Study Finds Arthritis Patients Suffer From Poor Sleep

A recent study performed by the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing found that those affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis often experience very poor sleep quality which can translate to increased symptoms and poor life quality.

The study used a sleep questionnaire to identify problems in the subject’s sleep and of 162 people tested, it found that 61 percent experience “poor sleep” according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Thirty-three percent reported experiencing disturbing pain in their sleep at least three times a week.

Dr. Faith Luyster a research assistant professor for Pitt’s School of Nursing says a lot can be achieved if these subjects could sleep more peacefully.

“By improving their sleep it’s going to impact a lot of daytime symptoms and impairments that they have,” Dr. Luyster says. “In our study we found that poor sleep was associated with limitations and being able to do daily activities and social activities.”

The study identified two possible solutions to solving the poor sleep quality of the subjects tested. According to Dr. Luyster, behavior changes can lead to better sleep.

“Having a consistent bedtime and wake-time is important, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and vigorous exercise before they fall asleep, and creating as comfortable a sleeping environment that they can.”

Dr. Luyster also identified the importance of using the bed only for sleep and sex and avoiding watching TV or doing work in bed. Another solution offered by the study is the use of prescription medications to improve sleep.

Private Sector Disaster Preparedness

The University of Pittsburgh is hosting a lecture today on disaster preparedness for businesses, nonprofits and other institutions.

Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation President Brent Woodworth is an organizer for several disaster responses such as the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, the September 11 World Trade Center attack, and Hurricane Katrina.

Woodworth says he hopes to share several ideas to improve Pittsburgh’s disaster resiliency, which includes increasing communication and cooperation between city government and private sector entities.

He says for example, although Starbucks usually charges for its wireless Internet service in Southern California, the company allows free access in times of emergency.

Technology is always improving, says Woodworth, and keeping up-to-date with communication systems is also very important for a disaster response.

The talk, titled “Metropolitan Regions at Risk: The Role and Responsibility of the Private Sector in Disaster Risk Reduction,” is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Pitt’s Posvar Hall.

Pitt Researchers Discover Key Diabetes Finding

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are known to stem from decreased production of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The good news is that some University of Pittsburgh researchers have discovered a way to stimulate regeneration of these cells. Lead researchers Dr. Andrew Stewart, Dr. Nathalie Fiaschi-Taesch, and Dr. Todd Bigatel utilized cadaveric beta cells to understand what causes the cells to replicate. Dr. Stewart says they pinpointed 40 molecules that may impact beta cell replication and they discovered two beta cell molecules--cdk-6 and cyclin D1--can be altered using gene therapy to replicate 40 times faster than normal. Fiaschi-Taesch says the next step included injecting diabetic mice with the altered beta cells. She says the cells completely corrected the diabetes in the animals. However, Taesch cautions that this is not yet a cure for diabetes, but that more research must be done to determine if the procedure is safe for humans.

The research was made possible by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the National Institute of Health, American Diabetes Association, Pam and Scott Kroh, and Don and Arlene Wagner.

Pitt Researchers Use Horseradish Enzyme to Biodegrade Carbon Nanotubes

University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed the first natural, nontoxic method for biodegrading carbon nanotubes, which are being used in more and more consumer products but can be dangerous to living things in ways not fully understood.

Pitt professors Alexander Star and Valerian Kagan were looking for a way to get rid of carbon nanotubes if they’re spilled when they discovered that a naturally-occurring enzyme-- horseradish peroxidase—will biodegrade nanotubes. So it would be possible to develop a kit to clean up spills in the environment, lab or factory.

The potential of carbon nanotubes is immeasurable because they are small and light but very strong; they are also chemical sensors and conduct electricity. But they are known to cause severe lung inflammation and could be toxic in other ways.

Professor Kagan says more research is needed and is being done, often in combination with European scientists, and fortunately, such work is now well funded. So Kagan recommends being aware and careful but not paranoid about the possible toxicity of nanomaterials.

