So far, so good for Midway Airport's new screening system

A passenger who had been in the "expert-traveler" line at Midway Airport is savvy enough to move to the shorter "casual traveler" line on Thursday, the first day of TSA's new plan to speed fliers through security screening. (Tribune photo by Nancy Stone / May 8, 2008)

Travelers at Midway Airport zipped through security lines in five minutes or less Thursday morning, with many becoming instant fans of a new classification system that made getting through the airport security more bearable.

"This is good stuff," said Clinton Booth of Atlanta, who was heading home from a Chicago business trip. "I've always preferred Midway to O'Hare because it's faster. But it's flowing even quicker now. I love it."

New signs, color-coded like those at ski resorts that warn of the difficulty level of slopes, are directing passengers to one of three lines—a green circle for beginners, a blue square for intermediate travelers and a black diamond for advanced passengers. Travelers pick the line that fits their experience level, or security workers direct them to the appropriate one.

The goal is to reduce tension and frustration at security checkpoints and speed up the process for at least the experienced travelers who know to whip off their shoes and remove laptops from carrying cases without being told. Improving the efficiency of the process also allows security agents to better scrutinize carry-on items and the behavior of passengers, officials said.

For many, Thursday was their first experience with the new system, which has been rolled out at about a dozen other airports. While several travelers initially looked baffled by the color-coded lines, it didn't take long to catch on. Workers helped steer flip-flop-wearing vacationers one way, and briefcase-toting business travelers the other.

Moms and dads hauling the accouterments of parenthood—strollers, diaper bags and car seats—were funneled in yet another direction.

"We're getting a lot of great feedback from people who say this is really expediting things," said LeVanche Johnson, transportation security manager. "We usually try to get people through in about 10 minutes. But today, we're seeing the average wait time is about five minutes or less."

At the security checkpoint, the biggest difference seemed to be the noise. Expert travelers worked in near-silence, whipping out their laptops for inspection with no instruction. In the family line, some parents needed more instruction on folding down strollers and placing them on the conveyor belt.

Shannon Spicer, who was traveling with her 2-year-old son, Liam, said she liked being able to take her time without other travelers breathing down her neck.

"That family lane is cool," she said, taking off Liam's shoes and letting out a sigh of relief as she unloaded a car seat strapped to her back. "It's pretty awesome."

"Casual" traveler Bonnie Shaner of Hinsdale said she was glad to see security officials taking a common-sense approach to what many consider a hassle.

"Any time you have categories, it speeds things up, instead of lumping everyone together," she said.

Although things appeared to be running smoothly Thursday morning, Nancy Morgan of Chicago was skeptical about how the system would work in the future. Morgan said she fears that because the system relies on self-classification, some might think they are "experts" when they really aren't. "In theory, it could work out well. But I'm afraid you'll have more people thinking they're experts because they think it's faster and they'll start jamming it up," she said.

The TSA is talking with airlines about bringing the program to O'Hare, perhaps as soon as this summer.

By reducing angst among passengers rushing to board planes, officials said they expect the new format to produce an added benefit: The security agency's newly deployed behavior-detection officers may find it easier to discern jittery travelers from criminals or potential terrorists casing out an airport or intending to cause harm, they said.

The behavior detection officers are trained to pinpoint passengers displaying extraordinary stress and fear, or signs of deception during questioning, officials said.

mcgarcia@tribune.com

jhilkevitch@tribune.com
Original here

Lifestyle or Genes? The Health Secrets of a 114-Year Old Man

A research on the bone health of one of the oldest persons in the world raises the question of which has the most effect on the human lifespan: genetics or a healthy lifestyle or some combination of the two? Research reveals that there were no genetic modifications which could have contributed to the longevity of a 114-year old Spaniard. The research team, directed by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona professor Adolfo Díez Pérez, pointed out a healthy lifestyle, a Mediterranean diet, a temperate climate and daily cycling until the age of 102 as the reasons for his excellent health.

The research team studied the bone mass and analysed the genetics of a man with enviable health who at the time of the study was 113 years old. The research was carried out with four other members of his family: a 101-year-old brother, two daughters aged 81 and 77, and a nephew aged 85, all of them born and still living in a small town of the island of Menorca. The research findings reported that the man's bones were in excellent conditions: his bone mass was normal, there were no anomalous curvatures and he had never sustained a fracture.

With regard to the genetical analysis, researchers were unsuccessful in finding any mutations in the KLOTHO gene, which is generally related to a good level of mineral density and therefore healthy bones. Neither did they find any mutations in the LRP5 gene, which is associated with longevity. None of the members of the family who participated in the study presented any mutations in this gene.

The results of the research do not rule out the possibility that other genetic mutations could positively influence longevity. However, researchers do point out the fact that the excellent health of this family, and of the 113-year-old man in particular, is probably due to a Mediterranean diet, the temperate climate of the island, a lack of stress and regular physical activity. The article underlines the fact that until the age of 102, the man cycled every day and looked after the family orchard.

The human life-span and the nature vs nurture question raises the question of why do animals age so differently? Why is it that a tortoise, for example, can live well over a hundred years, while another similarly sized animal would be lucky to live just 10? What’s the big difference?

Scientists say that the secret lies in genetic expression. A new genetic database could help reveal how and why animals age so differently. The process of mapping out this molecular maze will likely unlock some of the hidden secrets of increased longevity in humans along the way.

