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Week 48
1 in 3 Americans Could Have
Diabetes By 2050: How On Earth Will We Cope?
The prevalence of diabetes is quickly escalating within the U.S population as more than 23
million adults and children now have the disease. As shocking as it may sound research
from the CDC suggests that by the year 2050 type-2 diabetes may affect one in three
people.
15 Dangerous Drugs Big Pharma
Shoves Down Our Throats
In the pharmaceutical industry's rush to get drugs to market, safety usually comes last.
Long studies to truly assess a drug's risks just delay profits after all -- and if
problems do emerge after medication hits the market, settlements are usually less than
profits. Remember, Vioxx still made money.
5 Mining Projects That Could
Devastate the Entire Planet
Burning coal and oil for more than 100 years has resulted in human-made climate change. We
cannot allow another 100 years of the same.
9/11 Family Members of Victims Cast
Doubts on the Official Story
A new television ad campaign featuring the family members of 9/11 victims has succeeded in
garnering what 9/11 activists have lacked for years: serious treatment in the mainstream
media.
A little pain goes a long way
Researchers found that new procedures to minimize pain and fear among children, combined
with new administration technologies, may help adults cope with anxiety about seeing a
doctor for their own ailments.
A once-in-a-lifetime flu jab that
fights off all strains of the disease is on its way
A flu jab that is given just once in a lifetime should be available within five years.
A stem cell secreted protein can be
given to improve heart function after experimental heart attack
Heart tissue and stem cells spring into action to begin repairing muscle damaged in a
heart attack, and researchers at Duke University School of Medicine found that a protein
naturally produced in the body may potentially play a role in accelerating heart muscle
repair. Giving the right dose of this protein named secreted frizzled related protein 2
(sfrp2) in studies of rats helped to prevent heart failure and reduce collagen layering
that can form thick scar tissue after a heart attack (also called MI, or myocardial
infarction). Previously the same researchers demonstrated that this protein also saves
heart muscle cells from dying in response to heart attack.
A warming Earth could mean stronger
toxins
Global warming may be making pesticide residues, heavy metals and household chemicals more
dangerous to fish, wildlife and, ultimately, humans, scientists warn.
Acne drug may boost suicide risk by
lowering serum vitamin D
the following report provides evidence suggesting that isotretinoin used to treat acne may
decrease serum levels of calcitriol - the active form of vitamin D - and lowering of serum
vitamin D boosts the risk of depression and suicide.
Adding Iron to Ocean Would
Backfire, Algae Study Suggests
Fertilizing the oceans with iron — a tactic that "geoengineers" have
proposed to fight global warming — could inadvertently spur the growth of toxic
microbes, warn scientists who analyzed water samples from past iron-fertilization
experiments.
Adolescents at risk for alcohol
abuse show decreased brain activation
The period known as adolescence is a significant time of change for the individual
experiencing it. Some of the most significant changes that occur are located within the
prefrontal cortex in the brain, which is involved in decision making, social understanding
and the ability to view situations from another individual's point of view. But,
adolescence is also a time where many youths begin drinking, which can have serious
effects on brain development. However, new research exploring the neural processes of
adolescents with alcohol abuse in their families has indicated that a positive family
history may confer a significant risk for future alcoholism.
After BP oil spill, thousands of
ideas poured in for cleanup
As oil spewed from the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico last summer, so did ideas on how to
stop it and clean it up.
AGW deniers in ecstasy over Channel
4 documentary
One thing that's been particularly noticeable about the commentators who've most actively
seized on Channel 4's documentary "What The Green Movement Got Wrong" is that
they tend to be deniers of anthropogenic (man-made) global warming (AGW) - or at least
people who actively encourage the view that climate change is absolutely nothing to worry
about.
Air Flows in Mechanical Device
Reveal Secrets of Speech Pathology
From a baby's first blurted "bowl!'" for the word "ball" to the
whispered goodbye of a beloved elder, the capacity for complex vocalizations is one of
humankind's most remarkable attributes -- and perhaps one we take for granted most of our
lives.
