|
Our goal is simple -
sharing knowledge on health & food
|
Request for help |
| Our
goal is to educate people worldwide on food and health. You can help us by writing
articles or sending us links to useful information, videos, articles and more. |
Week 03
10 Million Tons of Chemical
Fertilizer Discharged into China's Water Every Year
A new report finds that Chinese farmers used a stunning 40 percent more fertilizer than
necessary.
20,000 Americans Killed in Their
Homes by Radon Last Year
Radon kills more people every year than drunk driving, fires, and carbon monoxide. It's
also the second leading cause of lung cancer.
3 key factors to help children
avoid social rejection identified
Neurobehavioral researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found three key factors
in a child's behavior that can lead to social rejection. The studies are a crucial step in
developing scientifically sound screening tests and treatment planning for
social-emotional learning difficulties. The results from the studies are published in the
Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
8 out of 10 people who care for a
relative suffer from anxiety and stress, according to a study
Conducted at the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology from the
University of Granada, the research reveals that the negative effects on the
caregiver’s physical, psychological and social development are highly associated with
previous life history between caregiver and care receiver. To carry out this work,
researchers applied a questionnaire to a population of 203 subjects whose only requirement
was to be the informal caregiver of a dependent elderly person. 8 out of 10 people in
charge of caring for a relative suffer from anxiety and stress, regardless of their
socio-demographic variables. Families, and particularly daughters, assume the
"informal care" of dependent elderly people in most of the cases. This follows
an investigation carried out by Ruth M ª Calero Pérez and directed by professor José
Mª Roa Venegas at the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the
University of Granada.
A Finnish-Swiss team cracks the
atomic structure of a major cancer drug target
Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)
in Villigen, Switzerland, have determined the crystal structure of the ligand binding
domain of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor in complex with one of its
ligands (VEGF-C). Cancer cells require access to blood and lymph vessels for invasive
growth and metastasis. By releasing VEGFs, cancer cells stimulate the surrounding blood
vessels to invade the cancerous tumor mass. Blocking this process is a new strategy to
inhibit tumor growth. VEGFs and their receptors have been identified as major targets for
drug development in cancer therapy and the VEGF receptor that the groups analyzed is
currently the most important target of such drugs. The Finnish group discovered the VEGF-C
growth factor in 1996 and found that it is involved in lymphatic vessel growth, cancer
metastasis and, more recently, also in blood vessel growth in cancer.
A new paradigm and new drugs for
Parkinson’s disease, courtesy of a special yeast
Scientists identified several molecules capable of reversing the brain abnormalities of
Parkinson’s disease (PD), while also uncovering new clues for its origin in a study
just published in the journal Disease Models and Mechanisms (1). PD is characterised by
abnormal deposits of a brain protein called alpha-synuclein throughout the damaged brain
regions, but exactly what they do there is not clear. The fact that their numbers and
spreading are associated disease progression has made them, however, a major point of
interest in PD research. The work now published suggests that these deposits are actually
a normal physiological process to purge unwanted proteins but, when
“overloaded”, they can also cause of the cellular abnormalities seen in PD
neurons and, ultimately, neural death. This would explain why the disease tends to appear
later in life when the whole metabolism (including this mechanism) becomes less efficient,
and also why neurons are particularly susceptible as they are one of the few cells of the
body that are not replaced when old and less capable. The study uses a yeast model of PD
showing once again the power of simple organism models in the understanding of extremely
complex human diseases.
A novel and simple formula to
predict treatment success in chronic hepatitis C
A study group from Japan used only simple clinical data to predict the treatment success
of peg-interferon plus ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C with a formula using a
logistic regression model. The results suggested that a novel formula combined with viral
kinetics provides a clear direction of therapy for each patient and enables the best
tailored treatment.
A novel computational model -- how
Parkinson's medications affect learning and attention
A new brain-based computational model is helping to understand how Parkinson's disease and
dopamine medications -- used to treat motor symptoms caused by the disease -- can affect
learning and attention.
A variant of the gene GFI1
predisposes to a subtype of blood cancer
A large international research group led by Dr. Tarik Möröy, a researcher at the IRCM,
has discovered that a variant of the gene GFI1 predisposes humans to develop acute myeloid
leukemia (AML), a certain subtype of blood cancer. This new finding has been prepublished
online in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology. Dr. Cyrus Khandanpour,
medical doctor and postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Möröy's group at the IRCM, is the first
author of the study.
Alcohol during pregnancy chemically
alters fetal DNA
Drinking too much during pregnancy can harm offspring permanently. Now experiments in mice
suggest this may be because alcohol chemically alters the fetus's DNA, affecting how genes
are expressed.
America Must Reform Its Food
Industry or Go Broke With Health Care Costs
Health care reform in the United States is impossible without tackling the country's
obesity epidemic, author and food activist Michael Pollan has warned.
An etiological role for H. pylori
in autoimmune gastritis
Autoimmune type atrophic gastritis is a severe gastric atrophy associated with vitamin B12
deficiency. The reason for the disappearance of acid secreting cells from gastric mucosa
is not fully understood, but the role of Helicobacter pylori in initiating the mucosal
damage is suspected in animal studies. A study found signs of previous H. pylori infection
in patients with autoimmune type atrophic gastritis.
An FDA Ban on
Genetically-Engineered Milk is Twenty Years Overdue
In May 2007, Samuel S. Epstein, MD, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, and four
other leading national experts on genetically-engineered, recombinant bovine growth
hormone (rBGH) milk filed a Petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
"Petition Seeking the Withdrawal of the New Animal Drug Application Approval for
Posilac®-Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)."
Animal behavioral studies can mimic
human behavior
Studying animals in behavioral experiments has been a cornerstone of psychological
research, but whether the observations are relevant for human behavior has been unclear.
Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have identified an alteration to the DNA of a
gene that imparts similar anxiety-related behavior in both humans and mice, demonstrating
that laboratory animals can be accurately used to study these human behaviors.
Ankles Gain as Candidates for Joint
Replacement
The bodies of many older Americans are practically bionic: more than 770,000 hip and knee
replacements are performed each year in the United States.
Antarctica goes green with launch
of wind farm
A small part of Antarctica turned green Saturday as the ice-covered continent's biggest
wind farm, which can generate enough electricity to power 500 homes, was formally switched
on.
Appendicitis May be Related to
Viral Infections
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center evaluated data over a 36-year period from
the National Hospital Discharge Survey and concluded in a paper appearing in the January
issue of Archives of Surgery that appendicitis may be caused by undetermined viral
infection or infections, said Dr. Edward Livingston, chief of GI/endocrine surgery at UT
Southwestern and senior author of the report.
Arctic polar bears imperilled by
man-made pollution
The long term survival of polar bears is being threatened by man-made pollution that is
reaching the Arctic.
Are Carpets and Cookware Toxic to
Your Liver?
A chemical used in carpets, cookware, food wrappers and many other consumer goods may
cause liver damage, according to a recent study .
Aristolochic Acid in Chinese Herbal
Products Increases Urinary Tract Cancer Risk
Researchers from Taiwan have reported that persons consuming Chinese herbal medicines
containing aristolochic acid have a dose-dependent increased risk of cancers of the
urinary tract.
Artificial muscles restore ability
to blink, save eyesight
Surgeons from UC Davis Medical Center have demonstrated that artificial muscles can
restore the ability of patients with facial paralysis to blink, a development that could
benefit the thousands of people each year who no longer are able to close their eyelids
due to combat-related injuries, stroke, nerve injury or facial surgery.
Artificial Sweeteners Don't Fool
Your Brain
For years now studies have shown that consuming artificial sweeteners breaks the
connection between a sweet sensation and a high-calorie food, thereby changing your
body’s ability to regulate intake naturally.
Bacterial phylotype alterations in
irritable bowel syndrome
A research team from Finland tested the capability of a set of quantitative real-time
polymerase chain reaction assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene on a phylotype level to
differentiate between irritable bowel syndrome symptom subtypes and healthy controls. The
applied assays form a potentially useful set for future studies. Finnish Funding Agency
for Technology and Innovation, Tekes, Finnish Graduate School of Applied
Barrow researcher reports that slow
breathing reduces pain
Research performed by a scientist at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's
Hospital and Medical Center has shown that controlled breathing at a slowed rate can
significantly reduce feelings of pain. Chronic pain sufferers, specifically fibromyalgia
(FM) patients, also reported less pain while breathing slowly, unless they were
overwhelmed by negative feelings, sadness or depressi
Bee expert, chemical rep clash over
pesticides
Honeybees will die in greater numbers this year than ever before, and court fights over
the chemicals some believe are killing them will continue to be a cat-and-mouse game.
Big Tobacco wants a deal
Tobacco industry lawyers met secretly with Solicitor General Elena Kagan in an effort to
avoid the government's last-ditch attempt to extract billions from companies that
illegally concealed the dangers of cigarette smoking, The Associated Press has learned.
Biological activities of curcumin
and its analogues (Congeners) made by man and Mother Nature
Curcumin, a yellow pigment present in the Indian spice turmeric (associated with curry
powder), has been linked with suppression of inflammation; angiogenesis; tumorigenesis;
diabetes; diseases of the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological systems, of skin,
and of liver; loss of bone and muscle; depression; chronic fatigue; and neuropathic pain.
Theutility of curcumin is limited by its color, lack of water solubility, and relatively
low in vivo bioavailability. Because of the multiple therapeutic activities attributed to
curcumin, however, there is an intense search for a ‘‘super curcumin’’
without these problems. Multiple approaches are being sought to overcome these
limitations. These include discovery of natural curcumin analogues from turmeric;
discovery of natural curcumin analogues made by Mother Nature; synthesis of
‘‘man-made’’ curcumin analogues; reformulation of curcumin with
various oils and with inhibitors of metabolism (e.g., piperine); development of liposomal
and nanoparticle formulations of curcumin; conjugation of curcumin prodrugs;and linking
curcumin with polyethylene glycol. Curcumin is a homodimer of feruloylmethane containing a
methoxy group and a hydroxyl group, a heptadiene with two Michael acceptors, and an
a,b-diketone. Structural homologues involving modification of all these groups are being
considered. This review focuses on the status of all these approaches in generating a
‘‘super curcumin.’’.
