom of timing things. Anticipatory anxiety is a fear-based reaction that iscurrently making the crises worse. The epidemiology of Covid-19 is irrelevantinsofar as the incapacity to sit still with uncertainty goes. More importantly,it misses the insight that this is controllable, for each individualthrough the practice of stillness.

EmilyLandon, the chief infectious disease epidemiologist at the University ofChicago Medical School, touched upon this when she noted that the healthy andoptimistic among us will doom the vulnerable. She went on to say, that wewould be right to feel that the strategy of saving the world by doing nothingwas anti-climactic.

However, doing nothing ishardly as easy as it sounds.

It remains true that beforethis virus, we measured the value of life solely by doing more and more. Bemore efficient, more productive, more successful. At what cost? At the cost ofall our relationships, the eco-system included. Greed and ambition have nolimits, are always rewarded, and bailed out when they fail.

It will take courage not tobe defined by the pathological lack of empathy that drives so much of thissystem as it stands.

We text rather than call,post rather than engage, and push the like button because its just so damneasy. All of which contradicts the existential reality that the deepest communicationis mostly non-verbal! Were not built to look all day at the little screen;were made to look at each other. Babies and mothers know this for certain; nevertheless,it is true for all of us. We were all infants once, and we will never outgrowthat mirroring. Thank goodness!

As a mental health professional,I am stunned at the lack of public initiatives that address the primacy ofmental health in a moment like this. We all need the medical system to work. JayashriKulkarni, a psychiatry professor at Monash University in Melbourne, notedrecently: There is a prevailing belief that in any crisis you deal with thephysical issues first, then the mental health issues much later. I challengethis view because we need the public to be robust mentally to deal withthe challenges ahead (my emphasis).

A psychology of endurancerequires us to trainourmindsto desire what thesituation demands, as Seneca noted about 2000 years ago. The current crisesrequires balance and patience from us. It requires not to get ahead ofourselves, and not to amplify fear and dread.

Sittingstill with uncertainty is as simple as it sounds but not as easy you think. Allyou have to do is sit down, turn everything off that habitually distracts you,and breathe. Close your eyes if you want it doesnt matter. Just. Sit. Still.I challenge you to do it! Greater good will come from building this resiliencethan anything else you can do right now. As a good friend of mine and inspiring artist wrote recently:

We are not in a hurry

We need not run

We are the ants busy building ourmound

We are the trees dried and chappedstanding firm

We are here for what comes

We are the grass that laid our seedlong ago

We are ready for this moment

We are always ready

We know what to do

We have always known what to do

We need not run

-RobertBellows

References:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/20/emily-landon-coronavirus/

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/20/coronavirus-tips-for-protecting-your-mental-health-during-quarantine.html

Seneca

Victor Frankl., Mans Search forMeaning

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Covid-19 and psycho-immunology of panic - Thrive Global

Immunology

Too Much Salt May Lower Your Ability to Fight BacteriaHere Are Four Ways to Help Boost the Immune System – Newsweek

A high-salt diet can weaken the immune system and leave the body vulnerable to certain types of infection, according to immunologists writing in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

They investigated the effect a diet high in salt had on the immune system, first in mice and then in humans. The mice on saltier diets suffered more severe bacterial infections, while the humans displayed pronounced immune deficiencies.

"Our findings suggest that the daily recommended intake of 5 to 6 grams of salt should not be exceeded by much," corresponding author Christian Kurts, from the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University of Bonn, told Newsweek.

"Lowering salt actually does not invigorate the immune system according to our work," he said. "The recommended salt amount seems to be good for the immune system."

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Kurts and his team compared the immune response of two groups of miceone fed a high-salt diet and the other a normal-salt dietto a urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC).

The researchers found UTIs were aggravated by the high-salt diet, with the mice on these diets showing four to six times more UPEC than the control group. Recovery times also took longer; results that the author's attribute to hormones released to help the body excrete excess salt (glucocorticoids), which have the added effect of suppressing the immune system.

High-salt diets can also cause accumulation of urea in the kidney, which may suppress the antibacterial capabilities of white blood cells, the researchers suggest.

