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Recent studies suggest that sleep deprivation results in weight gain. Stock photo
Even short-term sleep deprivation can negatively impact health

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

If you’ve ever felt fatigued, this article is for you. Fatigue is a common patient complaint, and there is a long list of maladies that may be responsible: sleep deprivation, infectious diseases (such as Lyme) and hypothyroidism (low thyroid functioning), to name a few.

In this week’s column, we are going to focus on sleep deprivation, since it may impact our quality of life and influence concerns like weight gain and disorders that involve insulin resistance, kidney function and cognition. Even a short duration of inadequate sleep can have a surprising impact.

How much sleep do we need? Conventional wisdom has always been eight hours (1). However, it varies depending on the individual. About 26 percent of Americans get eight or more hours of sleep per night (2). During the workweek, approximately 30 percent of individuals in the U.S. get fewer than six hours of sleep. When you get down to five hours or less per night, the evidence suggests that most people get into trouble.

Weight gain

In a small, prospective (forward-looking) study, results showed that sleep deprivation results in weight gain. Why is this? You actually burn more calories (about 5 percent more) when you sleep fewer hours, but you consume significantly more calories than you metabolize (3). The individuals who were sleep restricted gained about two pounds. That may not sound like much, but the scary part is it occurred over a short time period — one workweek, or five days.

Study participants were in a controlled setting, with half of them restricted to five hours of sleep and half of them permitted to sleep up to nine hours. Everyone was given access to ample amounts of food. Interestingly, not only did the amount of food consumed by those who were sleep deprived increase, but carbohydrate consumption became dominant. When participants who had been sleep deprived were transitioning toward adequate sleep in the second week, they began to make better food choices and started to lose weight.

In addition, researchers found that natural melatonin levels are altered by sleep deprivation, resulting in a change in our circadian rhythms or biological clocks that make it harder to fall asleep.

In another study, the results were similar (4). This one involved 225 healthy participants. Those who were sleep restricted gained about two pounds of weight over five days. Just like the previous study, participants were in a controlled laboratory where food was provided and their sleep monitored. In both studies, significant late-night eating was common.

In the Nurses’ Health Study, results showed that, for participants who regularly slept five hours or less, there was a 32 percent increased risk of gaining more than 30 pounds (5). This observational study involved approximately 68,000 women and was 16 years in duration.

Effects on aging

In a very small, but well-designed, randomized prospective study, adipocytes (fat cells) in sleep-deprived individuals became resistant or insensitive to ever-higher levels of insulin (6). This may be a precursor to increased risk of weight gain and diabetes. The sleep-deprived participants were allowed four-and-a-half hours of sleep per night over a period of four days compared to the control group, which was allowed eight-and-a-half hours per night. The most surprising effect found was that the fat cells of sleep-deprived individuals aged approximately two decades metabolically, so that participants in their 20s had fat cells that functioned similarly to those of people in their 40s.

Diabetes

In the Millennium Cohort Study, participants with inadequate sleep were at significantly greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with sufficient sleep (7). In fact, participants who had five hours of sleep per night were at a 28 percent increased risk, and those who had fewer than five hours a night had a 52 percent greater risk. Adequate sleep was defined as at least seven hours. This was a prospective (forward-looking) observational study involving over 47,000 military personnel. The researchers brought up a good point: While sleep is on the decline, diabetes has been on the rise over the last three decades.

Cognition

Sleep deprivation’s impact on cognition may be immediate. In a study, healthy participants were subjected to sleep deprivation that resulted in decreased neurobehavorial functioning, or cognition, when compared to controls (8). Those in the sleep deprivation group were restricted for five days to four hours per night in bed, while those in the control group were allowed 10 hours per night. The sleep-deprived group was then allowed one night of 10 hours of sleep. While they recovered some neurobehavioral functioning, they didn’t reach their previous baseline levels. This study simulated the workweek followed by one day of recovery. The study was an in-laboratory, well-controlled study involving 159 healthy participants.