Air travelers at risk from
secondhand smoke
A new report by the agency finds that one in four of the largest U.S. airports still
allows smoking indoors, potentially exposing travelers and workers to disease-causing
secondhand smoke.
Alcohol damages much more than the
liver
Alcohol does much more harm to the body than just damaging the liver. Drinking also can
weaken the immune system, slow healing, impair bone formation, increase the risk of HIV
transmission and hinder recovery from burns, trauma, bleeding and surgery. Researchers
released the latest findings on such negative effects of alcohol during a meeting Nov. 19
of the Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group, held at Loyola University Medical
Center. At Loyola, about 50 faculty members, technicians, post-doctoral fellows and
students are conducting alcohol research. Studies at Loyola and other centers could lead
to therapies to boost the immune system or otherwise minimize the effects of alcohol, said
Elizabeth J. Kovacs, PhD, director of Loyola's Alcohol Research Program and associate
director of Loyola's Burn & Shock Trauma Institute.
Americans Are Wary Of Genetically
Engineered Foods
Would you eat a genetically engineered salmon? Are you even sure what the difference is
between the regular variety and one that's been tweaked to grow faster?
Ammonia Fertilizer May Solve
Pesticide Problem
Pesticides: New technique could cut emissions of ozone-destroying methyl bromide from
fumigated soils. The soil fumigant methyl bromide kills crop-damaging nematode worms and
fungi. Unfortunately, it also rips holes in the ozone layer and threatens farm workers'
health. Now researchers have shown in laboratory experiments that ammonia fertilizer can
degrade this pesticide
Anesthetics and Alzheimer's disease
There is growing global concern regarding the potential neurotoxicity of anesthetics.
Biophysical and animal model studies have identified molecular changes simulating
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology after exposure to inhaled anesthetics. This research
has alerted anesthesiologists, neuropsychologists, surgeons and other clinicians to
initiate in-depth clinical research on the role of anesthetics in post operative cognitive
decline. AD is a devastating disease commonly found in elderly persons and an enormous
world health problem. It is manifested by severe memory loss, language problems, impaired
decision making and affected activities of daily living. The human population is aging
with increase in life expectancy. Therefore, we are confronted with increases in the
number of persons at risk of developing AD and also the number of elderly undergoing
surgical procedures. Any possible association between the two therefore merits careful
consideration.
Animal welfare concerns Britons
more than food safety
EU-wide survey shows while cloning and GM foods dismay other countries, here livestock
conditions cause the most worry
Are 'bioidentical' hormones safer
and can hibiscus flower tea lower blood pressure?
A study published this year in the Journal of Nutrition found that several cups a day can
help lower blood pressure in people with mild hypertension.
Articles on Hydrogen Peroxide
I decided to organize the various articles and notes I've posted on hydrogen peroxide into
a single location to make it easier to find them. The first article by Walter Grotz, a
retired Postmaster and late 20th century promoter of hydrogen peroxide, is as good an
introduction as any to the subject of hydrogen peroxide.
As Arctic temperatures rise, tundra
fires increase, researchers find
In September, 2007, the Anaktuvuk River Fire burned more than 1,000 square kilometers of
tundra on Alaska's North Slope, doubling the area burned in that region since record
keeping began in 1950. A new analysis of sediment cores from the burned area revealed that
this was the most destructive tundra fire at that site for at least 5,000 years. Models
built on 60 years of climate and fire data found that even moderate increases in
warm-season temperatures in the region dramatically increase the likelihood of such fires.
As Europe frets, Greece flops
How corruption in Greece prolongs its recession, which is pushing a continent to the
brink.
As Glaciers Melt, Science Seeks
Data on Rising Seas
Scientists long believed that the collapse of the gigantic ice sheets in Greenland and
Antarctica would take thousands of years, with sea level possibly rising as little as
seven inches in this century, about the same amount as in the 20th century.