In some instances, even very closely related animals have drastically different life spans, a fact that has puzzled scientists for years. Mice for example live for about two years while their rodent cousins, the Southern flying squirrel, can live for two decades or so. Chimps and humans are 99 percent genetically identical, so why do humans live twice as long? New databases are helping to identify the genetic expressions that accounts for these vastly varying life spans.

In a study of mice, researchers at Stanford University and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), have now generated a database that catalogues how gene expression, the measure for how active a gene is, changes in various parts of the body as the animal ages. Their findings indicate that different tissues age quite differently over time.

Previous studies have examined how gene expression changes with age in specific parts of the body, such as the brain or the hearts of both mice and humans. But the new study, commissioned by the NIA, simultaneously analyzed the activity of thousands of genes in 16 different tissues at different points during the animals' lives. This has allowed researchers to compare age-related patterns of gene expression between different organs.

The results, published earlier this week in the journal PLoS Genetics, established that the two main culprits previously believed to be primary contributors to the aging process—increased inflammation and slowed metabolism—are indeed guilty parties. But the researchers did find large disparities depending on the different tissues of the body. For example, expression profiles in the liver, brain, and muscle changed little with age, whereas the lungs, eyes, and thymus (an immune organ) experienced more radical transformations.

The researchers compared their results with other previous studies analyzing gene-expression. They analyzed the aging brain, muscle, and kidney tissue in humans, flies, and worms. The researchers found one central theme to gene expression and aging in all four species. They all developed a slowing of the cells’ energy factories. In each species, expression of genes related to energy production dropped twofold by the time the species reached the end of its life span—2 years for mice and around 80 for humans.

"This is the only common property of growing old between the four different animals," says Stanford biologist, Stuart Kim. "Maybe that should alert us to say there is something unavoidable to getting old."

However, the researchers said there were not a lot of universal similarities, which raises the question of how well lab animals can really serve as models for humans as we attempt to unravel the longevity mystery. For example, studies have found that in humans, and some other animals, that the length of repetitive strips of DNA at the end of each chromosome, also known as telomeres, is linked to aging. However, the researchers didn't find changes in the expression of telomere-related genes in aging mice.

"I wouldn't say that this means that model organisms can't be used to study aging in humans," says Promislow. "It does suggest there is a lot more going on."

This analysis will likely be the first of many to come that will take advantage of this new database, know as AGEMAP. Scientists are still working on figuring out the precise functions of the intertwining genetic networks implicated in aging. AGEMAP serves as a way to decipher differences in genetic expression and better map out the ageing process, especially as it relates to humans.

"The scale of this study is phenomenal," says Promislow. "In some ways, this shows us where things are likely to be headed in coming years in terms of the kinds of experiments people will do to understand the genetic basis of complex traits."

Posted by Casey Kazan with Rebecca Sato.

Original here

Second Largest US Physicians Group Endorses Medical Marijuana

(NaturalNews) Transcending political controversy and stigma surrounding the subject, the second largest physician group in the country has endorsed the use, reclassification, and further study of medicinal marijuana. In a position paper issued February 14th, the American College of Physicians (ACP) makes the case that the red tape surrounding the medical use of cannabis is obscuring good science and stifling research.

Several states including California have opened the door for legal use of medical marijuana, but this stands in opposition to the federal government’s Schedule I classification of the plant. This discontinuity has led to legal obfuscation and obscurity as to what is actually legal. Schedule I is a term used to describe drugs such as LSD and heroin, and translates to a substance having “no accepted medical use and being unsafe for use even under medical supervision.”

With their newly defined position, ACP now joins the ranks of dozens of other national medical groups urging an ease on cannabis regulation in the face of what many consider overwhelming scientific evidence of its medicinal usefulness. “ACP urges review of marijuana's status as a Schedule I controlled substance and reclassification into a more appropriate schedule, given the scientific evidence regarding marijuana’s safety and efficacy in some clinical conditions,” the paper states.

Supporters hope that this will be the long-awaited nudge needed to tip the American Medical Association (AMA) in favor of reclassification and legal protection for medical use of the drug. The AMA urges further research, but so far it does not support reclassification of the Schedule I substance.

To date, the most serious argument for potential damage done by cannabis is harm to the lungs caused by smoking. The paper notes that this problem has already been overcome by a technology known as vaporization, in which the active constituents are efficiently released into the lungs without burning the plant.

Another myth dispelled by the paper is that marijuana acts as a 'gateway drug,' leading to the use of more harmful substances. "Marijuana has not been proven to be the cause or even the most significant predictor of serious drug abuse. Opiates are highly addictive, yet medically effective ... There is no evidence to suggest that medical use of opiates has increased perception that their illicit use is safe or acceptable," the group states.

The paper also cites significant evidence that cannabis relieves the nausea, vomiting and wasting that accompany cancer, AIDS and other diseases, while lessening the pain associated with multiple sclerosis and many other conditions.

Calling for further research, ACP points out that the period of validation has passed in more heavily researched areas. In these cases, the group makes clear their position that the time has come to roll out trials designed to determine proper dosage and method of delivery -- a step currently being stonewalled by the drug’s legal classification.

The position paper can be found in pdf format at (http://www.acponline.org/acp_news/medmarinews.htm) .

About the author

Adam Miller is a student of life who has dedicated literally thousands of hours of personal research on top of formal institutional training in Dietetics to learn the secrets of achieving vibrant health and extended lifespan. His passion and dedication is in bringing the best ideas for self-empowerment through nutrition and nutraceuticals as well as alternative therapies, technology, and information to the public through various means.
Original here