In the Familial Adult Children Study (FACS), presented at the prestigious 64th Annual American Academy of Neurology Meeting, participants with poor quality sleep were more likely to have high levels of amyloid beta plaques (9). The significance of these plaques is that they may be precursors to Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers discovered that participants who woke five times in each hour of sleep had a substantially greater risk of developing amyloid beta plaques. Thus, those with lesser sleep efficiency were more likely to have preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. None of the patients showed any symptomatic cognitive deficits, only early preclinical signs of Alzheimer’s. This is a very preliminary study that requires further prospective and randomized clinical trials.

At this point, we can agree that sleep deprivation is something to be taken seriously. If you are fatigued, it may not be a bad idea to have your glucose (sugars) checked. Also, getting sufficient sleep may help slow the metabolic aging of your cells — and most of us want to forestall the aging process. As we age, cognition is a central issue. If we can decrease our risk of cognitive decline while aging, this is an ideal scenario. So, make sure you are getting good quality and quantity of sleep that fits your individual needs. If you struggle to sleep, seek professional help. It is not just an inconvenience to be tired, it actually affects your health.

References: (1) Sleep. 1995;18:908. (2) National Sleep Foundation, 2005. (3) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013;110:5695-5700. (4) Sleep. 2013;36:981-990. (5) Am. J. Epidemiol. 2006;164:947-954. (6) Ann Intern Med. 2012;157:549-557. (7) Diabetes Care Online. July 2013. (8) Sleep. 2010;33:1013-1026. (9) AAN Abstract 703.

Dr. Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.

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Common foreign body risks in barbecues include corn cobs, peach pits, aluminum foil and skewers.

By Matthew Kearns, DVM

Aaaah, summer’s here and we know it by the smells in the air. Tantalizing aromas of steak, sausage, chicken, burgers and dogs. After dinner it’s marshmallows (sometimes with graham crackers and chocolate). I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love it (including our pets). As gratifying as it is to have friends and family over, we have to be careful of our “unofficial tasters” hanging around the barbecue.

Grease

Be very careful of grease both dripping from the barbecue and on the ground. Hot grease from drippings can cause burns to the skin and mouth, and old grease can grow mold and bacteria on it. Lastly, large amounts of grease can lead to severe vomiting and diarrhea and, potentially, a life-threatening condition called pancreatitis.

Raw meat

Dogs and cats don’t always wait for the food to be cooked before they decide to jump up on the counter and take some. Although many pet owners feel that the raw diet is the way to go, for pets raw chicken and beef can have some serious bacteria like various Salmonella species and E. coli, which will proliferate in the hot summer sun.

Foreign bodies

A foreign body in this context refers to anything a pet would be silly enough to swallow that will get stuck in the gastrointestinal tract. Common foreign body risks at barbecues are corn cobs (my favorite because you can see them on X-rays and know what they are), peach pits, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, string to bind roasts, bones (chicken, pork, beef) and skewers (wood or bamboo for shish kebab or teriyaki). Bones and skewers are the most dangerous because they not only have the potential to form an obstruction but can also penetrate the esophagus, stomach or intestines and lead to a life-threatening peritonitis.

Toxicity

Things like onions and garlic can cause significant gastrointestinal upset and, in larger amounts, GI bleeding. Fruit salads that contain grapes and snack mixes that contain raisins and toxic nuts like macadamias should be kept out of reach of our pets. Any fruits with pits should be either avoided (see “Foreign bodies” above) or carefully picked up. Things like ice cream and chocolate should also be kept away from pets. Large amounts of chocolate could lead to serious issues besides just an upset tummy (things like irregular heart rhythms, seizures, difficulty breathing) and, although most dogs tolerate dairy products, some are lactose intolerant (almost all cats are lactose intolerant as adults).