Assessment tool predicts blood clot
risk after plastic surgery
Patients undergoing plastic or reconstructive surgery should receive a risk assessment
before their procedure to predict whether they'll develop potentially fatal blood clots in
the legs or lungs, according to research at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Researchers also found that 1 in 9 patients at highest risk based on that assessment will
develop clots if not given clot-preventing medications after surgery. Published in the
November 2010 Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the study evaluated the Caprini
Risk Assessment Model, a standard measurement tool used to assess the likelihood a patient
will develop dangerous clots in the deep veins of the legs or lungs after surgery. While
all patients admitted to U-M for surgery receive a Caprini risk assessment, it is not
standard practice among plastic surgeons nationwide. "Our data demonstrates that the
Caprini Risk Assessment Model is a useful and effective tool for predicting how likely a
patient is to develop venous thromboembolism (VTE) after plastic surgery," says
Christopher J. Pannucci, M.D., M.S., resident in the U-M Section of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery and the study's lead author.
Association of residential dampness
and mold with respiratory tract infections and bronchitis: a meta-analysis
Dampness and mold have been shown in qualitative reviews to be associated with a variety
of adverse respiratory health effects, including respiratory tract infections. Several
published meta-analyses have provided quantitative summaries for some of these
associations, but not for respiratory infections. Demonstrating a causal relationship
between dampness-related agents, which are preventable exposures, and respiratory tract
infections would suggest important new public health strategies.
Autism Research Institute Monthly
Enewsletter
ARI publishes two newsletters. The Autism Research Review International (ARRI) is a
printed quarterly review of research pertinent to autism, delivered by regular mail. The
ARI e-newsletter is a free monthly newsletter, and it includes conference updates and
autism-related information and articles.
Babies' nighttime sleep linked to
impulse control
Young children who sleep mostly at night can control their impulses better than those who
do most of their sleeping during the day, say Montreal researchers.
Bacteria help infants digest milk
more effectively than adults
Infants are more efficient at digesting and utilizing nutritional components of milk than
adults due to a difference in the strains of bacteria that dominate their digestive
tracts. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, and Utah State University
report on genomic analysis of these strains in the November 2010 issue of the journal
Applied and Environmental Microbiology identifying the genes that are most likely
responsible for this difference. "Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the
third-largest solid component of milk. Their structural complexity renders them
non-digestible to the host," say the researchers. "Bifidobacterium longum
strains often predominate the colonic microbiota of exlusively breast-fed infants. Among
the three recognized subspecies, B. longum subsp. infantis achieves high levels of cell
growth on HMOs and is associated with early colonization of the infant gut."
Bacteria use 'toxic darts' to
disable each other, according to UCSB scientists
In nature, it's a dog-eat-dog world, even in the realm of bacteria. Competing bacteria use
"toxic darts" to disable each other, according to a new study by UC Santa
Barbara biologists. Their research is published in the journal Nature. "The discovery
of toxic darts could eventually lead to new ways to control disease-causing
pathogens," said Stephanie K. Aoki, first author and postdoctoral fellow in UCSB's
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). "This is
important because resistance to antibiotics is on the rise." Second author Elie J.
Diner, a graduate student in biomolecular sciences and engineering, said: "First we
need to learn the rules of this bacterial combat. It turns out that there are many ways to
kill your neighbors; bacteria carry a wide range of toxic darts." The scientists
studied many bacterial species, including some important pathogens. They found that
bacterial cells have stick-like proteins on their surfaces, with toxic dart tips. These
darts are delivered to competing neighbor cells when the bacteria touch. This process of
touching and injecting a toxic dart is called "contact dependent growth
inhibition," or CDI.
Baking soda dramatically boosts oil
production in algae
Montana State University researchers have discovered that baking soda can dramatically
increase algae's production of the key oil precursors for biodiesel. The same ingredient
that causes cookies to rise in the oven, the same agent that calms upset stomachs and
removes odors from refrigerators is the elusive chemical trigger that scientists have
sought since the early 1990s, said Rob Gardner, an MSU graduate student in chemical and
biological engineering and a native of Afton, Wyo.