When the mice were infected with listeria, those on the saltier diet experienced more severe reactions to the bacteria. The researchers counted between 100 and 1,000 times the number of pathogens in the spleens and livers of mice in the high-salt category.

To investigate further, the researchers placed 10 volunteers on a high-salt diet for a week. This involved taking three tablets a day that added up to an extra 6 grams of salt to their dietequivalent to what you might find in 1.5 to two large fast food meals.

By the end of the week, the volunteers were showing signs of immunodeficiency. While numbers of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, remained stable, their ability to fend of bacteria was lower than at the start of the study.

Concluding, the team say that because Western diets are now high in salt, "these findings reveal that people might be making themselves more vulnerable to bacterial infections."

Kurts said the best way people can boost the immune systems generally is to ensure they have had all appropriate vaccinations. "Apart from that, measures that are healthy in general are good also for our immune system: vitamins, moderate exercise, avoid junk food."

Below are four ways people can boost their immune system through diet and lifestyle.

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that suggests a healthy lifestyle revolving around good diet, exercise, sleep and reducing stress can help the immune system to run more efficiently.

In contrast to a high-salt diet, eating a healthy balanced diet consisting of plant-based fiber can support the body's "good" bacteria, which in turn may help the immune system, explained Dr. Louisa James, Lecturer in Immunology at Queen Mary University of London, U.K.

"The trillions of bacteria in our gut work in exquisite symbiosis with our immune system," James told Newsweek. "They stimulate our immune cells to make antibodies, they secrete by-products which maintain specialised immune cells that regulate our immune system and they even produce antibacterial and antiviral chemicals that can fight pathogens on our behalf."

Contrary to popular belief, there is limited evidence to show taking vitamin C supplements helps to fend off the flu, unless you are deficient in the first place. However, an analysis of 29 studies did suggest taking vitamin C supplements could reduce the amount of time a person infected with the common cold displayed symptoms, particularly if they were active.

James instead emphasizes the importance of vitamin D, which we mostly recieve through sunlight, in regulating the immune system.

"Vitamin D is essential for bone health but is also important for regulating our immune system," said James, pointing to research published in 2017 that found vitamin D supplements were a safe way to help protect people deficient in the vitamin from respiratory infections.

Vitamin D may help the body's macrophagesa type of white blood cellfunction better, while there is some evidence that vitamin E helps the T cells, "the other side of the immune system," Professor Janet Lord, Director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, U.K., told Newsweek.

Daniel Davis, Professor of Immunology at Manchester University, U.K., is skeptical about the role of nutrition on the immune system, telling Newsweek: "Obviously nutrition is important, certainly at some level, but it also seems to be very personal.

"The way that we respond to this or that food seems to vary hugely from one person to the next, and understanding why that is and being able to come up with clear health advice about nutrition is only just beginning to be done."

Davis, whose book The Beautiful Cure explores the immune system and the body's ability to fend off disease, points to the sheer number of books on nutrition and different dietary approaches, "which tells you something about the fact that we don't really know what's going on."

Another factor that research suggests could influence the body's response to infection is sleep.

Immune cells have adhesion receptors on their surface, explained James. These receptors (called integrins) enable them to move around the body and interact with other cells. However, levels can fluctuate depending on the presence of certain stress-related hormonessuch as adrenaline and noradrenaline.

In a paper published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine in 2019, scientists in Germany revealed levels of these hormones change throughout the day, dipping when we sleep. According to the study's authors, sleep loss can reduce levels of receptors on immune cells, which in turn may impair their ability to operate as effectively as they would under normal circumstances.

In contrast, regularly having a good night's sleep can enhance the immune system by improving immune cells' ability to attach to the targets.

Twin studies and laboratory tests have also emphasized the role of sleep in the proper functioning of the immune cells; showing shorter sleep durations are associated with a depressed immune system, while getting rest offers the immune system a chance to regroup when infection risk is low.

However, Davis says it can be hard to disentangle the effects of a lack of sleep from other factors, such as different eating times and stress.

"One thing that does seem to really affect the immune system is chronic stress," said Davis, and it relates to the hormone cortisol.