Heatstroke and burns

Pets (dogs particularly) may stay close to the barbecue even if it is out in the sun to be close to potential scraps. These guys don’t have the option to take off their coats, so make sure that plenty of water (with a few ice cubes is nice) is available and also make sure your pets have access to inside or the shade. Also remember that those grills can remain quite hot (especially charcoal grills) long after the barbecue is over, so make sure your pets do not have access to that area when no one is actually either grilling or monitoring that area. So, have fun in the sun and LIGHT THOSE GRILLS!!!! Just make sure our pets are not too close when you do.

Dr. Kearns practices veterinary medicine from his Port Jefferson office and is pictured with his son Matthew and their dog Jasmine.

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Peach Dumplings

By Barbara Beltrami

You know it’s really summer when the pyramids of peaches instead of apples greet you at the supermarket. You know it’s summer when you bite into a peach and the juice runs down your chin and forearm and you don’t even care. It’s when dessert is peach dumplings or peach crisp that you’ve baked early in the morning before the kitchen got too hot or you decided you’d really rather just lie in the shade or by the pool and read and nap. So get up with the birds this week, get those peachy desserts in the oven and stay tuned for next week’s column, Peachy Peaches Part II.

Peach Dumplings

Peach Dumplings

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Pastry for two-crust pie

6 just ripe medium freestone peaches

6 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

DIRECTIONS: Make pie pastry, form into a ball, seal in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Meanwhile, pare peaches and be careful to keep peaches as whole as possible. With the tip of a small sharp knife, cut down from stem end of peach into peach and cut around pit to remove it. Fill each cavity left by pit with one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon butter. Remove pastry from refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll the ball into a 10-inch by 15-inch rectangle, about one-eighth-inch thick. Cut into 6 equal squares. Place a peach on each square; mold pastry around it until peach is completely covered. Place pastry-covered peaches in a deep baking dish and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F. In saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar with half a cup of water and, stirring constantly, cook 5 minutes. Spoon syrup over each dumpling. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and, basting with syrup 2 or 3 times, bake 30 to 40 minutes more, until crust is light golden and a sharp knife inserted into peach meets no resistance. Serve at room temperature or warm with whipped cream, vanilla or peach ice cream.

Peach Crisp

Peach Crisp

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2½ pounds ripe peaches

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick soft unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease an 8- by 8- by 2-inch baking dish. Wash peaches; pare, if desired; remove pits. Slice peaches into prepared baking dish. Sift flour with sugar, salt, and cinnamon into medium bowl. With pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle evenly over peaches. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until topping is crisp and golden and peaches are bubbly and tender. Serve with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.

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A DAY AT THE BEACH

Judy Welter recently snapped a photo of her 2-year-old grandson, Connor, at West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook holding his very first hermit crab. She writes, “He couldn’t be more delighted. My son’s picture [Connor’s uncle] appeared in your newspaper 41 years ago. He too, was playing by the shore at low tide and is pictured with a hermit crab in hand. Time for the next generation to discover our wonderful beach.”

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Elizabeth Boon, back row, center, with graduate students from her lab at Stony Brook University. Photo from Elizabeth Boon

By Daniel Dunaief

It was in the back of Elizabeth Boon’s mind for the last decade. How, she wondered, could the switch that is so critical to life not be there and yet still allow for normal functioning? She suspected that there had to be another switch, so the associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University, spent the last five years looking for it.

Sure enough, she and graduate students including Sajjad Hossain, found it.

Bacteria, like so many other living creatures, need to have a way of detecting nitric oxide gas. At a high enough concentration, this gas can kill them and, indeed, can kill other living creatures as well, including humans.

Nitric oxide is “toxic to any organism at a high enough concentration,” Boon said. “Most organisms have ways of detecting high concentrations … to avoid toxic consequences.” Other research had found a way other bacteria detect this toxic gas through a system called H-NOX, for heme nitric oxide/ oxygen binding protein.

When bacteria live together in colonies called biofilms, many of them typically rely on a signal about the presence of nitric oxide from the H-NOX protein. And yet, some bacteria survived without this seemingly critical protein. “We and others have shown that H-NOX detection of nitric oxide allows bacteria to regulate biofilm formation,” Boon explained.