Beating the regeneration blockers
It’s known that the development of neuronal diseases such as multiple sclerosis and
Alzheimer’s disease is connected with the levels of myelin – an insulating
substance around nerve fibres – in the body, although the actual causes of these
conditions remain unknown. Now researchers at IBEC have discovered a new group of
interacting partners for myelin-associated receptors, which could shed light on the
significance of imbalanced production or modifications of the substance.
Bees take the sting out of mouth
ulcers
The healing properties of propolis – a mixture of resin and wax made by honey bees to
seal and sterilise their hives – have been known for many years. But its use in
medicine and food supplements has been limited because the sticky substance is not water
soluble and has a strong, off-putting smell. Now researchers at the University of
Bradford’s Centre for Pharmaceutical Engineering Science have developed a way of
purifying propolis that retains its medicinal properties, but makes it dissolve in water
and eliminates its pungent smell. The technique has already led to the development of a
new mouth ulcer gel and opens the door to a huge range of other pharmaceutical and
nutraceutical applications for the substance.
Beijing air quality is 'crazy bad'
Pollution in Beijing was so bad Friday the U.S. Embassy, which has been independently
monitoring air quality, ran out of conventional adjectives to describe it, at one point
saying it was "crazy bad."
Belly fat is transformed into
medicine
Scientists have used stem cells derived from waistline fat tissue to help recovery from a
heart attack.
Big Pharma Shamelessly Shills
Dangerous Bone Drugs You Don't Need
Drugs meant to strengthen bones may not work -- and many have a slew of harmful
side-effects like a higher cancer risk, irregular heart rate, and stomach bleeding.
Bill to Ban GE Salmon Introduced in
Congress
the biotech industry has not wooed everyone in Washington. On Thursday, Sen. Mark Begich
(D-Alaska) introduced legislation that would ban the GM salmon - sometimes called
"frankenfish" - if the FDA approves it.
Binge-drinking teens may be risking
future depression
Binge-drinking teenagers may be putting themselves at higher risk in adulthood for mood
disorders such as anxiety and depression, Loyola University Health System researchers
report. A new Loyola study has found that exposing adolescent rats to binge amounts of
alcohol permanently altered the system that produces hormones in response to stress. This
disruption in stress hormones "might lead to behavioral and/or mood disorders in
adulthood," researchers reported. Senior author Toni Pak, PhD, and colleagues
reported their findings Nov. 15 at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in
San Diego.
Bioelectromagnetic field effects on
cancer cells and mice tum
We present possibilities and trends of ELF bioelectromagnetic effects in the mT amplitude
range on cancer cells and on mice bearing tumors. In contrast to invasive
electrochemotherapy and electrogenetherapy, using mostly needle electrodes and single
high-amplitude electropulses for treatment, extremely low-frequency (ELF) pulsating
electromagnetic fields (PEMF) and sinusoidal electromagnetic fields (SEMF) induce tumor
cell apoptosis, inhibit angiogenesis, impede proliferation of neoplastic cells, and cause
necrosis non invasively, whereas human lymphocytes are negligibly affected. Our successful
results in killing cancer cells-analyzed by trypan blue staining or by flow cytometry-and
of the inhibition of MX-1 tumors in mice by 15-20?mT, 50?Hz treatment in a solenoid coil
also in the presence of bleomycin are presented in comparison to similar experimental
results from the literature. In conclusion, the synergistic combinations of PEMF or SEMF
with hyperthermia (41.5°C) and/or cancerostatic agents presented in the tables for cells
and mice offer a basis for further development of an adjuvant treatment for patients
suffering from malignant tumors and metastases pending the near-term development of
suitable solenoids of 45-60?cm in diameter, producing >20?mT in their cores.