Levels of cortisol naturally peak and trough throughout the day, for example, rising as the body gets ready to wake up. The hormone plays an important role in the body's flight or fight response and remains at elevated levels when we are confronted by a source of stress.

"When you're in a state of fight or flight, your body is dealing with this current emergency and a lot of other bodily processes are dampened down," said Davis. These bodily processes include the immune system.

"This is fine in the short-termstress is not something to be entirely avoided. But if you have chronic stress and cortisol levels stay very high, it becomes a problem and makes you more susceptible to the flu and other viruses."

The obvious answer to this is to create an environment and lifestyle that minimizes sources of chronic stress, but Davis warns there is very little solid evidence that practices known to reduce stress can directly boost the immune system. The research is not there yet, he said.

"One thing that's becoming clear is that physical activityexerciseis a really powerful influencer of the immune system," said Lord, who co-authored a study investigating the immune system of cyclists aged 55 to 79. The researchers found their immune system more closely resembled that of a twenty- or thirty-something than someone their own age.

Movement gets the blood pumping and gives immune cells the chance to circulate the body. "Good circulation is essential to allow our immune cells to migrate throughout our body and perform their essential roles in immune surveillance," said James.

A key part of the immune response is inflammation and people who exercise regularly appear to have a more efficient immune system that is better at turning on and turning off inflammation, Lord explained, but warned that extended periods of sitting could undo the benefits.

"Sitting is the new smoking," she said. "We're hunter gatherers in a modern society. We haven't evolved to be sitting around all day."

Her advice is to not sit down for longer than an hour, even if it means walking up and down the stairs or investing in a standing desk. When it comes to physical activity, it doesn't matter what it isjust as long as you do it.

"Don't punish yourself by doing some form of physical activity you don't like. You like gardening, get out and do some gardening. If you like a brisk walk, do that," said Lord. "Just do something."

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Too Much Salt May Lower Your Ability to Fight BacteriaHere Are Four Ways to Help Boost the Immune System - Newsweek

Anatomy

Anatomy of an Outbreak: How Coronavirus Swept Through JPMorgans Trading Floor – The Wall Street Journal

March 9 was supposed to be the start of a new routine for JPMorgan Chase & Co. employees. With coronavirus spreading, the bank had told the staff in its stock-trading operation to head to three separate sites around New York City.

Hours before the workday began, with global markets plunging, technology at the sites wasnt ready. JPMorgan top brass reversed the order and told many traders to report for duty, as usual, to the firms Manhattan headquarters, employees said.

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Anatomy of an Outbreak: How Coronavirus Swept Through JPMorgans Trading Floor - The Wall Street Journal

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Station 19’ fans wonder if Emmett will come out of the closet, ask Travis to meet Schmit – MEAWW

Love triangles and gay storylines aren't a new concept for 'Station 19'. In this week's episode, the new bisexual hot couple Maya Bishop (Danielle Savre) and Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato) raise the heat with their chemistry.

If that wasn't enough, Travis Montgomery (Jay Hayden) goes on a lunch date with his booty call Emmett Dixon (Lachlan Buchanan) and his longtime girlfriend, Alicia. After Alicia expresses her desire to marry Emmett, Travis confronts him and tells him to apologize to the "lovely girl" he's destroying.

All of this makes us wonder after Travis's advice, will Emmett come out of the closet? Fans can't stop wondering what will happen next. "I think Travis is taking some of the doctor's advice in letting Emmett or "rabbit" figure out who he is and step up to his dad," one said and another posted, I have a feeling Emmett is going to come out..he clearly has fallen for Travis. Travis walking away makes sense... but it wont last... just wait till something happens to Emmett."

"Apologize to that poor woman youre destroying' Damn, Travis!! #Station19," one fan wrote and another said, "Travis is the best person. even if he doesnt have feelings for Emmett, he wont have his girlfriend get hurt anymore. he deserves better." Another one wrote, "I think Travis is gonna get hurt and Emmett's gonna hop out the closet because of it." One said, "I love that talking to Travis gave Emmett towards the end of the episode. #Station19."