Elizabeth Boon with her family, from left, Sheridan, 3, Cannon, 7, Beckett, 1, with her husband Isaac Carrico, who is also an Associate Professor in the Chemistry Department at Stony Brook University. Photo by Alfreda James

Named the nitric oxide sensing protein, or NosP, Boon and her team discovered this alternative signaling system that has some of the same functional group as the original mechanism. When activated in one bacteria, the Pseudomonas aeruginosa, this signaling mechanism causes biofilm bacteria to react in the same way as they would when an H-NOX system was alerted, by breaking up the colony into individuals. Using a flagella, an individual bacteria can move to try to escape from an environment containing the toxic gas.

Nicole Sampson, a professor of chemistry at Stony Brook University, suggested that this work was groundbreaking. While some biofilms are benign or even beneficial to humans, including a biofilm in the human gut, many of them, including those involved in hospital-borne infections, can cause illness or exacerbate diseases, particularly for people who are immunocompromised. Bacteria in biofilm are difficult to eradicate through drugs or antibiotics. When they are separated into individuals, however, they don’t have the same rigid defenses.

“They are resistant to most forms of treatment” when they are in biofilms, Boon said. “If we could get the bacteria to disperse, it’d be much easier to kill them. One of the hopes is that we could develop some sort of molecule that might loosen up the film and then we could come in with an antibiotic and kill the bacteria.”

Boon and her team published their results on the cover of the magazine ACS Infectious Disease, where they presented evidence of what they describe as a novel nitric oxide response pathway that regulates biofilm in the bacteria P. aeruginosa, which lack the H-NOX gene. The day the lab discovered this other protein, they celebrated with a trip for frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog.

In an email, Sampson said that finding the mechanism through which bacteria responds to nitric oxide “is important for developing therapies that target biofilms.”

While Boon is pleased that her lab found an alternative nitric oxide signaling system that answered a long-standing question about how some bacteria could respond to an environmental signal that suggested a threat to the biofilm, she said the answer to the question, as so many others do in the world of science, has led to numerous other questions.

For starters, the lab doesn’t yet know the structure of the NosP. “Not all proteins are immediately willing to crystallize,” Boon said. “We’re hopeful we’ll have a structure soon.” She knows it has a heme group, which includes an iron ion in the middle of an organic compound. That’s where the nitric oxide binds.

“We’d like to have the structure to piece together how that signal is relayed out to the end of the protein and how that gets transferred to other proteins that cause changes in behavior,” she said. The NosP is longer than the H-NOX protein, although they appear to have the same function.

Boon has also found that some bacteria have both the H-NOX and the NosP, which raises questions about why there might be an apparent redundancy. In organisms that have both proteins, it’s tempting to conclude that these bacteria live in a broader range of environments, which might suggest that the two systems react to the gas under different conditions. At this point, however, it’s too early to conclude that the additional sensing system developed to enable the bacteria to respond in a wider range of conditions.

Boon believes the nitric oxide system could be a master regulator of bacterial biofilms. “Detecting nitric oxide might be one of the first things that happen” to protect a bacteria, she said. The reason for that is that bacteria, like humans, use iron proteins in respiration. If those proteins are blocked by nitric oxide, any organism could suffocate.

Boon believes a multistep therapeutic approach might work down the road. She believes breaking up the biofilm would be an important first step in making the bacteria vulnerable to attack by antibiotics. She and her graduate students work with bacteria in the lab that generally only cause human disease in people who are already immunocompromised. Even so, her staff takes safety precautions, including working in a hood and wearing protective equipment.

Boon and her husband Isaac Carrico, who is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University, have a 7-year-old son Cannon, a 3-year-old daughter Sheridan and a 1-year-old son Beckett. Boon said she and her husband are equal partners in raising their three children.

In her work, Boon is excited by the possibility of addressing new questions in this nitric oxide mechanism. “We’re trying to cover as much ground as fast as possible,” she said.