Birds flee or die in polluted NCR
If you thought rising pollution was harming only humans, give a thought to our winged
friends.
Bisphenol A in Food Containers
Unsafe for Infants, Young Children
In a January 2010 posting, the Food and Drug Administration presented an update of
Bisphenol A on its website; the agency said that it is now concerned over the safety of
the plastic additive in food packaging material.
Black-White Differences in Cancer
Risk and the Vitamin D Hypothesis
A recent letter to the editor noted that serum vitamin D levels are lower in black
Americans than in white Americans. The letter writer then suggested that this
differencecould explain racial disparities in cancer incidence, mortality, and survival.
Blondes 'are more aggressive than
brunettes'
Women with blonde hair have the competitive edge, being more aggressive and determined
than redheads and brunettes, say scientists.
Blood test for schizophrenia could
be ready this year
A blood test for diagnosing schizophrenia -- the most serious form of mental illness --
could be available this year, according to an article in the current issue of Chemical
& Engineering News, ACS' weekly news magazine. The disorder, with symptoms that can
include hallucinations and delusional thoughts, affects more than two million people in
the United States and millions more worldwide.
Blood test tells fetal sex in early
pregnancy
Normally, parents who want to know the sex of their baby before it's born find out through
ultrasound done in the second trimester.
Brain abnormalities in Parkinson's
patients develop before symptoms occur
Scientists who have identified brain networks damaged in Parkinson's disease have new
evidence that these systems become abnormal a few years before symptoms appear. And what's
more, parts of the network appear to respond in a last ditch attempt to rescue the brain.
Breakthrough breast cancer therapy
reduces mastectomies, saves breast
A new treatment developed and tested by University of Oklahoma researchers not only killed
large breast cancer tumors, but reduced the need for mastectomies by almost 90 percent.
Breast cancer may soon be cured in
six weeks
In what may transform breast cancer care, scientists claim to have developed a
chemotherapy-drug course that might treat breast cancer in just six weeks, rather than
through months of chemotherapy.
Cancer stem cells suppress immune
response against brain tumor
Cancer-initiating cells that launch glioblastoma multiforme, the most lethal type of brain
tumor, also suppress an immune system attack on the disease, scientists from the
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in a paper featured on the cover
of the Jan. 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
Cell of origin identified for
common type of breast cancer
Breast cancer researchers have identified the progenitor cell that gives rise to the most
common form of breast cancer. Using a mouse model, the researchers found that inhibiting a
protein essential to these progenitor cells prevented mammary tumor formation. The
discovery may provide a new target for breast cancer drugs.
Cellular communication in the
cancer microenvironment
In the Feb. 1 issue of G&D, Dr. Johanna Joyce and colleagues at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center lend new insight into the mechanism by which tumor-associated
macrophages promote malignant progression.
Chemicals Coat Apples Decades after
Alar Scare
More than two decades after parents dumped apples from children's lunch boxes because of
concerns about a chemical applied to the fruit, most researchers agree the crop is safer
although most of it still carries pesticide residue.
City Agrees to Conduct a Study on
the Risks of PCBs in Schools
New York City school officials have agreed to assess the environmental risks posed by PCBs
in school buildings and to come up with a plan for cleanups and for reducing potential
exposure, federal officials said Tuesday
CO2 in the air could be green fuel
feedstock
Carbon dioxide could soon be ready for a PR makeover. With a bit of clever chemistry, the
gas could become a feedstock for alternative fuels or find a role in cooling freezers
rather than warming the atmosphere.
Coeliac champion Dr Chris reveals
on TV he has disease
TELEVISION doctor Chris Steele yesterday announced he has been diagnosed with coeliac
disease, the condition he has been trying to raise awareness of as ambassador for the
charity Coeliac UK.
Cognitively impaired elderly women
get unneeded screening mammography, study finds
A significant percentage of US women 70 years or older who were severely cognitively
impaired received screening mammography that was unlikely to benefit them, according to a
study of 2,131 elderly women conducted by researchers from the University of California,
San Francisco.
Columbia researchers show link
between lung disease and heart function
A new study from Columbia University Medical Center researchers, has found that the
heart's ability to pump effectively is diminished among people with a common lung disease,
even in people with no or mild symptoms. Published in the Jan. 21, 2010, issue of the New
England Journal of Medicine, the research is the first to show a strong link between heart
function and mild COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Combination therapy may be
effective against some non-small cell lung cancers
Even when their tumors are shrinking in response to therapy, some non-small cell lung
cancer patients have a scattering of cancer cells that are undeterred by the drug, causing
the tumor to resume its growth, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General
Hospital Cancer Center scientists report. The findings suggest that identifying such
patients and treating them with a combination of drugs from the very start of therapy can
produce longer remissions.
Communication problems in the brain
For brain cells to communicate, the contacts to each other must function. The protein
molecule neuroligin-1 plays an important role in this as it stimulates the necessary
maturation processes at the contact sites (synapses) of the nerves. A synaptic maturation
disorder is possibly involved in the development of autism.
Compounds that help protect nerve
cells discovered by Duke team
Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have found some compounds that improve a
cell's ability to properly "fold" proteins and could lead to promising drugs for
degenerative nerve diseases, including Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease and
Parkinson's disease.
Concerns over mercury use in dental
amalgam
Our “Stay healthy, Stop mercury” campaign is based on various research,
including the work of the internationally-recognised expert and Harvard professor Philippe
Grandjean.
Concussions not taken seriously
enough
Despite growing public interest in concussions because of serious hockey injuries or
skiing deaths, a researcher from McMaster University has found that we may not be taking
the common head injury seriously enough.
Consumers over age 50 should
consider steps to cut copper and iron intake
With scientific evidence linking high levels of copper and iron to Alzheimer's disease,
heart disease, and other age-related disorders, a new report in ACS' Chemical Research in
Toxicology suggests specific steps that older consumers can take to avoid build up of
unhealthy amounts of these metals in their bodies.
Consumption of fruit and vegetables
among elderly people
The findings of this study indicate that FV intake among elderly individuals in Iran was
lower than the recommended minimum of five daily servings and varied greatly with age,
marital status, educational attainment, and income level. The results also indicated that
low perceived benefits, low self-efficacy, and perceived barriers could lead to lower
consumption of FV. It seems that in order to improve FV consumption among elderly
individuals in Iran, raising awareness, improving perception of benefits and enhancing
self-efficacy regarding FV consumption should receive more attention. Indeed, it is
essential to plan health education programs and nutritional interventions for this group
of the population.
Contractors using dangerous
pesticides in UK schools
Survey finds that school children are being exposed to harmful pesticides, but schools
claim safer alternatives would be 'uneconomic'
Cord blood stem cell transplant
hopes lifted
A technique which may eventually remove the need for matched bone marrow transplants has
been used in humans for the first time.
Counterfeit Internet drugs pose
significant risks and discourage vital health checks
Research review shows that up to 90 percent of counterfeit drugs are sold on the Internet,
44 percent of Internet Viagra is fake, the global sale of counterfeit drugs will reach $75
billion this year and EU seizures have risen dramatically. Counterfeit drug deaths include
men who took fake erectile dysfunction drugs, pregnant women injected with fake iron for
anemia and children who took paracetamol syrup contaminated with antifreeze.
Depression linked to processed
foods
WOMEN who suffer from depression and anxiety may want to take a look at their diet and cut
out processed foods, according to an Australian study.
Diabetes and Magnesium - The
Emerging Role of Oral Magnesium Supplementation
The link between diabetes mellitus and magnesium deficiency is well known. A growing body
of evidence suggests that magnesium plays a pivotal role in reducing cardiovascular risks
and may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes itself. While the benefits of oral
magnesium supplementation on glycemic control have yet to be demonstrated in patients,
magnesium supplementation has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. Based on current
knowledge, clinicians have good reason to believe that magnesium repletion may play a role
in delaying type 2 diabetes onset and potentially in warding off its devastating
complications -- cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, and nephropathy.
Diagnosing autism with MEG imaging
Because children with autism spectrum disorders tend to process sound and language a
fraction of a second slower than children without the disorders, researchers have
discovered that measuring magnetic signals that mark this kind of delayed response has the
potential to become a standardized tool for diagnosing autism.
Diet Affects Breast Cancer Risk
A review of previous studies from the Latin-America and the Caribbean suggests that diet
has an impact on breast cancer risk.
Disadvantaged neighborhoods set
children's reading skills on negative course
A landmark study from the University of British Columbia finds that the neighborhoods in
which children reside at kindergarten predict their reading comprehension skills seven
years later. The study, published this week in the journal Health & Place, finds
children who live in neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty show reduced scores on
standardized tests seven years later -- regardless of the child's place of residence in
seventh grade.
Disclosing sexual abuse is critical
Half of sexual abuse survivors wait up to five years before disclosing they were
victimized, according to a collaborative study from the Université de Montréal, the
Université du Québec à Montréal and the Université de Sherbrooke published in The
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. “The number of victims who never reveal their secret
or who wait many years to do so is very high,” says co-author Mireille Cyr, a
psychology professor of the Université de Montréal. “This is regrettable because
the longer they wait to reveal the abuse, the harder and more enduring the consequences
will be.”
Discovery points toward
anti-inflammation treatment for blinding disease
The discovery of an inflammatory mediator key to the blinding effects of diabetic
retinopathy is pointing toward a potential new treatment, Medical College of Georgia
researchers said.
Doctor claims she beat swine flu
with vitamin D, elderberry
Dr. Gillian Arsenault admits she's probably raised more than a few eyebrows with her
belief that she "beat" swine flu with large doses of vitamin D, along with
elderberry syrup.
Doctors demand ban on 'damaging'
trans fats
Leading doctors have demanded a ban on the use of trans fats - chemically altered
vegetable oils found in thousands of foodstuffs such as biscuits, ready meals and
margarine - because of concerns they can damage health.