However, many 'Grey's Anatomy' fans stepped in and thought Travis should meet Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) after the latter's breakup. Considering there are too many crossovers in the show, this doesn't seem impossible, does it? After @Station19 and @GreysABC I have decided that #Jovi is friendship goals and I need a Travis/Levi meet cute," one tweet read and another said, "If Emmet dies in #Station19 I will never forgive Krista because that means Travis and Levi WILL get together and #Schmico can't get back together and get married."

One fan directly asked, "So when can we make Travis and Schmitt a thing?" and another wrote, "Just want to say...I would loveee to see Travis and Schmitt date! They would be awesome!! Like look at this handsome friendship/duo!! #Station19."

As more episodes of 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Station 19' roll-out every Thursday, it will be interesting to see the makers actually bring another crossover-couple.

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'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Station 19' fans wonder if Emmett will come out of the closet, ask Travis to meet Schmit - MEAWW

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Are Convinced They Saw a Training Dummy in an Operation Scene Last Night – Cosmopolitan

[There are spoilers ahead for last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy.]

Alright, Grey's fans. Gather 'round for maybe the most bonkers/absurd Grey's article you'll read this season. During last night's episode, Tom Koracick had to operate on his ex-wife's son, who had a brain tumor that had spread to his spine. That was plenty of drama in and of itself, but fans of the show noticed something pretty off during the operating scene. It looked like there was a training dummy where the child's body should be. No, I'm not kidding.

I'm going to provide you with some screenshots of the scene, so you know what we're dealing with here. Fair warning, the photo quality isn't perfect!

I mean, I don't want to be the definitive authority on whether that is a real person or not, but... I'm skeptical. Fans on Reddit had a pretty good time poking fun at it. "What in the dollar store mannequin..." one fan wrote. Someone responded, "I seriously thought they just had a random prop there for some reason. And then I realized it was supposed to be the kid and I felt dumb. Glad I'm not the only one who thought that it looked extremely fake." The best response, though, was this one: "I really hope that crash test dummy survives to see another airbag."

Here's what the actor playing Guthrie looked like in other scenes.

Let me just say that if the show did decide to use a dummy there, I totally get it. That does not look like a super comfy position to put a child actor in! Especially considering how long it can take to shoot a scene. And it's also totally possible the fans are wrong and it is actually the real actor in there, in which case, we have even more questions for whoever lit this scene....

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'Grey's Anatomy' Fans Are Convinced They Saw a Training Dummy in an Operation Scene Last Night - Cosmopolitan

Biochemistry

UB initiative will help Kaleida increase, speed up COVID-19 testing in Erie County – UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff – University at…

Thanks to the fast action of two UB faculty members, Kaleida Health Labs will have two more crucial tools to help it fight the COVID-19 crisis in Erie County.

Last week, John Tomaszewski, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Peter A. Nickerson PhD Professor of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Norma J. Nowak, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the Jacobs School, identified two pieces of equipment in the UB Biorepository that they felt could be deployed to Kaleida Health Laboratories on Flint Road in Amherst to assist with the processing of COVID-19 test kits.

The equipment was not in active use due to the current pause in research at UB.

Tomaszewski, who is also chief of service at Kaleida Health Laboratories, outlined the developments that led up to the equipment transfer.

In mid-March, the Erie County Department of Health Laboratories received a limited number of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-issued SARS/COV2 test kits. Those tests required an intense manual testing process. The county labs ran out of the necessary reagent after approximately a week of testing, he said.

Then, Kaleida Health Laboratories adapted Abbott Laboratories equipment that had previously been used for clinical trial hepatitis C testing in an academic-health system partnership arrangement between Andrew Talal, a UB investigator, and Kaleida Health Laboratories. Those machines have been used to good effect for COVID-19 test processing for the past 14 days. During most of this time, Tomaszewski said, Kaleida Health Labs has been the highest volume health system testing facility in Buffalo for SARS/COV2.

Last week, manufacturer Perkin Elmer released an Emergency Use Authorization for its nucleic acid extraction equipment, which would allow the health system to supplement the Kaleida Health COVID-19 testing. UB had two of those machines on hand in the UB biobank at the Clinical and Translational Research Center.