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Above, front and side view of ‘Topo Shift: MacIntyre Range, 2015.’ Its blue/white coloration is derived from winter hiking.

By Irene Ruddock

Winn Rea addresses environmental themes in her sculptures, installations, videos and works on paper. She has exhibited in galleries and museums, both nationally and internationally, being awarded many prestigious grants and awards. Presently, her work is being shown at the Heckscher Museum of Art in an exhibit aptly titled Earth Muse: Art and the Environment. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Rea about her latest venture.

Environmental Artist Winn Rea

The exhibit at the Heckscher describes its exhibit as ‘presenting the work of artists who view the earth as muse for contemplation of nature’s beauty and diversity.’ Can you tell us what works you are showing there?

At the Heckscher Museum you can see examples of my topographic relief paintings. They are based on my time in the Adirondack Mountains. I love going to the Adirondacks because I can unplug from the wired world and reconnect with nature.

How does your time in nature translate into your artwork?    

While hiking I “collect” shadows by photographing them. Back in the studio, I construct topographic reliefs based on U.S. Geological Survey maps of the area.  They are built out of 1/8-inch Russian birch plywood that I paint using colors and shadow patterns from the woods. People are fascinated because the reliefs are not solid, they are hollow like sea shells, and the shadow almost fools you into looking over your shoulder for the tree that cast it.

What other ways do you use art to express your interest in the environment?   

All of my works are a meditation on where I fit into the greater scheme of things on the planet. When I make videos, they are about the passage of time in the short term, like how the flow of water in a stream changes over the course of a day, or the long term — as in geologic time — which is explored in my works on paper that are made by evaporation.

In your works on paper, you say that you do not paint in the traditional sense, but tend to them as you would a garden. Can you explain what you mean by that?    

Well, it helps to know my process for the works on paper: first, I sculpt the paper, crinkling it into folds like mountain ranges. Then I flood the paper with pigment, which slowly evaporates leaving marks much like contour lines. So, in effect, instead of pushing pigments here or there with a brush, I work in synchrony with the natural process of evaporation. In gardening terms, I prepare the “soil” (sculpted paper), “water it” (pour pigments), and “harvest” the result — a three-dimensional painting on paper.

Above, ‘Topo-Shift- Upper Saranac Lake’

You are an associate professor of art at Long Island University C.W. Post. What do you wish to get across to your students about how art and the environment are related?

I want to give students confidence in their own creativity and help them cultivate their problem-solving skills through the design process. The reality is, their capacity to imagine and realize new, sustainable ways to thrive is the answer to our planet’s future.

In your world exhibitions, is there one country that you enjoyed the most?

I most enjoyed my travels to Korea especially to the tea farms in the mountains. Here the tea bushes are planted along contour lines that accentuate the form of the mountains. I felt most at home there.

Many artists are looking for longevity in their work, yet you describe much of your work as ‘temporal.’ Why?

I want people to enjoy my work and even collect it in order to have it in their lives, if it brings pleasure to them. But I am not interested in making a commodity.  I want my legacy to be longer lasting in terms of the way my work helps people to think about the world differently and to become more aware of the impact of their everyday choices on the planet.

Above, front and side view of ‘Topo Shift: Cliff Mountain, 2015.’

‘Falling Water’ appears to be one of your most influential and popular installation sculptures. What effect were you trying to achieve?   

In “Falling Water,” I made use of the sculptural and material qualities of our ubiquitous disposable water bottles. Cutting them on a curve releases the energy of a spiral. The clear plastic refracts the light, de-materializing the plastic. In a way, their beauty seduces us into ignoring their treachery — the needless use of petroleum products to package and transport a resource that we have as close as our tap.

What are you working on now?   

I am working on a series of small topographic reliefs that include bodies of water.  I am curious about bathometry (contours of the earth under water) and am exploring that margin between land and sea.

Do you have another exhibit coming up?  

