Extensive efforts have been directed at using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify the genes responsible for common metabolic and degenerative diseases, cancer, and aging, but with limited success. While environmental factors have been evoked to explain this conundrum, the nature of these environmental factors remains unexplained. The availability of and demands for energy constitute one of the most important aspects of the environment. The flow of energy through the cell is primarily mediated by the mitochondrion, which oxidizes reducing equivalents from hydrocarbons via acetyl-CoA, NADH + H(+), and FADH(2) to generate ATP through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). The mitochondrial genome encompasses hundreds of nuclear DNA (nDNA)-encoded genes plus 37 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded genes. Although the mtDNA has a high mutation rate, only milder, potentially adaptive mutations are introduced into the population through female oocytes. In contrast, nDNA-encoded bioenergetic genes have a low mutation rate. However, their expression is modulated by histone phosphorylation and acetylation using mitochondrially-generated ATP and acetyl-CoA, which permits increased gene expression, growth, and reproduction when calories are abundant. Phosphorylation, acetylaton, and cellular redox state also regulate most signal transduction pathways and activities of multiple transcription factors. Thus, mtDNA mutations provide heritable and stable adaptation to regional differences while mitochondrially-mediated changes in the epigenome permit reversible modulation of gene expression in response to fluctuations in the energy environment. The most common genomic changes that interface with the environment and cause complex disease must, therefore, be mitochondrial and epigenomic in origin. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2010;16:114-119.

Wallace DC. Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2010 Jun;16(2):114-9. The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Our objectives were to develop and test a new system for the potential for stable, real-time cancellation of residual stimulation artefacts (RSA) using surface electrode autogenic electromyography-controlled functional electrical stimulator (aEMGcFES). This type of closed-loop FES could be used to provide more natural, continuous control of lower extremity paretic muscles. We built upon work that has been done in the field of FES with one major technological innovation, an adaptive Gram-Schmidt filtering algorithm, which allowed us to digitally cancel RSA in real-time. This filtering algorithm resulted in a stable real-time estimation of the volitional intent of the stimulated muscle, which then acted as the direct signal for continuously controlling homonymous muscle stimulation. As a first step toward clinical application, we tested the viability of our aEMGcFES system to continuously control ankle dorsiflexion in a healthy subject. Our results indicate positively that an aEMGcFES device with adaptive filtering can respond proportionally to voluntary EMG and activate forceful movements to assist dorsiflexion during controlled isometric activation at the ankle. We also verified that normal ankle joint range of movement could be maintained while using the aEMGcFES system. We suggest that real-time cancellation of both primary and RSA is possible with surface electrode aEMGcFES in healthy subjects and shows promising potential for future clinical application to gait pathologies such as drop foot related to hemiparetic stroke.

Yeom H, Chang YH. J Neurosci Methods. 2010 Aug 14. Dept. of Medical Engineering, Eulji University, Sungnam, Gyeonggi, South Korea; School of Applied Physiology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Biomedical Engineering Program, Emory University/Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Full Title Trait- and density-mediated indirect interactions initiated by an exotic invasive plant autogenic ecosystem engineer.

Indirect interactions are important for structuring ecological systems. However, research on indirect effects has been heavily biased toward top-down trophic interactions, and less is known about other indirect-interaction pathways. As autogenic ecosystem engineers, plants can serve as initiators of nontrophic indirect interactions that, like top-down pathways, can involve both trait-mediated indirect interactions (TMIIs) and density-mediated indirect interactions (DMIIs). Using microcosms, I examined a plant --> predator --> consumer interaction pathway involving the exotic autogenic ecosystem engineer Centaurea maculosa; native Dictyna spiders (which exhibit density and trait [web-building] responses to C. maculosa); Dictyna's insect prey, Urophora affinis; and Urophora's host plant (a secondary receiver species) to quantify DMIIs and TMIIs in an autogenic engineered pathway. Both DMIIs and TMIIs were strong enough to reduce Urophora populations, but only DMIIs, which were 4.3 times stronger than TMIIs, were strong enough to also reduce Urophora's fecundity and increase the fecundity of its host plant. Prior field studies support these results, suggesting that the differences between DMIIs and TMIIs are even stronger in nature. This study illustrates that autogenic ecosystem engineers can initiate powerful indirect interactions that generally parallel predator-initiated interactions but also differ in important functional ways.

Pearson DE. Am Nat. 2010 Oct;176(4):394-403. Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, Montana 59801; and Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812.

Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in paediatric populations is common yet, to date, there has been no synthesis of the evidence of its effectiveness in that population. This overview of systematic review evaluates the evidence for or against the effectiveness of CAM for any childhood condition. Methods Medline, AMED and Cochrane were searched from inception until September 2009. Reference lists of retrieved articles were hand-searched. Experts in the field of CAM were contacted. No language restrictions were applied. Results 17 systematic reviews were included in this overview, covering acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage and yoga. Results were unconvincing for most conditions although there is some evidence to suggest that acupuncture may be effective for postoperative nausea and vomiting, and that hypnotherapy may be effective in reducing procedure-related pain. Most of the reviews failed to mention the incidence of adverse effects of CAMs. Conclusions Although there is some encouraging evidence for hypnosis, herbal medicine and acupuncture, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that other CAMs are effective for the treatment of childhood conditions. Many of the systematic reviews included in this overview were of low quality, as were the randomised clinical trials within those reviews, further reducing the weight of that evidence. Future research in CAM for children should conform to the reporting standards outlined in the CONSORT and PRISMA guidelines.

Hunt K, Ernst E. Arch Dis Child. 2010 Jul 6. Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Exeter, UK.

Cerebral activation patterns during the first three auto-suggestive phases of autogenic training (AT) were investigated in relation to perceived experiences. Nineteen volunteers trained in AT and 19 controls were studied with fMRI during the first steps of autogenic training. FMRI revealed activation of the left postcentral areas during AT in those with experience in AT, which also correlated with the level of AT experience. Activation of prefrontal and insular cortex was significantly higher in the group with experience in AT while insular activation was correlated with number years of simple relaxation exercises. Specific activation in subjects experienced in AT may represent a training effect. Furthermore, the correlation of insular activation suggests that these subjects are different from untrained subjects in emotional processing or self-awareness.

Schlamann M, Naglatzki R, de Greiff A, Forsting M, Gizewski ER. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2010 Oct;58(4):444-56. University Hospital Essen and University Duisburg-Essen, Germany.