Emotions should be taken seriously
The extent of mental health problems is increasing, and has become one of the biggest
challenges facing Europe today. As much as 10-25 per cent of women are at risk of
developing serious depression during their lifetime. This implies that a large number of
European women will experience mental problems such as anxiety and depression, which are
more frequent among women than men. How can the health services improve safeguarding
women’s mental health? Kristin Akerjordets thesis at the University of Stavanger
offers an important clue: By training health personnel in emotional intelligence, they
will be better equipped to prevent women from developing depressive illnesses. In line
with new European strategies, the Norwegian Directorate of Health advises health services
to focus more on women’s mental health, to strengthen their ability to succeed as
mothers. Since 2006, the Department of Health Studies at the University of Stavanger has
studied women’s mental health, focusing on anxiety, depression and feelings of guilt
and shame.
Epigenetic mechanism behind the
most malignant of all brain tumours
Glioblastoma (GBM), the brain cancer better known for having killed Senator Ted Kennedy a
few months ago, is the most aggressive and lethal of all brain tumours. But a
collaboration between researchers from the University of Minho in Portugal, and the
University of California-San Francisco, has found new reasons to be optimist. Their
research, published in the journal Cancer Research(1), reveals that activation of a gene
called HOXA9 is linked to GBM severity – the more activated HOXA9 is, the more
aggressive is the tumour. The good news is that this activation can be reverted. This is
possible because it is, not the result of a mutation, but an epigenetic change. Epigenetic
mechanisms change the activity of a gene without altering its DNA sequence and, instead, a
molecule sits, literally, on the top of DNA activating or inhibiting specific genes. The
work has two major implications: first reveals the therapeutic potential of drugs able to
revert the HOXA9 aberrant activation – after all, GBM patients with less HOXA9 are
the ones living longer - and, second, uncovers HOXA9 as a new prognostic tool to allow
doctors and patients more educated choices on how to deal with a terrible disease. Also
interesting is the fact that, yet again, epigenetic mechanism are behind cancer,
highlighting the need to pursue more studies – and new methods – looking for
epigenetic changes, especially in those cancers so far impossible to pinpoint to
mutations.
Estrogen in birth control
diminishes sex organs in male rats
A number of permanent oddities – such as deformed penises and smaller reproductive
organs that were caused by exposure to the same estrogen found in birth control pills
– contributed to the infertility seen in adult male rats exposed during the time when
their reproductive organs were forming.
Estrogen in the fight against
schizophrenia
Prof. Ina Weiner of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychology has reported findings
suggesting that restoring normal levels of estrogen may work as a protective agent in
menopausal women vulnerable to schizophrenia.
Even Plants May Not Like a Warmer
World
For the plants that form the very foundation of the food chain, though, an argument can be
made that both global warming itself and the rising carbon dioxide levels that cause it
are actually a good thing.
Exercises That Can Reduce Neck and
Shoulder Pain
Strength training exercises using dumbbells can reduce pain and improve function in your
trapezius muscle, the large muscle which extends from the back of the head down the neck
and into the upper back.
Face recognition ability inherited
separately from IQ
Recognizing faces is an important social skill, but not all of us are equally good at it.
Some people are unable to recognize even their closest friends (a condition called
prosopagnosia), while others have a near-photographic memory for large numbers of faces.
Now a twin study by collaborators at MIT and in Beijing, China, shows that face
recognition is heritable, and that it is inherited separately from general intelligence or
IQ.
Farmed or wild fish - Which is
healthier?
Some farmed fish may also receive antibiotics that, if spread in the human population in
large quantities, could lead to antibiotic resistance, meaning bacteria would no longer
respond to these drugs, he said.
Farmworker diabetes risk linked to
bad air
More than 1 million California farmworkers face a higher risk of diabetes as well as
respiratory diseases related to poor air quality, according to articles in the latest
issue of California Agriculture.
Fast-Food Fries Cooked in
Higher-Fat Corn Oil, Study Shows
Fast-food chains are more likely than smaller restaurants to cook their French fries in
corn oil, which is higher in cholesterol-raising saturated fats than other vegetable oils,
a study from the University of Hawaii found.
FDA debates tougher cancer warning
on tanning beds
Just as millions head to tanning beds to prepare for spring break, the Food and Drug
Administration will be debating how to toughen warnings that those sunlamps pose a cancer
risk.
FDA shifts stance on BPA, announces
"some concern" about children's health
The FDA shifts its position on BPA, saying it has "some concern" about health of
children exposed to the chemical in plastic bottles and cans.
Fertility drugs contribute heavily
to multiple births
Drugs that stimulate a woman's ovaries to speed the maturity and multiply the production
of eggs accounts for four times more live births than assisted reproductive technologies
such as in vitro fertilization. These drugs are responsible for 20 percent of multiple
births. Multiple birth is a risk factor for preterm birth and infants born too soon face
lifelong health problems such as breathing problems, mental retardation, cerebral palsy,
vision and hearing loss, and even death.
Fiji - Problems in fish farming
industry
Scientists suspect that tilapia introduced to the waterways of the Fiji Islands may be
gobbling up the larvae and juvenile fish of several native species of goby, fish that live
in both fresh and salt water and begin their lives in island streams.
Finland aims to eliminate smoking
Finland's government aims to phase out smoking completely within the next 30 years.
Finland in plan to stub out smoking
The government in Finland has become the first in the world to say it intends to phase out
smoking completely.
First evidence that blueberry juice
improves memory in older adults
Scientists are reporting the first evidence from human research that blueberries -- one of
the richest sources of healthful antioxidants and other so-called phytochemicals --
improve memory. A report on the study appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
First successful use of expanded
umbilical-cord blood units to treat leukemia
Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have cleared a major technical hurdle
to making umbilical-cord-blood transplants a more widely-used method for treating leukemia
and other blood cancers.
From biological basics to diabetes
discovery
In two international studies of diabetes and glucose metabolism, researchers have found
new genetic markers that affect risk of diabetes and glucose levels. Five of the markers
influence directly the risk of diabetes. Just as important, the work helps to build
understanding of the biological networks that lie behind glucose metabolism and disorders,
such as diabetes. The genome-wide approach used here is a valuable complementary method to
find variants that influence disease risk.
Game-changing nanodiamond discovery
for MRI
A Northwestern University study shows that coupling a magnetic resonance imaging contrast
agent to a nanodiamond results in dramatically enhanced signal intensity and thus vivid
image contrast. The researchers say it is a game-changing event for sensitivity and the
first published report of nanodiamonds being imaged by MRI technology. The
gadolinium(III)-nanodiamond complex demonstrated a greater than 10-fold increase in
relaxivity -- among the highest per Gd(III) values reported to date.
Gene linked to schizophrenia may
reduce cancer risk
A specific form of a gene that puts people on the road to schizophrenia may protect
against some forms of cancer.
Genetic Risk Factor Identified for
Parkinson’s Disease - Gene Variant Influences Vitamin B6 Metabolism
An international team of doctors and human geneticists has identified a new genetic risk
factor for Parkinson’s disease. The institutions involved in the study were the
Institute of Human Genetics of Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technische Universität
München, the Neurological Clinic of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (LMU) and the
Mitochondrial Research Group of Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. “Our
study reveals the interaction of genetic and environmental factors such as dietary habits
in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease,” explained Dr. Matthias Elstner of
the Neurological Clinic of LMU and Helmholtz Zentrum München, lead author of the study.
In addition, this genome-wide expression and association study confirms that vitamin B6
status and metabolism significantly influence both disease risk and therapy response
(Annals of Neurology, January, 2010).
Genetic risk factor identified for
Parkinson's disease
An international team of doctors and human geneticists has identified a new genetic risk
factor for Parkinson's disease. The institutions involved in the study were the Institute
of Human Genetics of Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technische Universitat Munchen, the
Neurological Clinic of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munich and the Mitochondrial
Research Group of Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Germany opposed 'nano' label for
cosmetics
Efforts by EU governments to force cosmetics manufacturers to inform consumers when
products contain nanomaterials were resisted by Germany, it has emerged.
GM Corn Causes Problems in Rats?
French investigators have published a reinterpretation of some feeding studies in small
samples of rats. The studies were done originally by Monsanto to test three varieties of
the company’s genetically modified corn. These investigators obtained the data from
the feeding trials as the result of a court case in Europe, which Monsanto lost. They
analyzed the data using their own statistical methods.
Government 'scientific advisers' -
who needs these nuts in white coats?
Government “scientific advisers” – who needs them? So the aptly-named
Professor David Nutt, sacked as head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)
for opposing the Government’s decision to reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug and
not to downgrade ecstasy, has set up a rival organisation – the Independent
Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) – in a fit of pique.
Haiti Earthquake, Deforestation
Heighten Landslide Risk
The combination of widespread deforestation and the recent earthquake in Haiti could lead
to more landslides in the already hard-hit country, scientists say.
Has Disaster Profiteering Already
Begun in Haiti?
The Orwellian-named International Peace Operations Association didn't waste much time in
offering the "services" of its member companies to swoop down on Haiti.
Hidden dangers of soy
Since the popularity of the soybean rose in the 1930s and 40s it has become known as
"The Miracle Bean," because it has a wide variety of uses and could be grown
cheaply and abundantly. Its high protein content made it a super charger for animal feed
and the fact that it was practically tasteless and colorless made it ideal for processed
food.
Higher temperatures also a cause of
climate change
Higher temperatures on the earth’s surface at higher latitudes cause an increase in
the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas that plays an important role in global warming.
Therefore higher temperatures are not just a consequence of climate change but also a
cause of it, conclude climate researchers in an article published this week in Science.
During their research, the researchers made use of the methane concentrations determined
by SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research on the basis of measurements from the
Dutch-German space instrument SCIAMACHY (on board ESA's environmental satellite Envisat).
The team of researchers - from SRON and the University of Edinburgh - investigated the
methane emissions from the world’s largest methane sources: paddy fields, marshes and
bogs. These wetlands can be found in both the tropics and at higher altitudes and exhibit
strong variations in their emissions. The researchers discovered that fluctuations in the
methane emissions in the tropics are mainly determined by variations in the groundwater
level but that fluctuations in the methane emissions at high latitudes are mainly due to
variations in the surface temperature. The team drew these conclusions based on satellite
data about the earth’s atmosphere (SCIAMACHY) and surface temperature for the period
2003-2007, and satellite measurements of variations in the gravitational field (GRACE)
that were used to calculate variations in groundwater levels. An analysis of the data
revealed that the total emission of the boggy areas increased by 7 percent during this
period.