"Impossible" Chain Reaction Started by Pitt Researchers

University of Pittsburgh researchers working with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have been able to do something no other scientists have been able to do, create a chain reaction on a solid surface. Chain reactions in gasses and liquids happen all the time but it has long been thought that a reaction cannot happen on a surface because the energy needed to keep the reaction alive is absorbed into the surface. In this case the researchers lined up a series of sulfur-based molecules, hit one with a single electron and started a chain reaction that made ten jumps down the line. Researcher Kenneth Jordan says this could potentially be used as a new way to store information in a very small space, help to miniaturize the computer industry and make a big impact on nanotechnology research. He says the electron does not travel down the line of molecules. He says, instead, it looks like the change in the first molecule forces the one next to it to change and so on down the line. He says right now, two major questions need to be answered are. Why did the chain reaction stop and what other compounds may react the same way as the one used in this project. He says researchers at Pitt and, now that the information has been published, at other institutions will undoubtedly be looking into those questions. The study was published in the December 12th edition of Science.

Pitt Study: County Revenue Sharing Not Working

New research findings at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) show that Allegheny County's tax revenue sharing program, implemented by Act 77 in 1993, is not working properly. On average, Act 77 provides $34 million dollars to the county's 128 municipalities each year. The original intent of the policy was to distribute more funds to the poorer communities. David Miller associate professor at GSPIA says instead the program is rewarding more to affluent communities because of their growing tax base, than to poorer communities. He suggests that the county re-think the formula used to determine how much money a municipality receives. Revenue sharing dollars play a major role in financially troubled communities, making up about 11 percent of their budgets.

Pitt Holds Line on Pay

The University of Pittsburgh Compensation Committee has decided to freeze the salaries of the University’s top officers. The move came after Chancellor Mark Nordenberg recommended that the committee hold the line on pay raises in light of the faltering economy. The committee praised the work of the Chancellor and the senior executives saying they deserved substantial pay raises based on performance and peer pay levels but noted the need to keep an eye on expenditures. When the University’s board first approved an operating budget in August it included a salary increase pool of 4%. Those increases are usually tied to performance and are not awarded until later in the year when the administrator’s performance can be reviewed. Committee Chair Ralph Cappy says “It may seem incongruous that the University has just moved through what may be the best year in its history, yet … officers receive no salary increase. However the committee understands we are moving through tough times…”

Herpes Research May Lead to Vaccine

University of Pittsburgh researchers say their recent findings about herpes may lead them closer to a vaccine. Their new study in the journal Science finds that the immune system plays an important role in keeping the virus "asleep" in the body. By identifying the specific types of cells responsible for controlling the virus, researchers say they can now work on boosting those cells to help prevent outbreaks.

Study co-author Kip Kinchington says this is a different approach than in past research, which focused on antibodies or on ways to prevent people from becoming infected.

Nine out of 10 people carry herpes simplex virus type one. Symptoms in most cases are minor, but about 250,000 people in the United States annually experience eye problems that can lead to blindness. The Pitt study was funded partly by the Eye and Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh.

Top Scholar to Speak at Pitt

The University of Pittsburgh's Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership will present a lecture Thursday, September 18th by Alice Eagly, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University and one of the nation's top scholars on gender and leadership. Eagly's speech is titled "Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership." The professor is well-known for her shift of the metaphor describing women's quest for leadership from the "glass ceiling" to the "labyrinth." Eagly says the truth of the matter is that there is no single impetus such as a glass ceiling to women's leadership, but that there are multiple obstacles. The lecture begins at 4:30 on Thursday and is free to the public, but preregistration is requested.

Hookah Study

A recent study at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School shows that Pitt students who try hookah smoking is as about as common as students who try cigarettes. However, it is not a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. University of Pittsburgh Professor Dr. Brian Primack says its aesthetic appeal, the social atmosphere, and the misconception that it is a safer practice all contribute to its popularity. However, Dr. Primack says hookah smoke produces more toxins than cigarette smoke. One study showed that one water pipe session produced 46 times more tar than one cigarette. Another consideration to this study is that people usually share a water pipe and smoke less frequently, while some cigarette smokers go through 20 cigarettes or more each day.

The statewide smoking ban to take affect next Thursday may make hookah bars even more popular, since these establishments can apply for exemptions. Traditional bars that do not rely on tobacco for revenue will not be able to apply for such an exemption.

