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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Study finds gene link to bad driving
By
Landon Hall
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) We might never be able to feel sympathy for the speeding driver who swerves into our lane, barely missing the bumper, only to cut back into his original lane a quarter-mile later. But new research may at least help us understand him.
A new study at the University of California, Irvine, reveals that people with a gene variation that gives them less of a brain protein linked to memory retention performed more than 20 percent worse in a driving simulation than people who had higher levels of the protein.
So can lousy drivers blame their lack of awareness, slow reaction time and ill-considered risk-taking — in short, their infuriating awfulness — on their DNA? Since about 1 in 3 Americans appears to have the gene abnormality, not necessarily. But it could be a factor.
"Any behavior is the sum total of a number of different genes and factors, but this definitely suggests that this particular gene does affect short-term motor learning," said Stephanie McHughen, a graduate student in UCI's Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and the lead author of the study, which appeared recently in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
The researchers, led by Dr. Steven Cramer, chose 29 healthy volunteers ages 18-30. Twenty-two of the subjects had the normal gene that secretes a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. The protein facilitates communication among brain cells and keeps the memory fresh. The other seven subjects were known to have the gene variant, which limits the secretion of BDNF.
The subjects were asked to drive a video gamelike simulator, complete with steering wheel and a monitor showing a racetrack, for 15 laps. The course was filled with tricky curves, and the drivers were graded on how far they deviated from the center.
Not only did the protein-deficient drivers perform worse on the initial exercise, they also retained less information about the course than their protein-rich counterparts when the exercise was repeated four days later.
While the test group was small, the research has implications for people who have suffered memory loss from brain or spinal trauma, such as accidents or strokes.
BDNF "gushes out" after such an event, said Cramer, an associate professor in UCI's Neurology and Anatomy and Neurobiology departments.
But if the gene variant reduces the level of secreted BDNF in these victims, it also could slow their cognitive and motor-skill development as they recover.
"Let's assume that evidence this compass is pointing to is true: that one-third of people have lesser outcomes after an injury as a result of this genetic variation," Cramer said. "Then we need to do something different for these people."
One person who posted a link about the study on Twitter referred to those in the protein-deficient minority as "mutant drivers," which is unfair, Cramer said.
"If 1 in 3 people have it, you can't call it a defect. This is not a disease or a mutation, it's a different approach ... it's as if nature's rolling the dice."
Cramer said the gene variant could actually help people who have long-term, degenerative disorders that affect their motor functions, such as Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis, as opposed to short-term trauma.
Some people aren't ready to attribute poor performance behind the wheel to genes. Diane Moore, who runs A to Z Driving School in Anaheim, Calif., and has been a driving instructor for 13 years, says the study's premise ignores students' capacity to learn and correct their bad behavior.
"I had a customer the day before yesterday who's a very well-educated university professor who lost his license because he had failed his driving test," Moore said.
"He knows how to drive, but we were helping him with different techniques and tools to help him make better decisions. And he retook the test and passed."
Cramer responded that the gene "is only one influence on behavior," and he's seeking to learn more. His study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, and more money is available for follow-up research.
The new research will examine subjects' mastery of a different functional task, and over a longer period of time — say, three weeks.
"This starts to get into the time period that's relevant for people with stroke or spinal-cord injury," he said. "That is a 'golden period,' where it's like a newborn brain — so ready to learn."
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© 2009, The Orange County Register
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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