Hospitals warned over bugs in water
HOSPITALS across Scotland have been warned to check water supplies to baths and drinking
fountains for potentially harmful bugs.
How an eye test could aid
Alzheimer's detection
A simple and inexpensive eye test could aid detection and diagnosis of major neurological
diseases such as Alzheimer's at an earlier stage than is currently possible, according to
new research by UCL scientists.
How music 'moves' us - Listeners'
brains second-guess the composer
Have you ever accidentally pulled your headphone socket out while listening to music? What
happens when the music stops? Psychologists believe that our brains continuously predict
what is going to happen next in a piece of music. So, when the music stops, your brain may
still have expectations about what should happen next. A new paper published in NeuroImage
predicts that these expectations should be different for people with different musical
experience and sheds light on the brain mechanisms involved. Research by Marcus Pearce
Geraint Wiggins, Joydeep Bhattacharya and their colleagues at Goldsmiths, University of
London has shown that expectations are likely to be based on learning through experience
with music. Music has a grammar, which, like language, consists of rules that specify
which notes can follow which other notes in a piece of music. According to Pearce:
“the question is whether the rules are hard-wired into the auditory system or learned
through experience of listening to music and recording, unconsciously, which notes tend to
follow others.”
How Sunlight Causes Skin Cells to
Turn Cancerous
Most skin cancers are highly curable, but require surgery that can be painful and
scarring. A new study by Loyola University Health System researchers could lead to
alternative treatments that would shrink skin cancer tumors with drugs. The drugs would
work by turning on a gene that prevents skin cells from becoming cancerous, said senior
author Mitchell Denning, Ph.D.The study was published Jan. 15, 2010 in the Journal of
Biological Chemistry. More than 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with
skin cancer each year. In the new study, researchers examined a type of skin cancer,
called squamous cell carcinoma, that accounts for between 200,000 and 300,000 new cases
per year.
How sunlight causes skin cells to
turn cancerous
Most skin cancers are highly curable, but require surgery that can be painful and
scarring. A new study by Loyola University Health System researchers could lead to
alternative treatments that would shrink skin cancer tumors with drugs. The drugs would
work by turning on a gene that prevents skin cells from becoming cancerous, said senior
author Mitchell Denning, Ph.D.The study was published Jan. 15, 2010 in the Journal of
Biological Chemistry. More than 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with
skin cancer each year. In the new study, researchers examined a type of skin cancer,
called squamous cell carcinoma, that accounts for between 200,000 and 300,000 new cases
per year. Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the upper part of the epidermis, the top layer
of the skin. Most cases develop on areas that receive lots of sun, such as the face, ear,
neck, lips and backs of hands. There are various surgical treatments, including simple
excision, curettage and electrodessication (scraping with a surgical tool and treating
with an electric needle) and cryosurgery (freezing with liquid nitrogen). Removing large
skin cancers can require skin grafts and be disfiguring. Sunlight can damage a skin cell's
DNA. Normally, a protein called protein kinase C (PKC) is activated in response to the
damage. If the damage is too great to repair, the PKC protein directs the cell to die.
Hungry immune guardians are
snappier
Bonn researchers have discovered an elementary mechanism which regulates vital immune
functions in healthy people. In situations of hunger which mean stress for the body's
cells, the body releases more antimicrobial peptides in order to protect itself. The
scientists will publish their results in the journal Nature.
In journey from maggot to fruit
fly, a clue about cancer metastasis
Scientists trying to understand how cancer cells invade healthy tissue have used the fruit
fly's metamorphosis from maggot to flying insect as a guide to identify a key molecular
signal that may be involved in both processes. University of Rochester Medical Center
scientists identified a molecule key to determining how cells invade and create new
tissues. That process is what makes cancer so deadly and equally difficult to understand
and interrupt.
In Vitro Pregnancy Rates Improve
with New Device That Mimics Motions in the Body
Gently rocking embryos while they grow during in vitro fertilization (IVF) improves
pregnancy rates in mice by 22 percent, new University of Michigan research shows. The
procedure could one day lead to significantly higher IVF success rates in humans.
Incidental findings at
MRI-enterography
Modern imaging techniques often reveal findings without relation to the suspected disease
(incidental findings). A Denmark study found that incidental findings were common in
patients having magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of small bowel Crohn's disease.
Most patients experienced unnecessary morbidity arising from the additional examinations
of benign or normal conditions, and detection of important lesions was too low to be an
argument in itself for performing MRI in this group of patients.
India holds public meetings on GM
food crop
Activists and farmers' groups oppose India's meetings on the commercial release of
genetically modified aubergine.
Indoor Air Quality
When it comes to indoor air contamination, the biggest culprit in our homes is VOCs, a
large class of chemicals that can evaporate, or offgas, from stuff that’s all around
us, like particle board, carpet, paint, cleaning products, and materials treated with
stain-resistant and wrinkle-resistant chemicals.
Industrial smoke clouds lungs in
northern homes
Thousands of residents in Hanoi and several nearby provinces are reeling from air
pollution caused by industrial production, and concerned agencies appear unmoved on the
issue.
Intravenous fish oil could lead to
shorter hospital stays
New research shows that patients in the ICU who received intravenous fish oil had shorter
hospital stays compared to those given standard treatment. Decreased inflammation and
improved gas exchange in the lungs from the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil allowed the
patients to get better faster and go home sooner.
Iowa State University researcher
discovers Ebola's deadly secret
Iowa State University researcher Gaya Amarasinghe has led scientists to uncover how the
deadly Zaire Ebola virus decoys cells and eventually kills them. He had previously solved
the structure of a critical part of an Ebola protein known as VP35, which is involved in
host immune suppression. Now he knows how VP35 is able to do it.
Irish Hospital First to Harness
Copper Technology to Fight Infections
An Irish hospital is the first in the world to embrace the latest science by specifying
hygienic copper door handles throughout in a bid to reduce healthcare associated
infections such as MRSA, providing the best possible solid protection to its patients.
Keeping kids too clean may do more
harm than good
A growing body of scientific evidence is pointing to links between hypersanitary
lifestyles and health problems.
Key mechanism for the proliferation
of Epstein-Barr virus discovered
Scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München have elucidated a crucial mechanism in the lytic
cycle of Epstein-Barr virus. A team of researchers led by Professor Wolfgang Hammerschmidt
identified the function of a protein which plays a critical role in the proliferation of
the virus. The Epstein-Barr virus can induce cancer. The findings, published in the
current issue of the renowned journal PNAS, represent a major step forward in
understanding tumor development.
Little pill means big news in the
treatment of MS
A new drug for multiple sclerosis promises to change the lives of the 100,000 people in
the UK who have the condition, say researchers at Queen Mary, University of London. A
major trial of the oral drug Cladribine -- results of which are published in the NEJM on
Jan. 20, 2010 -- has shown that it significantly reduces relapse and deterioration of the
disease, and goes a long way to eliminating the unpleasant side effects associated with
existing therapies.
Low Socioeconomic Status Affects
Cortisol Levels in Children Over Time
It’s no surprise that children from low socioeconomic backgrounds may be at risk for
numerous health problems in the future. Scientists speculate that these health problems,
including increased risk for depression, anxiety and substance abuse, arise from the
physiological toll that the environment has on the children’s bodies. Previous
research demonstrates a clear link between low socioeconomic status (SES) and body systems
that regulate stress, specifically the HPA-axis, which produces the hormone cortisol.
Overtime, higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol can lead to a number of psychiatric
disorders and physical ailments, including, but not limited to, depression, PTSD,
diabetes, and obesity.Given the importance of identifying risk factors for such diseases
early in life, a new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for
Psychological Science, looked at the relationship between low SES and cortisol in children
over a 2-year period. The researchers hypothesized that living in a low SES environment
would increase cortisol trajectories over time.
Magnesium online library
Links to over 300 articles discussing magnesium and magnesium deficiency
Making it easier to save energy
Fraunhofer scientists are developing programs that help show at a glance how much energy
devices are consuming. At the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the researchers
will be showing how a cell phone can help save energy (Hall 2, Stand E41). Everyone wants
to save energy, but there are few individuals who can tell you exactly how much energy the
devices in their homes consume. For example, which consumes more power – the
dishwasher or the television? To answer such questions and to give consumers a sense of
where the energy guzzlers hide, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information
Technology FIT in Sankt Augustin, Germany has developed an application that demonstrates
the energy consumption of individual devices in the household. The basis for this is the
“Hydra” middleware developed by the institute which is extended by an energy
protocol. A middleware reduces the workload of programmers: in Hydra’s case, by
administering the communication between devices.
Many physicians feel unskilled in
counseling patients to quit their tobacco use
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), Harvard School of
Public Health and Ohio State University will share a $3.8 million five-year grant to study
the tobacco treatment skills of medical students. Funded by the National Cancer Institute,
UMMS will work with ten medical schools across the country to test a novel teaching
method, Multi-Modal Education (MME), aimed at enhancing students’ skills in treating
their future patients’ tobacco addiction. “Each year more than 450,000 Americans
die of tobacco-related diseases, and we know that lives are saved when people stop using
tobacco,” said Judith K. Ockene, PhD, MEd, MA, the Barbara Helen Smith Chair in
Preventive & Behavioral Medicine and professor of medicine at UMMS and Principal
Investigator of the grant. “However, few physicians feel they are skilled in
appropriate and effective counseling of their patients who use tobacco, and many report
that they received little or no such training in medical school.”
McCain launches additive-free
frozen foods
McCain Foods unveiled an additive-free product line Wednesday and will continue revamping
its frozen foods to remove most of the chemicals whose long, tongue-twisting names make up
a good part of the ingredients list of many products.
Med students say conventional
medicine would benefit by integrating alternative therapies
The largest national survey of its kind that measured medical students' attitudes and
beliefs about complementary and alternative medicine found that three-quarters of them
felt conventional Western medicine would benefit by integrating more CAM therapies and
ideas.
Medically caused death in America
Every year in the US there are 12,000 deaths from unnecessary surgeries; 7,000 deaths from
medication errors in hospitals; 20,000 deaths from other errors in hospitals; 80,000
deaths from infections acquired in hospitals; 106,000 deaths from FDA-approved correctly
prescribed medicines. The total of medically-caused deaths in the US every year is
225,000.