Biotechnology Industry Spends Over
Half a Billion Pushing Controversial Projects like Genetically Engineered (GE) Food
Animals
Over the last decade, top food and agriculture biotechnology firms and trade associations
spent over half a billion dollars - $572 million - in campaign contributions and lobbying
Congress in support of controversial industry projects like genetically engineered (GE)
food animals, according to a new analysis by national consumer advocacy group Food &
Water Watch.
Biowatch concerned about
monopolisation of South Africa seed industry
Biowatch South Africa, an NGO involved in promoting biodiversity and sustainable
livelihoods, raised serious concerns about consolidation and emerging monopolies in the
South African seed industry with the Competition Commission of South Africa in Pretoria
today.
Black Lung Disease Kills 1,000 Coal
Miners a Year
Whenever policy wonks or bureaucrats or business folk in temperature-controlled
(coal-fired generated) offices admonish me to accept the reality of dirty coal in our
lives, I remind them of this fact:
BP, firms missed key errors before
spill
Lacking standards to weigh costs against safety, BP and its partners made critical errors
leading to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, according to a scientific panel
report obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
BPA eliminated through urination
Bisphenol-A, or BPA, a chemical widely-used in plastic food containers and packaging, is
mostly eliminated through the urine and does not accumulate in the body, the World Health
Organization said Wednesday.
BPA, EPA hasn’t identified a
safer alternative for thermal paper
A significant share of the thermal paper used to print store and gas-pump receipts in
North America and Europe relies on a color-change chemistry that employs BPA.
Brain cancer 'trojan attack' hope
A tiny capsule could help smuggle anti-cancer drugs past a barrier designed to protect the
brain from attack. The "nanocarrier" containing the drug was tested on tumours
in mice, and proved better at reducing them than the drug alone
Brazil launches GM-free soya
program
Great news for soya farmers in Brazil! These producers, who have been complaining of the
limited availability of conventional seeds in the Brazilian market, are now counting on
government help to solve the problem through the recently launched Soja Livre (Free Soya),
a programme result of a partnership between Embrapa (the Brazilian Agricultural Research
Corporation, led by the State), APROSOJA (Association of Soya Producers of Mato Grosso
State) and ABRANGE (Brazilian Association of Non Genetically Modified Grain Producers).
Breast cancer treatments among
examples of more harm than good
The basic rule of medicine is, as Hippocrates advised 2,500 years ago: "First, do no
harm." Yet the history of cancer care is filled with examples of treatments that were
more likely to maim or kill the patient than eradicate the disease, says oncologist
Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of the new book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of
Cancer.
Breast milk sugar promotes colitis
in offspring
A sugar found in mouse breast milk promotes the generation of colitis in offspring,
according to a study published online on November 22 in the Journal of Experimental
Medicine (www.jem.org). Sugars in breast milk are essential for the development of the
newborn immune system and the growth of beneficial commensal bacteria in the gut. But
certain milk sugars in certain contexts could be bad news. A group led by Thierry Hennet
at the University of Zurich found that newborn mice fostered by mothers lacking one
particular milk sugar—sialyl(alpha2,3)lactose—were less susceptible to
inflammation-induced colitis later in life. The resistance to colitis was attributed to
differences in the commensal bacteria. Determining whether this milk sugar has some
redeeming qualities—for example in facilitating defense against dangerous intestinal
pathogens—will require further studies.
British Beekeepers' Association to
stop endorsing bee-killing pesticides
Beekepers' group ends commercial relationship with pesticide manufacturer whose product
killed bees.
California aims to remove toxins in
products
It's almost unthinkable now that environmentalists and manufacturers once stood together
as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill making California the first state to regulate
toxic chemicals in consumer products.
