February 26, 2008

• Diving into that Can of Wyrms

  UPDATED BELOW

  

  Last Saturday, I opened up a punny and metaphorical can of wyrms/worms, with an entry mostly about the workings of my mind.  Comments to a later entry about my immune system bring me back around again to a few of the things I had been thinking then.

  BoureeMusique asked:

  Do you think your immuno/physical sensitivities are related to your psychic sensitivities?

  They have to be related somehow, because they are all part of me.  It is possible that both have roots in my genetic background.  Then there’s the red hair.  Mutations of the Melanocortin 1 receptor gene, rare in the planet’s population, are responsible for redheads’ hair color.  They may also be related to other traits that are commonly noted in or ascribed to redheads.

  The melanocortin 1 receptor, a seven pass transmembrane G protein coupled receptor, is a key control point in melanogenesis. Loss-of-function mutations at the MC1R are associated with a switch from eumelanin to phaeomelanin production, resulting in a red or yellow coat colour. Activating mutations, in animals at least, lead to enhanced eumelanin synthesis. In man, a number of loss-of-function mutations in the MC1R have been described. The majority of red-heads (red-haired persons) are compound heterozygotes or homozygotes for up to five frequent loss-of-function mutations. A minority of red-heads are, however, only heterozygote. The MC1R is, therefore, a major determinant of sun sensitivity and a genetic risk factor for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Recent work suggests that the MC1R also shows a clear heterozygote effect on skin type, with up to 30% of the population harbouring loss-of-function mutations. Activating mutations of the MC1R in man have not been described. The MC1R is particularly informative and a tractable gene for studies of human evolution and migration. In particular, study of the MC1R may provide insights into the lightening of skin colour observed in most European populations. The world wide pattern of MC1R diversity is compatible with functional constraint operating in Africa, whereas the greater allelic diversity seen in non-African populations is consistent with neutral predictions rather than selection. Whether this conclusion is as a result of weakness in the statistical testing procedures applied, or whether it will be seen in other pigment genes will be of great interest for studies of human skin colour evolution.

  blackwell-synergy.com

  There is an idea current in the New Age community, originating I know not where, that redheads are descendants of extra-terrestrial visitors.  That would go a long way toward explaining my allergies and physical anomalies.  In Medieval times in some European cultures, red hair was considered to be a sign of witchcraft.  The subject needs to be studied, but just try getting research funding for that.  Maybe some eccentric redheaded billionaire….

  In reference to my new profile pic showing my recent shorter haircut, RaineWalker
  had asked, “How is it there’s no gray in your red locks?”  I pointed out
  the streaks of strawberry blond that are as close as the redheads in my
  family come to gray hair.  Then I gave the question further thought. 
  My hair hasn’t lost nearly as much of its color as that of most of my
  contemporaries.  One of the EMTs who accompanied me to the hospital in December was incredulous when I told her my age.  She was twelve years younger and looked about that much older than I, and knew it.  I think I may have a clue or two to the reasons for
  that.

  In my thirties, I noticed my intellectual capacities slowing down.  A test showed I’d lost a few IQ points.  I had to do something about that.  Never having had any physical health to speak of, I value my mental abilities more highly than most people do.  I started taking cognitive enhancers, “smart drugs” and nutrients targeted at brain function.  Then, in my forties, I started reading of research indicating that the same “smart drugs” that kept my brain in tune are also associated with life extension and delayed onset of things such as hair loss, graying, wrinkles, etc.  Two benefits for the price of one.

  EDIT:

  JadedFey and hilaw wanted to know more about smart drugs.  The first one I started taking was DMAE.  Another one that appears to help my memory a lot, but doesn’t seem to do anything for Greyfox, is phosphatidyl serine.  I recommend study and experimentation, but don’t tell anyone I said that.  This stuff could be dangerous. 

  Smart Drugs and Nutrients was one of the first books on the subject.   Then there was Smart Drugs II, below.  You could also see nootropics.com or erowid.
  
  

  ---

  The Yukon Quest Awards Banquet in Whitehorse, YT, Saturday night, was an event I would have loved to attend.  Tenth-place finisher Bill Pinkham proposed marriage, and veteran musher Hugh Neff offered to pay next year’s entry fee for young Alaska Native musher Josh Cadzow, who won the shorter Quest 300 and caught up with all the thousand-mile teams in Circle despite having started five hours later.  The big winner, of course, was four-time champion Lance Mackey.

  Mackey cleaned up. In addition to his $40,000 winner’s check, he
  took the Dawson Award — four ounces of Klondike placer gold — and his
  dogs Handsome and Rev earned the Golden Harness Award.

  “These are the real athletes and superstars,” Mackey said before the
  pair donned gold harnesses and wolfed down a steak on stage. “They were
  the go-to guys when I needed them the most. … Handsome’s the brains
  and Rev’s the speed.”

  But winning his first-ever Veterinarian’s Choice Award got Mackey
  choked up. He finished with 11 dogs — more than anyone else — who came
  into checkpoints with wagging tails and left them eager to continue on.

  “This means more to me than winning this damn race,” Mackey said, his voice breaking. “Thank-you very much.”

  Fairbanks News-Miner

  • 1:45 pm
  • 12 Comments