Yes, I have works hanging at Gallery 46 in Lake Placid.  As part of the visual arts extension of the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, it is a great location for people to see my work in the context of the land that inspires it.

Can you tell us about your philosophy of life that influences your art?   

The philosophy behind my work can be traced back to time spent hiking with my dad as a young girl.  I loved the smell of the decaying leaves and movement of air amongst the trees. (I think of it now as the woods breathing.) My dad taught me to read the contours of the land while on the trail; back home he showed me where we had hiked on a 3-D topographic map. My dad also taught me about the natural cycle of things, of how the decay of one body feeds the life of another. This informs all my life’s work!

Winn Rea’s work is on exhibit at the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington through July 30. For more information, visit her website at www.winnrea.com.

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Stock photo

“Barbecue is 25 percent inspiration and 75 percent perspiration.” — Bob Lipinski

By Bob Lipinski

I love to barbecue and enjoy grilling steaks, chops, ribs, vegetables, seafood and most other foods. While I’m grilling over hot coals, plenty of water or beer seems to quench my thirst, although a glass or two of a chilled white or red wine also works quite nicely, providing they’re dry with little or no oak.

I’ve put together a list of some recently tasted Italian red wines that I hope you too will enjoy with lunch or dinner.

2013 Casali Maniago “Refosco dal Peduncolo,” Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Ruby-colored with a fruity bouquet and flavor of spicy cherries, blackberries, plums and mint. Its high acidity makes it a wonderful accompaniment to steaks with a higher fat content.

2015 Torre Santa “La Rocca” Negroamaro, Apulia: Dark ruby color with a powerful bouquet and flavor of dark berries, coffee, dried plums, raisins and spices. Hints of cedar and licorice, with a bitter finish and aftertaste. Great for grilled vegetables brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and rosemary.

2015 Torre Santa “La Rocca” Primitivo, Apulia: Deeply colored with a bouquet and flavor of blackberry and blueberry, cherries, licorice and raisins. Dry with an aftertaste of figs, dried plums and nuts. Perfect with a chunk of Monterey Jack cheese served at room temperature.

2014 Fonte del Bacco “Montepulciano d’Abruzzo,” Abruzzo: Cherry-colored with a pleasing, fruity bouquet and flavor of blackberries and black cherries. Jammy flavors with plum, spice and mulberry abound. Some grilled eggplant with pesto would work well.

2012 La Fortezza “Aglianico,” Campania: Ruby-colored with a distinctive bouquet and flavor of cherries, red licorice and plums, with nuances of black pepper, tobacco and earthiness. Pair it with Asiago, Parmigiano-Reggiano or provolone cheese.

2013 Bava “Libera” Barbera d’Asti, Piedmont: Garnet-colored with a deep bouquet of berries and spices. In the mouth, there are flavors of boysenberry, raspberry, black figs and licorice with hints of rosemary, nutmeg and violets. Perfect with a dish of spaghetti topped with spicy tomatoes.

2008 Bava “Barolo,” Piedmont: This 100 percent Nebbiolo wine was aged about three years in wood, followed by at least two years in the bottle prior to release. Maroon-colored with a fragrance of withered flowers, truffles, violets, dried fruit and licorice. Full-bodied and tannic in the mouth with flavors of mulberry, cherries, almonds, black pepper and dried plums. I’d serve this beauty with risotto and porcini mushrooms or grilled portobello mushrooms.

Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need to Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine, spirit, and food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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File photo

By Lu-Ann Kozlowski

Lu-Ann Kozlowski

As one of the premier research institutions in New York, Stony Brook University conducts clinical studies to advance our understanding of the prevention, diagnosis and possible roads to cures of all types of diseases. Every day, researchers at Stony Brook are going far beyond in their efforts to find answers to questions that face not only our own community but those around the globe.

At Stony Brook, major discoveries have been made that change the landscape of medicine thanks to the dedication of researchers willing to embark on new endeavors for the betterment of humankind. However, progress cannot be accomplished by a study team alone. Our research needs volunteers to help us answer the questions that advance medicine.