Mediterranean diet cuts stomach
cancer risk
Apart from its various health benefits, following the Mediterranean diet can help reduce
the risk of developing stomach cancer, a new study finds.
Memory drink hope for Alzheimer
sufferers
DRINKING a special cocktail of nutrients and vitamins could help improve the memories of
patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to new research.
Merck Sat on Data Showing Vioxx
Risks for Years Before Pulling Drug
A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has revealed that
information about heart risks from pharmaceutical giant Merck's Vioxx drug was available
in 2000, four years before the Merck pulled the drug from the market. Because the
information was not published and made public, Merck sat on it until a later clinical
trial openly revealed that the drug was causing strokes and heart attacks.
Microwaves help shrink tumors
An exciting new advancement in the treatment of late stage breast cancer was recently
reported at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. William Dooley,
director of surgical oncology at OU, stated that, “This therapy is a major
advancement for women with later-stage breast cancer.”
Minimal changes alter an enzyme
dramatically
A new study by a research team at Uppsala University shows how new functions can develop
in an enzyme. This can explain, for example, how resistance to toxins can occur so simply.
The findings are now being published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Minimal changes alter an enzyme
dramatically
A new study by a research team at Uppsala University shows how new functions can develop
in an enzyme. This can explain, for example, how resistance to toxins can occur so simply.
The findings are now being published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Every
biological being needs a large number of enzymes for the many functions of cells. In the
spirit of Darwin, enzymes in an organism can change over time to meet new needs. This is
done by alterations in the enzymes’ building blocks that are caused by mutations in
the DNA.
Minority teen boys smoke more when
they perceive discrimination; girls do not
Indiana University School of Medicine researchers report that minority teen boys smoke
more when they perceived discrimination, girls reacted differently. There does not appear
to be an association between perceived discrimination and smoking in minority girls, ages
12-15. For minority girls ages 16-19, perceived discrimination is associated with lower,
not higher, rates of smoking.
Morphine helped wounded soldiers
avoid stress disorder
Soldiers who quickly received a shot of morphine after being wounded were less likely to
develop post-traumatic stress disorders, U.S. researchers have found.
Most Indian plastic toys are
'toxic'
Many of the plastic toys sold in India may contain chemicals harmful to children, an
environmental group says in a report.
Most modern European males descend
from farmers who migrated from the Near East
A new study from the University of Leicester has found that most men in Europe descend
from the first farmers who migrated from the Near East 10,000 years ago. The findings are
published Jan. 19 in the open-access journal PLoS Biology.
New finding in cell migration may
be key to preventing clots, cancer spread
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have discovered
how cells in the body flatten out as they adhere to internal bodily surfaces, the first
step in a wide range of important processes including clot formation, immune defense,
wound healing, and the spread of cancer cells.
New findings may shed light on
brain and spinal cord birth defects
New research, published by Cell Press in the Jan. 19 issue of the journal Developmental
Cell, provides intriguing insight into how the nervous system forms during very early
embryonic development. The study sheds light on a process called neural tube closure
which, when disrupted, causes congenital birth defects of the brain and spinal cord,
including anencephaly and spina bifida.
New gene discovered for recessive
form of brittle bone disease
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions have discovered
the third in a sequence of genes that accounts for previously unexplained forms of
osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a genetic condition that weakens bones, results in frequent
fractures and is sometimes fatal.
New insights into deadly brain
cancer are important step towards personalized therapy
New research suggests that the most common form of malignant brain cancer in adults,
glioblastoma multiforme, is probably not a single disease but a set of diseases, each with
a distinct underlying molecular pathology. The study, published by Cell Press in the
January issue of the journal Cancer Cell, provides a solid framework for investigation of
future targeted therapies that may improve the near uniformly fatal prognosis of this
devastating cancer.
New mode of action found for
pharmaceuticals in the environment
Commonly used antibiotics leaking into the environment might inhibit photosynthesis in
aquatic plants.
New nanoparticles target
cardiovascular disease
Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have built targeted nanoparticles that can
cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an
alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease.
New research reveals neurological
disorder behind autism
The nerves in the brain that control emotions and other faculties do not function at
normal levels in individuals with autism, new research has revealed.
New rules planned for fish farming
in federal waters
Five years after former President George W. Bush’s administration first proposed
allowing fish farming in federal waters, the Obama administration is set to come up with
its own set of rules for offshore aquaculture, including deepwater fish farming.
New strategies may cut screening
errors, says US study
US scientists have found a way they believe may cut the number of mistakes made by medical
staff looking for breast and cervical cancers.
New study raises the possibility
that some antiviral drugs could make diseases worse
A team of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin raises concerns about an
emerging strategy for stopping viral infections. According to research appearing this
month in Genetics, medications that cause viruses to die off by forcing their nucleic acid
to mutate rapidly might actually, in some instances, cause them to emerge from the process
even more virulent than before drug treatment.
New treatment shown to reduce
recurrence of debilitating diarrhea
A combination of two fully human monoclonal antibodies developed by MassBiologics of UMass
Medical School and Medarex, when given with standard antibiotics, was shown to reduce
recurrence of a debilitating form of diarrhea by 72 percent in patients enrolled in a
Phase 2 clinical trial. The results of the trial are reported in the article
"Treatment with Monoclonal Antibodies against Clostridium difficile Toxins"
published January 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
New visible light photocatalyst
kills bacteria, even after light turned off
In the battle against bacteria, researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a
powerful new weapon -- an enhanced photocatalytic disinfection process that uses visible
light to destroy harmful bacteria and viruses, even in the dark.
New way to generate abundant
functional blood vessel cells from human stem cells discovered
In a significant step toward restoring healthy blood circulation to treat a variety of
diseases, a team of scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has developed a new
technique and described a novel mechanism for turning human embryonic and pluripotent stem
cells into plentiful, functional endothelial cells, which are critical to the formation of
blood vessels.
Newly identified genes influence
insulin and glucose regulation
An international research consortium has found 13 new genetic variants that influence
blood glucose regulation, insulin resistance, and the function of insulin-secreting beta
cells in populations of European descent. Five of the newly discovered variants increase
the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.
No link seen between flu outbreak,
schizophrenia
Questioning the theory that prenatal exposure to the flu virus might be a risk factor for
schizophrenia, a new study finds no link between the flu pandemic of 1957 and later
schizophrenia rates.
Nutrient-rich, low-calorie diets
actually reprogram fat cells to keep the body thin
A study appearing in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Proteome Research has
given further insight into the correlation between calorie restriction and weight loss.
While it is known that calorie-restricted diets are effective at helping people to lose
weight, it has now been found that fat cell proteins play an important role in regulating
bodily fat stores and extending life.
Nutrients stimulate brain
connections, could treat Alzheimer's
The earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are marked by a major loss of the brain
connections needed to process information and to retain memory. While there are drug
therapies used to help delay progression of AD, those medications are loaded with side
effects and, if they work at all, the effects only last for the short term. Eventually the
disease continues to rob those with Alzheimer's of their memory, thinking ability and
quality of life.
Nutrition has a direct influence on
the immune system
T cells, B cells, antibodies are known as the 'SWAT team' of our immune system that
intervenes when viruses and bacteria make us ill. With 'heavy molecular artillery' they
wipe out intruders effectively. However, at the same time the defence systems cause
collateral damage in the body's own tissue, which has to be repaired first. In order for
the immune system not to be consistently in a state of red alert and possibly cause
chronic inflammation this way, there is a second defence system switched in series between
body and outside world. This is absolutely necessary because on the barrier tissue such as
lungs and skin there are trillions of bacteria. The majority of these microorganisms have
been living with our body's cells as good neighbours for millions of years. There's more
to come: the complex symbiosis of very different microorganisms supplies us with important
natural substances such as vitamin B12.
Obstructive sleep apnea may worsen
diabetes
Obstructive sleep apnea adversely affects glucose control in patients with type 2
diabetes, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago.
Offshore wind power and wave energy
devices create artificial reefs
Offshore wind power and wave energy foundations can increase local abundances of fish and
crabs. The reef-like constructions also favour for example blue mussels and barnacles.
What's more, it is possible to increase or decrease the abundance of various species by
altering the structural design of foundation. This was shown by Dan Wilhelmsson of the
Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, in a recently published dissertation.
"Hard surfaces are often hard currency in the ocean, and these foundations can
function as artificial reefs. Rock boulders are often placed around the structures to
prevent erosion (scouring) around these, and this strengthens the reef function,"
says Dan Wilhelmsson.
Older brains make good use of
'useless' information
A new study has found promising evidence that the older brain's weakened ability to filter
out irrelevant information may actually give aging adults a memory advantage over their
younger counterparts.
Omega 6 Fat Raises Prostate Cancer
Risk; Omega-3 Fats Cut It
A study conducted in Nigeria and published in the fall 2009 issue of Ethnicity &
Disease suggests that a high intake of omega-6 fat and/or fatty acids may raise the risk
of prostate cancer; conversely, a high intake of omega-3 fat may in fact cut the risk.
Omega-3s Cause Cell Disease,
Cognitive Decline
Over a lifetime, omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) can lead to cellular disease and a
significant decrease in cognitive function, according to researchers at UC Santa Barbara.
Open access drug discovery database
launches with half a million compounds
ChEMBLdb, a vast online database of information on the properties and activities of drugs
and drug-like small molecules and their targets, launches today with information on over
half a million compounds. The data lie at the heart of translating information from the
human genome into successful new drugs in the clinic. The database is hosted by the
European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI). It
was transferred from biotech firm Galapagos NV in July 2008 through a £4.7 million
Strategic Award from the Wellcome Trust.
Oral COTI-2 is effective in a
second animal model of human pancreatic cancer
Oral COTI-2 is effective in a second animal model of human pancreatic cancer as a single
agent and in combination with Abraxane. This new series of experiments adds to the
impressive data package for COTI-2, demonstrating efficacy both as a single agent and in
combination with current first line therapies, as well as low toxicity in several
different animal models of human cancers.
OSR#1 - Industrial chemical or
autism treatment?
Parents giving kids compound created for use in mining, sold as supplement.