Tomaszewski and Nowak proposed to Venu Govindaraju, UBs vice president for research and economic development, that UB transfer the machines to the Kaleida lab.

After review by counsel from SUNY and Kaleida, the agreement was signed Monday, and the equipment was moved on Tuesday. By Thursday, Kaleida expected to receive reagents needed to perform the tests and will begin validation of a laboratory-developed test leveraging its high complexity testing status.

Govindraju said his office fully supports this transfer, and thinks this is an excellent opportunity for UB to demonstrate its agility and community orientation during times of crisis.

This will be huge, Tomaszewski said. When fully implemented, it will allow us to triple our testing capacity. This is the university responding to a health care crisis as a true partner.

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UB initiative will help Kaleida increase, speed up COVID-19 testing in Erie County - UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff - University at...

Biochemistry

Court told stabbing victim tried to act as ‘peacemaker’ – RTE.ie

A 17-year-old boy tapped a kitchen knife on his leg a number of times before he lunged forward and stabbed a student in the neck in Cork last January, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

The teenager has pleaded guilty to the murder of 20-year-old Cameron Blair, who tried to act as "a peacemaker" at a house party on Bandon Road on 16 January.

Thebiochemistry studenthad earlier allowed the accused and his two friends into the party.

Healso acted as a "good Samaritan" when he brought a drunk sleeping homeless man into the house because he was concerned about him.

The court also heard that Cameron did not realise he had been stabbed and laughed it off before he collapsed and later died.

His final words were"don't worry lads, I don't want to be fighting", before he smiled and closed his eyes.

Defence counsel Brendan Grehan read an apology from the 17-year-old in which he said he was "deeply remorseful" for what he had done.

He is due to be sentenced later this month.

Cameron was a sportsman, a rugby player, a student in biochemistry and a black belt in karate.

The 20-year-old went to a student party at a house on the Bandon Road in Cork on 16 January this year and agreed to watch the door.

The 17-year-old who killed Cameron arrived with an 18-year-old, a 14-year-old and a drunk homeless man and although the others in the house did not want to admit them, Cameron said they were "tome" which means "sound" and let them in.

The three drank with the students inside but at one stage went into the kitchen and armed themselves with knives.

The court heard they had become paranoid.

One of the students got them to arrange a cannabis deal for him and bought 50 worth, another got worried and got them out of the house by telling them the party was finishing and that everyone was going into town.

The 17-year-old had the large kitchen knife down his trousers and got one of the students to buy him more drink at the off licence.

When he returned to the house, Cameron was at the door preventing them from getting back in.

The court heard he was"acting as the peacemaker and trying to keep the situation calm".

A number of students called garda and said there were men outside with knives trying to get in, but Cameron insisted they were "sound".

He said to one of the three "will you tell your friends to relax" and shook his hand.

CCTV footage of the murder was also shown to the court.

Detective Sergeant Martin Canny said that the 17-year-old "paced up and down" and "tapped the knife on the back of his leg" a number of times before he lunged forward in a downward motion and stabbed Cameron once in the neck.

The accused waited around 12 seconds before he ran and caught up with the 18-year-old and a group including those who had sold the student the cannabis.

The 14-year-old ran in another direction.Garda saw them running away as they rushed to the scene.

The 17-year-old had been wearing gloves and threw them and the large kitchen knife, the murder weapon, down a steep embankment that night before going to stay with his grandfather.

The area was described in court as "impenetrable" and it took garda two days to recover the items.

His DNA was found on the gloves while Cameron's was found on the knife.

When asked for his clothes, he first gave garda a different set other than those he was wearing on the night, but when they retrieved them Cameron's blood was found on the boy's jacket.

Cameron's parents and brother gave victim impact statements in court today.

His mother Kathy said she screams at the injustice of this, she is no longer living, only existing, and that positivity and kindness came naturally to Cameron.

"The price of immense love is immense grief when that person is taken from you" she said, "we will be paying that price for the rest of our lives," she said.

Noel Blair said the sight of his son on a trolley will haunt him to his dying day, adding "the full weight of what you have taken hits me hard".

He said: "The death of a son is described as the ultimate grief and I now know this to be true."