Caltech scientists describe the
delicate balance in the brain that controls fear
The eerie music in the movie theater swells; the roller coaster crests and begins its
descent; something goes bump in the night. Suddenly, you're scared: your heart thumps,
your stomach clenches, your throat tightens, your muscles freeze you in place. But fear
doesn't come from your heart, your stomach, your throat, or your muscles. Fear begins in
your brain, and it is there—specifically in an almond-shaped structure called the
amygdala—that it is controlled, processed, and let out of the gate to kick off the
rest of the fear response. In this week's issue of the journal Nature, a research team led
by scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has taken an important
step toward understanding just how this kickoff occurs by beginning to dissect the neural
circuitry of fear. In their paper, these scientists—led by David J. Anderson, the
Benzer Professor of Biology at Caltech and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
investigator—describe a microcircuit in the amygdala that controls, or
"gates," the outflow of fear from that region of the brain.
Can food additives affect ADHD?
If your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it's not because he or
she played too many video games, logged multiple hours of TV viewing, or ate the wrong
kinds of foods. In fact, researchers think the cause of ADHD is largely genetic. But it is
tempting to look for dietary factors that could be making symptoms worse. In particular, a
possible link between ADHD and certain foods -- including food dyes and preservatives --
has been suspected since the 1970s. Still, despite decades of research, experts can't
agree on whether eliminating dye-containing foods from a child's diet can ease ADHD
symptoms like hyperactivity and impulsivity -- except in perhaps a few special cases.
Can music therapy treat depression?
An Austrian study that appears in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
applies music therapy to the treatment of depression. Evidence suggests that music therapy
should be further explored as a possible treatment. Music therapy is generally not
associated with negative side effects and can be easily implemented. These factors
contribute to high adherence and favorable treatment outcomes. Previous efficacy studies
of music therapy for depression treatment suffered from a lack of specific stimuli,
methodological shortcomings, or utilization of small samples.
Cancer Defeated - Neuroblastoma
Challenge of feeding the world
One of the biggest challenges facing the world today is how to feed the expected
population of nine billion by 2050.A new paper published in the International Journal of
Agricultural Sustainability identifies the top 100 questions for the future of global
agriculture. Despite significant growth in food production over the past 50 years, it has
been estimated the world needs to produce 70-100% more food to meet expected demand
without significant increases in prices.
Chemical Lobby Gets Its Way in U.S.
Senate
For several years now, Environmental Working Group (EWG) has been warning of the risks
associated with bisphenol A (BPA) – especially the BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups
and cans of infant formula. EWG has also been a leader in trying to get state and federal
agencies to regulate this hazardous chemical.
Chemicals' study pinpoints threat
to workers' lungs
Tiny particles used in a range of everyday products from computers to shampoo can
adversely affect the lungs in very different ways, a study has shown. Research by the
University of Edinburgh suggests that industrial manufacturers using nanoparticles should
be aware of the risks that different types of nanoparticles pose to workers who handle
them. Nanoparticles – which can be 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human
hair – are potentially hazardous to workers handling the chemicals used to make
products as they may be at risk of inhaling them. The particles are not, however, thought
to pose any substantial risk once they are incorporated in consumer goods used by the
public.
Chicago Allergist Shows Pollutants
in Air
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is calling for an air pollution test, in response to recent
Chicago Tribune investigative reports that Chicago commuters are exposed to high levels of
diesel soot. "Dark lines of soot and other air pollution regularly are recorded on my
slides,” says Dr. Joseph Leija, allergist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, who has
performed the official allergy count for the Midwest for the National Allergy Bureau for
more than one decade.
Childhood obesity linked to
increased risk of adult cardiovascular and metabolic disorders
Mounting evidence linking childhood obesity to an increasing risk of obesity, heart
disease, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in adulthood is
clearly presented in a comprehensive review article in the current issue of Childhood
Obesity, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online. Authors
Megan Moriarty-Kelsey, MD and Stephen Daniels, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics,
University of Colorado School of Medicine, caution that the rising prevalence of obesity
in children will lead to higher obesity rates in the adult population, resulting in a
greater health burden caused by obesity-related metabolic and cardiovascular
complications. In fact, obese children may already exhibit early signs of disorders such
as hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance.