UPJ Receives $12 Million from Anonymous Alumnus

Pitt-Johnstown has received the largest donation in its history--$12 million from an anonymous alumnus. The money will be put toward full scholarships for 40 students. Alumni and Community Relations Director Bob Knipple said the university is beyond excited to receive this contribution. The money is earmarked specifically for commuter scholarships. About 39% of UPJ's 3,200 students commute. Some eligibility requirements for the scholarship include that the student be in the top 15% of his or her high school class, has SAT scores of over 1200, and has a need for financial aid.

Mind Machine Enables Monkeys to Feed Themselves

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has successfully created a brain-machine that gives monkeys the ability to feed themselves with their brain. The machine reads neural impulses and sends them to a robotic arm that then mimics the movements that a normal arm would make. This is a breakthrough for this technology that could lead to the creation of devices that would enable those with physical disabilities the ability to function normally. The technology is opening up new information about how the brain functions and could provide insight into possible cures of many diseases.

Saudi Students Organize 4th Annual Open House

The Saudi Students House has organized its 4th annual open house about Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Students House comprises students from Saudi Arabia who attend the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duquesne University. The goal of their open house is to open up avenues of communication with Americans who do not know much about Saudi Arabian culture. The event is being held on Friday, Feb. 22nd, in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room at Pitt. It will start at 4:30 and conclude at 9 pm.

Secrecy in the Name of Security

Sometimes the government has to keep secrets in order to keep people safe. But Steven Aftergood with the Federation of American Scientists says too often, the government wrongly classifies information that should be open to the public. Aftergood is speaking at the University of Pittsburgh's Frick Fine Arts Building at 4:30 pm. He's expected to talk about how government secrecy plays into current controversies like the government's domestic surveillance program, the detention of suspected enemy combatants, and long-term plans for Iraq.

Aftergood says the government spends about $9 billion annually keeping secrets. If it's justified, he says that's money well-spent. But he believes the government too often keeps secrets to hide its own incompetence. He also believes government secrecy has been increasing over the last decade. After the 9-11 attacks, he says people were willing to accept more secrecy in government in the name of safety. But he thinks public opinion shifted as opposition grew against U.S. policy in Iraq.

Pittsburgh Unprepared to Deal With Gambling Addiction

Social service agencies in Allegheny County are not ready to deal with an increase in gambling addiction, according to University of Pittsburgh researchers. They’re hoping state and local officials will heed their warning before the city’s new casino opens in 2009. Pitt’s School of Social Work found more than 75% of human service providers have no one trained to treat problem gambling.

Many agencies say they don’t see it as an issue for their clients. But few providers screen people for gambling problems. Gambling addicts are also likely to have other problems, such as alcohol abuse or depression. Other human services providers say they don’t know where to refer clients with gambling problems.

Pitt researchers say agencies themselves could be more proactive. But ultimately, they believe the state is not spending enough on the problem. Pennsylvania has set aside $1.5 million per year to treat gambling addiction. That comes out to about $15 per problem gambler, according to Pitt’s estimates.

Pitt Studies What Makes a Great Idea

Why do some ideas for new products soar, while others flop? That's the subject of a new study at the University of Pittsburgh. Researchers are observing students in Pitt's engineering school.

Associate psychology professor Chris Schunn says they've already noticed one thing: if engineers create a physical model too early in the design process, it can limit their thinking. He says the phenomenon is called "design fixation." Engineers become too attached to something they can see in front of them even after it becomes obvious that it will fail.

Schunn cites an experiment in which two teams were told to design a spill-proof cup. One team was shown a cup with a straw and told to avoid that type of design, because straws always leak. The other team was not given any additional information. The result? The team that was shown the drawing designed a cup--with a straw--that leaked. The other team's design was better.

Schunn says the goal is to figure out how engineers in the United States can be more innovative. The U.S. used to dominate in engineering, but that's slipping away. By 2010, 90% of engineers will be in Asia. Schunn says losing those kinds of jobs will hurt the U.S. because product innovation is where companies make the most money.