One of the leading reasons for the failure of a study is the lack of volunteer participation. There simply is no substitute for people willing to step up and get involved as research participants. Stony Brook understands this and has made great strides in reaching out and educating our community about this very important issue.

To educate the community about opportunities available in research and the importance of getting involved, we post on social media, attend health and wellness fairs and head a weekly informational kiosk in the lobby of our University Hospital. Stony Brook also maintains a website that assists individuals who would like to take the next step and volunteer and lists studies that are currently available.

Further, the university has hired a research subject advocate, an expert in research volunteer rights who is able to facilitate communication between patients and researchers, discuss questions or concerns with a volunteer and assist researchers in understanding and complying with the rules that ensure safe and ethical research.

In addition, Stony Brook has aligned with ResearchMatch, a national volunteer registry that connects people who want to participate in clinical studies with researchers who are seeking volunteers. This free Web-based service has one mission: to help to ensure the success of clinical research today, so that we can make a difference in the health of the future.

Deciding to participate in research is an important and personal decision. If you would like to learn more about participating or want to sign up for the ResearchMatch Registry, visit Stony Brook’s Volunteering in Research website at www.research.stonybrook.edu/volunteer or contact our research subject advocate at 631-632-9036. Medical breakthroughs cannot happen without you. Together, discovery is possible.

Lu-Ann Kozlowski is a Human Research Protection Program administrator and research participant advocate at Stony Brook University.

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By Elof Axel Carlson

Elof Axel Carlson

Yeasts are single-celled organisms belonging to the eukaryotes. They have a nucleus with chromosomes and a surrounding cytoplasm with embedded organelles. There are 1,500 species of yeasts (in contrast to the small number of species of the genus Homo). Most of these yeast species reproduce by mitosis without a sexual phase.

Some species use a process of budding, with the dividing nucleus producing one nucleus entering a small bleb of cytoplasm at the surface and the other staying with the large mass of cytoplasm of the original cell.

The yeast that gives civilization a boost is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It converts sugars into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. Different strains of this species are used to make beer, wine, mead and other alcoholic beverages that prolonged life expectancy because the alcohol killed harmful bacteria in the water that humans needed. Other strains of this species lead to the rising of bread during baking and helped bring about the agricultural revolution that tamed humanity into cultural communities.

Beer making goes back to at least 6,000 years ago. In Africa a different species, S. pombe, was used to make a beer from millet.

There are also species of yeast that are harmful to humans. Some cause urinary tract and vaginal infections, especially Candida albicans. Yeast strains are also involved in babies’ mouths (thrush) or in toenail and fingernail infections.

The yeast cell has 16 distinct chromosomes and its DNA has 13 million base pairs. Its genes produce 5,800 different proteins. Its mitochondrial DNA has almost 86,000 base pairs and 35 genes.

Molecular biologists have used yeast as engineering systems for producing pharmaceutical products. Yeast chromosomes can be identified, and genes from other organisms can be inserted into them. The yeast genome can also be used for basic science, and each of its 5,800 protein products can be studied for function in the cell.

Yeasts are also being used to study synthetic genetics where genes and chromosomes are designed by scientists and inserted into one or more yeast chromosomes. Artificial yeast chromosomes are reliable for inserting one or more genes designed for commercial use.

Within 10 years scientists hope to have the first artificial nucleus with all the essential yeast genes needed to allow yeast cells to divide and grow and make alcohol. That nucleus will have 16 synthetic chromosomes made by putting together the nucleotide sequences of the genes in each chromosome without using a living system to do so. They will tag each chromosome with inserted genes that can serve as switches to make them machines capable of turning specific genes or groups of genes on or off. The switches will respond to temperature, pH or chemical signals to activate the switches.

No one knew what yeast was some 6,000 years ago. The cell theory did not come into our awareness until 1838. Brick yeast was not sold until 1867. Granulated yeasts (like the packets available in supermarkets) did not exist before 1872. Instead, bakers would save some of the raised dough and mix it into a fresh batch of flour and water.