Ozone detection
Researchers in Freiburg have developed a highly-sensitive, miniaturized mobile ozone
sensor which can be used not only in air, but also in water and in the vicinity of
explosive gases. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Freiburg
is developing improved chemical sensors that are not prohibitively expensive. One
particularly important area of application involves the regular measurement of ozone
content in air and other media. This gas is a powerful oxidizing agent and can cause a
wide range of symptoms in humans, including lacrimation, irritation of the mucous
membranes in the mouth, throat, and bronchial tubes, headaches, coughing and even
deterioration in lung function. The main sources of ozone pollution are industrial and
transport emissions; particularly in warmer weather, these react with intensive UV
radiation to form ground-level ozone. But laser printers and copiers, machines so
prevalent in modern-day offices, can also emit ozone. The European Commission has
announced its intention to cut the guideline value for ozone in the air from the current
level of 90 parts per billion to 60 parts per billion by 2010, and when this new
regulation comes into force, there will be an increased demand for inexpensive ozone
sensors. But as project manager Dr. Volker Cimalla of the IAF explains: “Since ozone
is, at the same time, an agent with high application potential, novel sensors are
required, which have to be compact and affordable.” Sensors are essential equipment
in industrial settings such as wastewater treatment facilities and water sterilization
units, where they are used to monitor the ozone concentration – firstly to ensure the
required concentration for the relevant application is maintained, and secondly to guard
against exceeding hazardous thresholds for humans.
Papain may help with heartburn
I have read your articles about various ways to treat heartburn naturally. What I have
found most helpful are chewable papaya enzymes.
Penn biologists explain how
organisms can tolerate mutations, yet adapt to environmental change
Biologists at the University of Pennsylvania studying the processes of evolution appear to
have resolved a longstanding conundrum: how can organisms be robust against the effects of
mutations yet simultaneously adaptable when the environment changes?
People born in the 1940s not the
spenders we thought they were
People born in the 1940s are often portrayed as having both the means and the willingness
to spend money on consumption, but how do they appear in the consumption statistics?
According to the Consumption Report 2009, published by the University of Gothenburg,
Sweden, they top the list in terms of disposable income per consumption unit, but do not
seem to be such great spenders. Like younger generations, Swedes born in the 1940s like to
travel. Yet, they do not seem very interested in spending money on clothes, personal care
and hygiene, home decoration and furnishing and electronics. In fact, they spend less than
average in these areas. This suggests that they tend to be rather thrifty with their
money. Not even their grandchildren seem to benefit much from their wealth, since their
spending on presents and gifts is quite average. All this and more is spelled out in
detail in the Consumption Report 2009. 'These findings agree with what researchers from
the Centre for Consumer Science found in a study of 55+ consumers. "Our" people
born in the 1940s tend to do quite well economically and want to live a comfortable life,
but they are also home-loving do-gooders who recycle, shop ecologically, show interest in
their own health and act as good citizens in all possible ways,' says Helene Brembeck,
professor at the Centre for Consumer Science.
PET Scans May Help Diagnose
Movement Disorders
Can brain scans help diagnosis Parkinson’s disease at the onset of symptoms? One
clever way to know for sure is to take snapshots of the brain at the time of the first
symptoms of tremor or rigidity, and follow the patients over the years to see whether the
diagnosis was correct. About 10 to 20 percent of patients initially thought to have
Parkinson’s suffer from another movement disorder. “This is a big problem for
physicians,” said David Eidelberg, MD, head of the Center for Neurosciences at The
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY. “The treatments for
Parkinson’s will not work for these patients and they can cause their own side
effects.” Dr. Eidelberg and his colleagues have used brain scans to identify the
networks involved with three different neurological conditions – Parkinson’s,
multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). They designed a
study to follow 167 patients over three years to figure out whether the initial brain scan
could be used to accurately predict the cause of the symptoms. This information is
critical in making treatment decisions.
Phytic acid and mineral loss
A study of iron absorption in cereal porridges found in some cases a 12-fold increase in
the absorption of iron when the phytic acid was removed from the food.
Pitt researchers raise concern over
frequency of surveillance colonoscopy
How often patients receive surveillance colonoscopy may need to be better aligned with
their risks for colorectal cancer, according to two papers published this month by
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers. The studies provide evidence that
colonoscopy is both overused and underused in particular patient populations with serious
implications for health care spending.
Poland stands alone in refusing
swine flu vaccines
he decision seemed fraught with risk - a government refusing to import swine flu vaccines
amid worldwide warnings of a spreading epidemic.
Poor oral hygiene among
19-year-olds
Swedish 19-year-olds need to improve their oral hygiene habits. Seven out of eight
adolescents have unacceptable oral hygiene, which increases the risk of future dental
problems. These are the findings of a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the
University of Gothenburg. The results have been published in the Swedish Dental Journal.
The study examined 500 randomly selected adolescents from Västra Götaland (Fyrbodal and
Skaraborg). "On average, these adolescents had plaque on half of all tooth surfaces,
which is certainly too much. Seven out of eight adolescents had more plaque than is
currently deemed acceptable," explains doctoral student Jessica Skoog Ericsson.
Gingivitis was also identified as a common problem resulting from poor oral hygiene. This
can generally increase the risk of future dental problems as well as tooth-loosening. This
study shows that the vast majority of adolescents, 76 per cent, brush their teeth at least
twice a day. Four per cent of adolescents also use dental floss daily, but just as many
don't clean their teeth at all some days.
Poor people smoke more
Social status is intimately linked with health-related risk factors. In the current issue
of Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Thomas Lampert, of the Robert Koch Institute in
Berlin, inquires to what extent smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity are associated
with social status.
POPs lead to insulin resistance in
rats
new study in rats shows that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) – at levels found
in food – cause insulin resistance and associated obesity and liver disease in the
animals. The study is the first to show this experimentally. Insulin resistance can lead
to type 2 diabetes, which is becoming a global epidemic. The association between high
levels of POPs in people and increased chance of developing diabetes has been known since
2006. Until now, scientists could not positively conclude that POPs influenced the onset
of diabetes.
Population differences in vitamin D
metabolism
Many populations have long been established at latitudes where vitamin-D synthesis is
impossible for most of the year. Some of these populations can get vitamin D from dietary
sources (e.g., fatty fish) but most cannot. In these circumstances, natural selection
seems to have adjusted their metabolism to reduce their vitamin-D requirements. We know
that the Inuit have compensated for lower production of vitamin D by converting more of
this vitamin to its most active form (Rejnmark et al., 2004). They also seem to absorb
calcium more efficiently, perhaps because of a different vitamin-D receptor genotype
(Sellers et al., 2003).
Post-traumatic stress disorder
diagnosed with magnetism
A group of 74 US veterans has been involved in clinical trials which appear to have
objectively diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, something conventional brain scans,
be it X-ray, CT or MRI, have thus far failed to do.
Potential new class of drugs to
combat hepatitis C identified by Stanford scientists
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have discovered a novel class of
compounds that, in experiments in vitro, inhibit replication of the virus responsible for
hepatitis C.
Predictors of ulcerative colitis
severity
A research team from Canada examined the ulcerative colitis (UC) population of
Southwestern Ontario (SWO), Canada in an effort to gather information on the natural
history of the disease and determine predictors of future disease severity at the time of
diagnosis. They found that UC severity is associated with younger age at diagnosis and
year of diagnosis in a longitudinal cohort of UC patients, and may identify prognostic UC
indicators.
Pregnant women who are overweight
put their infants at risk
A new article published in the journal Nursing for Women's Health finds that obesity in
pregnant women is associated with pregnancy complications, birth defects, as well as a
greater risk of childhood and adult obesity in infants born to obese mothers.
Premature Birth May Lead to
Behavioral Problems
Premature babies and babies born with low birth weights have long been known to have
several physical health problems – both at birth, and later in life. But now it
appears that these babies may also suffer from mental and behavioral issues down the road
as well. Keep reading for more on this recent scientific study.
Prenatal exposure to
flame-retardant compounds affects neurodevelopment of young children
Prenatal exposure to ambient levels of flame retardant compounds called polybrominated
diphenyl ethers is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental effects in young children,
according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Preparing Porridges
Oatmeal, multi-grain cereals, couscous, and bulgur should be prepared strategically to
reduce their phytic acid. If you prepare them strategically, you may double your
absorption of the minerals in the grains.
Prescription Opioid Painkillers
Linked to Overdoses in Study
More doctors are prescribing oxycodone, morphine and other opioid painkillers for back
pain, arthritis and headache, leading to potentially fatal overdoses, a study said.
Proline Repeats in Protein Help
Grow Tooth Enamel
A simple amino acid that is repeated in the center of proteins found in tooth enamel makes
teeth stronger and more resilient, according to new research at the University of Illinois
at Chicago. Researchers compared proline repeats in amphibian and animal models and
discovered that when the repeats are short, such as in frogs, teeth will not have the
enamel prisms that are responsible for the strength of human enamel. In contrast, when the
proline repeats are long, they contract groups of molecules that help enamel crystals
grow.
Protein supplements are misused by
athletes
Protein supplements don't improve performance or recovery time and, according to a recent
study, such supplements are inefficient for most athletes. "They are often poorly
used or unnecessary by both high-level athletes and amateurs," says Martin
Fréchette, a researcher and graduate of the University of Montreal Department of
Nutrition.
Raising kids may lower blood
pressure
The study found a link between parenthood and lower blood pressure. The effect was more
pronounced among women. The findings were not related to factors like employment status,
number of kids and the age of children.
REACH Candidate List of Substances
of Very High Concern for Authorisation Grows
Today, the European Chemicals Agency has added 14 chemical substances1 to the Candidate
List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for authorisation. Companies manufacturing
or importing these substances need to check their potential obligations that result from
the listing.
Reno researchers dispute British
challenge to virus discovery
Reno scientists who found a link between a retrovirus and people with Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome are scoffing at a challenge from British researchers who claim the discovery was
false.
Research finds link between air
pollution, school absences in Texas
Children in Texas are more likely to miss school when certain types of air pollution
increase — even when the levels are below the limit set by the federal government, a
new study says.