His brother Alan said he stares in disbelief at Cameron's name on the plaque in the graveyard.

"You have robbed me and my brother of his life," he said.

He also said Cameron wrote a wish list that he was ticking off, which included learning to drive, studying and living to 100.

In his apology, the 17-year-old saidCameron"was nothing but nice to me on that night".

"He did nothing wrong to me. I think about that night first thing in the morning and last thing at night. If only I could turn back the clock and walk away. I will never forgive myself."

Mr Justice Paul McDermott said caseswhere a juvenile is convicted of murderdo not attract the mandatory life sentence appropriate to an adult.

He said the court hasto consider the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the Children's Act 1908 and coulddispose of the case today.

The judge said he was sorry the case cannot be brought to a conclusion today and put it back until later in the month.

Link:
Court told stabbing victim tried to act as 'peacemaker' - RTE.ie

Biochemistry

Peter Chien Named an American Academy of Microbiology Fellow – UMass News and Media Relations

The American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) recently honored Peter Chien, professor in biochemistry and molecular biology by naming him to the 2020 class of Fellows of the Academy based on his record of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. The AAM is the honored leadership group within the American Society of Microbiology (ASM), one of the oldest and largest scientific societies in the world.

Chien says of the honor, This recognition from the AAM reflects the cumulative work of the amazing group of students and trainees in my lab. I am thankful for all the work this team put into our science,and humbled by the recognition for our efforts."

Chiens lab studies the highly-regulated cellular cleanup system in which specialized proteins called proteases degrade damaged or no-longer-needed proteins. In bacteria, these cleanup systems help cells defend against antibiotics and other stresses. One effort in the Chien lab is to find ways to target these proteases to improve the ability of antibiotics to kill pathogens, even for bacteria that have become antibiotic resistant.

The AAM says that its 68 new members join 2,500 others who represent all subspecialties of the microbial sciences and are involved in basic and applied research, teaching, public health, industry and government service. The academy reports that the class of 2020 represents fellows from11 countries including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, Israel, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Election to the Academy is by nomination only and is a distinction given for lasting contributions to the field of microbiology.

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Peter Chien Named an American Academy of Microbiology Fellow - UMass News and Media Relations

Biochemistry

Science Addition to Open in Time for Fall 2020 Classes – Bethel University News

Do we pursue what is possible when it may not be ethical? What core beliefs from Scripture guide us in scientific exploration?" Barnes asks. "As we think about beginning-of-life and end-of-life challenges, how will the teachings of Jesus inform our thinking?

With questions like that in mind, the space is designed for Christ-centered community in tandem with cutting-edge research. There are interactive, multimedia-equipped classrooms; private labs for student-faculty research teams; and 27 fume hood-equipped work stations. An environmental studies storage space will function as a mudroom, of sorts, where students will be able to go outdoors for hands-on labs and then stow nets, waders, and other equipment in a dedicated room. A chemistry prep room will keep lab materials at the ready, with dishwashers and ample counter space. Perhaps most noticeable, a cantilevered portion of the building features floor-to-ceiling windows that give entry-level science classrooms and lounges stunning views of Lake Valentine.

This feature alone is a significant step for us since our previous facilities have been on the second floor and in the center of the building. Being able to see Gods creation through the windows as we teach, and to be able to step outside quickly and easily to further investigate the beauty of the natural world, is an exciting new step, explains Professor of Biology Jeff Port. He adds that labs are more intentionally designed and appropriately sized for the number and type of students in a typical course. Many of our existing spaces were not originally designed as laboratory spaces ... This addition provides spaces for students to explore science at Bethel and find success in their academic experience.

Professor of Chemistry James Christenson notes that theres been tremendous growth within some program areas since Bethels Academic Center (AC)where current science labs are locatedwas built in the 1970s. Today, biochemistry is an integral pillar of the healthcare field and has become a popular major for future doctors, physicians assistants, and medical researchers, he says. Learning has also become much more hands-on in recent years, with dozens of Bethel student-faculty research teams working on projects for national and international publication.

Originally posted here:
Science Addition to Open in Time for Fall 2020 Classes - Bethel University News