Similarly, wine makers or beer makers would take samples from their fermenting kegs and use that to start a new batch of cereal mash or crushed fruits to start the fermentation process. Even if those were not available, there was usually a lot of naturally occurring yeast cells on the surface of grains or fruits to generate fermentation. Yeasts have been domesticated to make alcoholic beverages. Bacteria and other fungi have also been domesticated to make sour cream, yogurt and cheeses. Since the 1940s, fungi and bacteria have been used to make antibiotics that have saved millions of lives from pneumonia, gangrene, sepsis and other infections.

Diphtheria, anthrax, bubonic plague, typhoid fever and typhus are no longer threats to the lives of those in industrialized nations that have access to antibiotics, public health measures and sanitation. We owe to Pasteur and Koch in the last decades of the nineteenth century the knowledge of the microbial germ theory of infectious diseases. Their work explained what produces some foods we love through fermentation by microbes, the microbial basis of rotting or spoilage of food and the microbial basis of contagious diseases.

Elof Axel Carlson is a distinguished teaching professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University.

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Rose of Sharon should be pruned in late summer after it has bloomed. Stock photo

By Ellen Barcel

One of the chores necessary for the gardener is to do some pruning. While this chore is usually done in early spring, light pruning and the removal of dead wood can be done anytime. Pruning is not one of my favorite gardening jobs but can be needed. In general, put the right type of plant in the right place to start with as you plan new plantings. That way you won’t spend an inordinate amount of time keeping plants small that really want to be large.

To minimize pruning:

• If you know that the shrub is going to reach 10 feet tall at maturity, don’t plant it in front of a window — unless, of course, you don’t want to see out of the window. Plant slow-growing, dwarf plants in that situation.

• Don’t plant evergreen trees right up against the house, or any trees for that matter. They’ll grow up against the house, making for an unsightly shaped tree and you’ll spend a lot of time pruning them to keep them from taking over. Also, they’ll allow critters of all sorts to climb up them and damage your roof (yes, I know from experience). They’ll shade the house so much that the roof won’t dry out properly after a rainstorm. Large trees should be planted at the back of your property and smaller specimen trees toward the front for the best appearance.

• If you hate pruning — what gardener doesn’t — select plants that need minimal pruning such as conifers. Usually the gardener just needs to remove any dead branches (rare), really weirdly growing branches or multiple leaders in pyramidal shaped trees.

• Always research the specific plant you want to add to your garden so you know exactly what will happen with that plant in the future.

Some rules of thumb for pruning:

• Prune out any dead branches as soon as possible, especially ones that are creating a hazardous situation.

• To control the height of flowering plants, prune them back immediately after they have bloomed. In this way you won’t interrupt the flowering cycle for next year. That means don’t prune forsythia until right after it has put out its yellow flowers in April. Prune rose of Sharon later in the summer after it has bloomed. Don’t prune Hydrangea macrophylla (blue and pink flowering shrubs) until after it has bloomed since it blooms on old (last year’s) wood. Hydrangea arborescens (snowballs), however, benefit from cutting back in early spring since they bloom on new wood.

• Never take off more than one third of the growing area of a shrub (or blades of grass). Taking more can seriously compromise the health of the plant, even killing it. While some shrubs, like euonymous, or trees, like catalpa, will grow from the roots, many others will not if cut back too far.

• Always keep an eye to the overall shape of a plant. For example, if a plant has a pyramidal shape, you want to maintain that. If there are stray branches which stick out beyond the pyramidal shape or double leaders, trim them, remembering conifers generally do not resprout the way broadleaf plants do.

• Always research the specific plants you’re pruning to make sure you do it correctly. Sometimes a plant just doesn’t conform to the norm. For safety: If you have some really large branches broken off a big tree due to winter wind and storms, have a professional, an arborist, come in and deal with them. You don’t need a trip to the ER. Professionals know how to do major pruning safely.

Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.

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