Researchers discover method to
objectively identify PTSD
Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis VA Medical Center have
identified a biological marker in the brains of those exhibiting post-traumatic stress
disorder.
Researchers find new insights into
inherited retinal disease
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California,
San Diego School of Medicine have discovered new links between a common form of inherited
blindness affecting children and a gene known as Abelson helper integration site-1 (AHI1).
Their findings, which may lead to new therapies and improved diagnostics for retinal
disease, will appear online in advance of publication in the journal Nature Genetics on
January 17.
Researchers identify proteins that
might contribute to memory loss and Alzheimer's disease
A scientific group led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute have identified
three kinases, or proteins, that dismantle connections within brain cells, which may lead
to memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Retail meat linked to urinary tract
infections - Strong new evidence
Chicken sold in supermarkets, restaurants and other outlets may place young women at risk
of urinary tract infections, McGill researcher Amee Manges has discovered. Samples taken
in the Montreal area between 2005 and 2007, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency
of Canada and the University of Guelph, provide strong new evidence that E. coli bacteria
originating from these food sources can cause common urinary tract infections.
Running could help jog memory and
help brain grow, says Cambridge study
Running can help boost your brain power and help you overcome a forgetful memory, a
Cambridge University study has suggested.
Russia Bans US Poultry Over
Chlorine
With as much as 30,000 tons of American poultry in the pipeline to Russia, the government
in Moscow imposed a ban on future U.S. poultry imports.
School burnout
Recent research indicates that school burnout among adolescents is shared with parental
work burnout.
School classroom air may be more
polluted with ultrafine particles than outdoor air
The air in some school classrooms may contain higher levels of extremely small particles
of pollutants — easily inhaled deep into the lungs — than polluted outdoor air,
scientists in Australia and Germany are reporting in an article in ACS’ semi-monthly
journal Environmental Science & Technology: “Ultrafine Particles in Indoor Air of
a School: Possible Role of Secondary Organic Aerosols.”
Scientist Finding Many Negative
Impacts of Roundup Ready GM Crops
Robert Kremer is a microbiologist with the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural
Research Service and an adjunct professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at the
University of Missouri. He is co-author of one of five papers published in the October
2009 issue of The European Journal of Agronomy that found negative impacts of Roundup
herbicide, which is used extensively with Roundup Ready genetically modified crops. Kremer
has been studying the impacts of glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup
herbicide, since 1997.
Scientists hope to end sleeping
sickness by making parasite that causes it self-destruct
After many years of study, a team of researchers is releasing data today that it hopes
will lead to new drug therapies that will kill the family of parasites that causes a
deadly trio of insect-borne diseases and has afflicted inhabitants of underdeveloped and
developing nations for centuries.
Scientists show how brain tumors
outsmart drugs
Researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of California,
San Diego, School of Medicine and Moores UCSD Cancer Center have shown one way in which
gliomas, a deadly type of brain tumor, can evade drugs aimed at blocking a key cell
signaling protein, epidermal growth factor receptor, that is crucial for tumor growth.
Self-control is contagious, study
finds
Before patting yourself on the back for resisting that cookie or kicking yourself for
giving in to temptation, look around. A new University of Georgia study has revealed that
self-control—or the lack thereof—is contagious. In a just-published series of
studies involving hundreds of volunteers, researchers have found that watching or even
thinking about someone with good self-control makes others more likely exert self-control.
The researchers found that the opposite holds, too, so that people with bad self-control
influence others negatively. The effect is so powerful, in fact, that seeing the name of
someone with good or bad self-control flashing on a screen for just 10 milliseconds
changed the behavior of volunteers. “The take home message of this study is that
picking social influences that are positive can improve your self-control,” said lead
author Michelle vanDellen, a visiting assistant professor in the UGA department of
psychology. “And by exhibiting self-control, you’re helping others around you do
the same.”
Severe form of psoriasis ups heart
disease risk
People with severe forms of the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis are more likely to die
of heart-related causes and stroke than those without the condition, new research shows.
Shell faces shareholder revolt over
Canadian tar sands project
Shell chief executive Peter Voser will be forced to defend the company's controversial
investment in Canada's tar sands at his first annual general meeting, after calls from
shareholders that the project be put under further scrutiny.
Should obese, smoking and
alcohol-consuming women receive assisted reproduction treatment?
The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has published a position
statement on the impact of the life style factors obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption
on natural and medically assisted reproduction.
Siblings play formative,
influential role as 'agents of socialization'
Laurie Kramer, a professor of applied family studies at Illinois, says that what we learn
from our siblings when we grow up has – for better or for worse – a considerable
influence on our social and emotional development as adults.
Slow Death by Rubber Duck
"We're all marinating in chemicals every day," write Toronto environmental
activists Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie.
Smoke, sleep problems linked
More secondhand smoke exposure means less sleep for children with asthma, according to new
research from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Social TV viewing is disappearing
We are watching television together less and less often. "We are becoming more and
more individualistic also in our choice of TV programs," says Jakob Bjur in a new
dissertation from University of Gothenburg in Sweden. In his dissertation work at the
Department of Journalism, Media, and Communication, Jakob Bjur studied so-called social
viewing. In the past, watching TV was a social activity that brought people together. The
whole family watched the same program on the same TV set, and when people went to work the
next day they could be fairly sure that most other people had also seen the same program.
This is no longer the case. What once brought us together is now a source of
fragmentation. Most families have several TVs, and they sit in different rooms and view
different programs - if they watch TV at all. What's more, the channel offerings have
become so large and varied that few programs qualify as shared topics in the lunchroom at
work.
Some airborne particles pose more
dangers than others
Around the world, whenever airborne particles increase, so do deaths from heart and lung
diseases. Now new evidence is emerging that some particles may be more dangerous than
others. A growing body of research – much of it in New York City – suggests that
breathing nickel and other metals may put acute stress on the lungs and heart, resulting
in illnesses and deaths at particulate levels below national standards.
Some vinegars -- often expensive,
aged balsamics -- contain a big dose of lead
Eating one tablespoon a day of some vinegars can raise a young child’s lead level by
more than 30 percent. For this report, Environmental Health News had an expert calculate
children's doses and also hired an independent lab to test two bottles. Consumers want to
know if vinegars are safe, but there are no easy answers.
South Korean Scientists Identify
Traditional Remedy for H1n1 Flu
South Korean scientists have identified a substance commonly used in traditional Oriental
medicine that can destroy the Type-A H1N1 flu virus responsible for thousands of deaths
worldwide last year, a state-run research institute said Monday.
Stargate Vitamin D special
Current research shows that most people in non-equatorial regions are deficient in Vitamin
D especially in the winter. If you never get any strong mid-day sun on unprotected skin
you WILL be deficient and the production also declines as we get older. Vitamin D controls
calcium metabolism which is vital for bone, muscle and nerve function - but recent
research shows it is also critical to your immune response against viruses, bacteria and
cancer.
Stress `can cause heart
damage’
Prof Avijit Lahiri, a cardiologist, said: “This study shows a clear-cut relationship
between stress and silent coronary artery disease. This is the first clear proof.”
Studies demonstrate link among
Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome and atherosclerosis
Neuroscientists at the University of South Florida have demonstrated an association among
Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome and atherosclerosis. Their research, published online
in the journals Molecular Biology of the Cell and PLoS One, implicates damage inflicted by
the amyloid protein as a shared disease mechanism.
Study finds decrease in
postoperative delirium in elderly patients
A recent study, published in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, demonstrates
that in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture repair under spinal anesthesia with
propofol sedation, the prevalence of delirium can be decreased by 50 percent with light
sedation, compared to deep sedation.
Study Finds Short People Get More
Lung Disease
People who develop chronic lung disease are more likely to be shorter in height than the
general population, University of Nottingham researchers say.
Study says morphine can prevent
PTSD
Treating wounded soldiers with morphine halves their risk of suffering from post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), a new study finds.
Sun avoidance can cause vitamin D
deficiency
97 percent of black Americans today are vitamin D deficient — which can only be
blamed on sun-avoidance and sunscreen usage amongst those whose darker skin needs the most
sunlight to make adequate vitamin D.
Sweating out the cravings
A University of Western Ontario team has shown that supervised exercise in addition to
pharmacological agents like nicotine replacement therapy helps smoking cessation, improves
physical fitness, and delays weight gain in women smokers.
Switch that turns on allergic
disease in people
A new study in human cells has singled out a molecule that specifically directs immune
cells to develop the capability to produce an allergic response. The signaling molecule,
called thymic stromal lymphopoietin, is key to the development of allergic diseases such
as asthma, atopic dermatitis (eczema) and food allergy.
The Cancer Genome Atlas identifies
distinct subtypes of deadly brain cancer
The most common form of malignant brain cancer in adults, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM),
is not a single disease but appears to be four distinct molecular subtypes, according to a
study by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network.
The Critical Role of Wheat in Human
Disease
Lectin is a type of 'wheat germ agglutinin' (WGA) and glycoprotein. Through thousands of
years of selectively breeding wheat for increasingly larger quantities of protein, the
concentration of WGA lectin has increased proportionately.
The dangers of a high-information
diet
As certain scientists and philosophers see it, the discovery and dissemination of
knowledge is far from being an unqualified boon. We might be in danger of knowing too
much. "Information can potentially be extremely dangerous," says philosopher
Nick Bostrom, director of the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford.
The first map of colon cancer in
Spain is published
Many industrialized countries welcomed reduced rates of colon cancer in the second half of
the twentieth century, but Spain remains the exception. The most startling phenomenon is
the 'unstoppable increase' in the incidence in both men and women. From 1951 to 2000,
mortality also increased in Spain. These are the conclusions of the first map of colon
cancer in Spain.
The search for artifical blood
Essex, vampires and the search for an artificial blood substitute. If the current wave of
vampire stories is to be believed, humans can peacefully co-exist with vampires. The
Twilight book trilogy has ‘vegetarian’ vampires living on animal blood and in
the TV series True Blood, Japanese scientists have developed a synthetic blood substitute.
However, in the most recent blockbuster movie Daybreakers, vampires suffer a horrific fate
when attempting to drink their blood substitute. Back in the real world, the hunt for a
blood substitute could not be truer. In fact, the quest to create artificial blood is big
business, with more than one billion pounds being spent over the last 20 years in an
attempt to create a true alternative to blood. Among those around the globe seeking a
viable blood alternative are scientists at the University of Essex who have just submitted
a worldwide patent for their engineered haemoglobin. Over 75 million units of donated
blood are given to people worldwide for use in hospitals. However, there are growing
concerns about its use in routine operations. A true blood substitute would be very useful
as it could have a long shelf life, be stored away from hospitals, need not be matched for
blood group and be guaranteed free of contamination by any present or future viruses.
Those less motivated to achieve
will excel on tasks seen as fun
Those who value excellence and hard work generally do better than others on specific tasks
when they are reminded of those values. But when a task is presented as fun, researchers
report, the same individuals often will do worse than those who are less motivated to
achieve.
Thousands of Americans died from
H1N1 even after receiving vaccine shots
The CDC is engaged in a very clever, statistically devious spin campaign, and nearly every
journalist in the mainstream media has fallen for its ploy. No one has yet reported what
I'm about to reveal here. It all started with the CDC's recent release of new statistics
about swine flu fatalities, infection rates and vaccination rates.
To see or not to see
Weizmann Institute scientists find a burst of neural activity at the transition between
not seeing and seeing, revealing a clear threshold that must be crossed for perception to
occur.
Tobacco smoke causes lung
inflammation, promotes lung cancer growth
Repeated exposure to tobacco smoke makes lung cancer much worse, and one reason is that it
steps up inflammation in the lung. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego
School of Medicine have found that mice with early lung cancer lesions that were
repeatedly exposed to tobacco smoke developed larger tumors -- and developed tumors more
quickly -- than unexposed animals. The key contributing factor was lung tissue
inflammation.
Too many choices? New study says
more is usually better
Are we overloaded and paralyzed by too many choices, or is it good to have so many
options? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says the jury is still out on
so-called "choice overload."
Transgene from GM Corn Detected in
Soil Animals
Scientists in Canada have found evidence of the transgene present in genetically modified
Roundup Ready corn in various soil-dwelling animals, pointing to "serious
implications for environmental health and human safety."
Traumatic brain injuries - Motor
deficits can persist even after what appears to be a full recovery
Even after regaining normal walking speed, traumatic brain injury victims have not
necessarily recovered all their locomotor functions, according to a study supervised by
University of Laval's Bradford McFadyen and recently published in Archives of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Treat the Risk, Not the Cholesterol
- Study Challenges Current Cholesterol Recommendations
study by the University of Michigan Medical School and VA Ann Arbor Health System
challenges the medical thinking that the lower the cholesterol, the better.
TRIA Beauty blue light device for
at-home acne treatment gets FDA approval
TRIA Beauty has received over-the-counter (OTC) clearance from the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for a hand-held blue light device designed for at-home acne
treatment.
U of M study finds that vitamin D
levels in the body may be tied to weight loss success
Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie
diet will lead to increased weight loss in individuals with low vitamin D levels,”
Sibley said. “Although I would caution against excess vitamin D intake, these studies
may suggest another reason for individuals who have inadequate vitamin D levels to bring
their levels into the recommended range.” “Our findings need to be followed up
by the right kind of controlled clinical trial to determine if there is a role for vitamin
D supplementation to help people lose weight when they are reducing the number of calories
they consume,” Sibley said.
UC Davis research confirms benefits
of calcium and vitamin D in preventing fractures
Taking both calcium and vitamin D supplements on a daily basis reduces the risk of bone
fractures, regardless of whether a person is young or old, male or female, or has had
fractures in the past, a large study of nearly 70,000 patients from throughout the United
States and Europe has found.
UC Davis to study drug therapy to
minimize death and disability from traumatic brain injury
A clinical trial of a new neuroprotective drug for people with traumatic brain injuries
will be offered to patients seen in UC Davis Medical Center’s level-1 trauma center,
through an $8 million grant funded by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Program of the U.S. Department of Defense. The study’s primary aim is to determine
whether the drug, a neuroactive steroid called allopregnanolone, would be an effective
treatment for severe brain injuries such as those occurring in car crashes, sports and
recreation accidents and falls. Active duty military personnel in war zones also
experience severe brain injury as a result of blasts from the explosion of makeshift bombs
or improvised explosive devices. The study will take place over five years and will be led
by Michael Rogawski, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology in the UC Davis
School of Medicine, who is highly regarded for developing new drug treatments for patients
with epilepsy. “Allopregnanolone has never been tested in humans with brain injuries
but it has been shown to be effective in animal models,” Rogawski said. “We
believe that this approach can provide patients with improved survival and cognition and
better overall neurological outcomes. We also will be looking to see if it prevents the
development of post-traumatic epilepsy.”
UCI cardiologists discover 'pouch'
in heart that may raise stroke risk
UC Irvine cardiologists have found a pouchlike structure inside the heart's left atrial
chamber that may be a potent source of stroke-causing blood clots.
UIC Cardiologists Repair the Heart
Through the Wrist
A new approach to common cardiac procedures called transradial angiography might lead to
reduced patient complications and recovery time and decreased hospital costs.
Cardiologists at the University of Illinois and Jesse Brown VA medical centers are among
the first in the Chicago area to offer the approach to heart angiograms and clearing
blocked arteries. In the procedure, a catheter is threaded through the small radial artery
in the wrist rather than the larger femoral artery in the groin. "It's a simple
change that has a dramatic impact on the experience and recovery of the patient,"
said Dr. Adhir Shroff, assistant professor of cardiology at UIC.
UNC Lineberger research provides
new insights into deadly brain cancer
New findings by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center suggest that the
most common form of malignant brain cancer in adults, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is
probably not a single disease but a set of diseases, each with a distinct underlying
molecular disease process. The study, published by Cell Press in the January issue of the
journal Cancer Cell, provides a solid framework for investigation of future targeted
therapies that may improve the near uniformly fatal prognosis of this devastating cancer.
Urban 'green' spaces may contribute
to global warming, UCI study finds
Dispelling the notion that urban "green" spaces help counteract greenhouse gas
emissions, new research has found -- in Southern California at least -- that total
emissions would be lower if lawns did not exist.
UW-Madison team's collagen find
could help treat arthritis
A team of UW-Madison scientists manipulating collagen's triple helix -- the structure that
holds our bodies together -- has created that important protein in "the strongest
form known to science."
Video gamers - Size of brain
structures predicts success
Researchers can predict your performance on a video game simply by measuring the volume of
specific structures in your brain, a multi-institutional team reports this week.
Vit D should be promoted in
Scotland
A Glasgow study established that about 98 per cent of people with hip fractures have lack
of the vitamin in their bodies.
Vitamin C Protects Against
Hypertension-Induced DNA Damage
A new study published in the Jan 6, 2010 issue of Human & Experimental Toxicology
suggests that vitamin C protects against renovascular hypertension induced genotoxicity.
Vitamin D and You
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin produced in the body when ultraviolet rays from
sunlight strike the skin. At least 75 per cent of the body’s supply comes from
conversion of 7-dehydro-cholesterol in the skin. This molecule is then converted in the
liver to 25-OH vitamin D3, the major form circulating in the blood. Functioning as an
endocrine gland, the kidneys further process 25-OH vitamin D3 to its active metabolite,
1?,25-OH-D3. Receptors for this hormone-like substance are present in nearly every organ.
Lack of exposure to sunlight is the main cause of vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D could help fight
hepatitis C
A new study has found that administering vitamin D to hepatitis C patients dramatically
reduces the presence of the virus in the blood.
Vitamin D deficiency increasingly
common
Aside from its well-known reputation for building and maintaining strong bones, vitamin D
could be tied to cancer prevention and cardiovascular health, and some researchers are
looking into a connection between vitamin D deficiency and gum disease.
Vitamin D may reduce nursing home
falls
Falls, a leading cause of death and disability in the elderly, may be reduced by vitamin D
supplementation in nursing homes, Australian researchers say.
Ways to cut cancer deaths in Europe
highlighted by new study
New research on deaths from cancer in Europe concludes that the key priority for
continuing to reduce mortality is cutting tobacco smoking. The study shows that, while
deaths for men from lung cancer in the EU have declined overall, by 17 % from 1995 to
2004, they rose by 27% for women over the same period. It also reveals other significant
differences in the mortality between different EU countries and genders, and a steady
decline in cancer deaths overall between the early 1990s and 2004. The gender
‘splits' reflect how the spread of cigarette smoking among men and women across
Europe has changed in the past. For example, the lowest death rates for women in the early
2000s were in Spain, Greece and Portugal, the highest being in Denmark, Hungary and
Scotland. For men there is a contrasting country ‘split', the lowest rates for men
being in Sweden, Finland and Switzerland while the worst affected were Hungary, the Czech
Republic, and Poland.
Weaker wine 'may lower the risk of
some cancers'
Swapping a daily glass of wine for a slightly weaker alternative could be enough to lower
the risk of some cancers, a charity suggests.
WHO Advisor Secretly Pads Pockets
with Big Pharma Money
A Finnish member of the World Health Organization board, an advisor on vaccines, has
received 6 million Euros for his research center from the vaccine manufacturer
GlaxoSmithKline.
Why Commonly Used Pesticides May Be
To Blame for the Deaths of So Many Members of My Farming Family
We need to delve deeply into the potential link between a widely used chemical and the
health of our food producers and their communities.
Why Do You Continue to Eat When
You're Full?
As this new study suggests, one of the forces driving you to eat a second helping or an
extra dessert even though you’re full is the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin (pronounced
GRELL-in) is produced mainly by your stomach, although it is also made in other organs,
such as your intestines and your kidneys.
Why sunscreens may give a false
sense of security
high SPF sunscreens can completely block vitamin D production by blocking UVB.
Zambian study finds longer
breastfeeding best for HIV-infected mothers
A new study from Zambia suggests that halting breastfeeding early causes more harm than
good for children not infected with HIV who are born to HIV-positive mothers. Stopping
breastfeeding before 18 months was associated with significant increases in mortality
among these children, according to the study's findings, described in the Feb. 1, 2010,
issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, and available online now.
Week 02 | Week 01 | Week 53 | Week 52 | Week 51 | Week 50
Submit data or links here
|
|
|