Children of divorcees 'more likely
to have strokes'
Children whose parents divorced are more than twice as likely to suffer strokes as adults,
according to research.
China Cites Pollution in Tightening
Rare-Earth Exports
Chinese officials are signaling greater efforts to tie the export of rare-earth metals to
tougher environmental standards, suggesting worries over supplies of the critical elements
could continue.
China rules out linking climate aid
to transparency
China said on Friday it will not agree to any deal tying climate change aid from rich
nations to its acceptance of tighter international checks of its greenhouse gas emissions,
which it said will grow for some time.
Widely prescribed for their cholesterol-lowering properties, recent clinical research
indicates that statins can produce a second, significant health benefit: lowering the risk
of severe bacterial infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. A new explanation for these
findings has been discovered by researchers at the University of California, San Diego
School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, who
describe for the first time how statins activate the bacterial killing properties of white
blood cells.
Cigarette Makers Aggressively
Recruit Smokers in Foreign Countries
As sales to developing nations become ever more important to giant tobacco companies, they
are stepping up efforts around the world to fight tough restrictions on the marketing of
cigarettes.
Cilantro ingredient can remove foul
odor of 'chitlins'
With chitlins about to make their annual appearance on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New
Year's Day menus, scientists have good news for millions of people who love that delicacy
of down-home southern cooking, but hate the smell. They are reporting the first
identification of an ingredient in cilantro that quashes the notoriously foul odor of
chitlins — a smell known to drive people from the house when chitlins are cooking.
Their report appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Yasuyoshi Hayata
and colleagues note that chitlins — hog large intestines — are infamous for
their foul smell, which is reminiscent of the waste material that once filled the
intestine. However, many people enjoy the taste of the southern delicacy. When boiled or
fried, chitlins are most popular in the United States during the winter holidays, from
Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. However, hog large intestine also is a year-round staple
in the cuisines of the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia.
Circuit regulating anti-diabetic
actions of serotonin uncovered by UT Southwestern researchers
New findings by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center suggest that serotonin
– a brain chemical known to help regulate emotion, mood and sleep – might also
have anti-diabetic properties. The findings, appearing online this week in Nature
Neuroscience, also offer a potential explanation for why individuals prescribed certain
kinds of anti-psychotic drugs that affect serotonin signaling sometimes have problems with
their metabolism, including weight gain and the development of diabetes. "In this
paper, we describe a circuit in the brain that may explain the anti-diabetic actions of
serotonin-receptor signaling," said Dr. Joel Elmquist, professor of internal medicine
and pharmacology at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study. "This discovery
tells us that drugs that affect serotonin action can have anti-diabetic actions
independent of body weight and feeding."
Citywide smoking ban contributes to
significant decrease in maternal smoking, pre-term births
New research released today takes a look at birth outcomes and maternal smoking, building
urgency for more states and cities to join the nationwide smoke-free trend that has
accelerated in recent years. According to the new data, strong smoke-free policies can
improve fetal outcomes by significantly reducing the prevalence of maternal smoking. The
study, which was presented today at the American Public Health Association’s 138th
Annual Meeting & Exposition in Denver, compared maternal smoking prevalence in one
Colorado city where a smoking ban has already been implemented to that of a neighboring
city where there is no ordinance.
Climate change - Between Farmers
and cattle rearer
Clashes over land ownership and grazing land for the animals has continued to grow in the
past few years.
Coaching with compassion can 'light
up' human thoughts
Coaching happens just about everywhere, and every day, with learning as the goal.
Effective coaching can lead to smoothly functioning organizations, better productivity and
potentially more profit. In classrooms, better student performance can occur. Doctors or
nurses can connect more with patients. So, doing coaching right would seem to be a natural
goal, and it has been a major topic of research at Case Western Reserve University's
Weatherhead School of Management since 1990. For all the energy and money spent on
coaching, there is little understanding about what kind of interactions can contribute to
or detract from effectiveness. Ways of coaching can and do vary widely, due to a lack of
understanding of the psycho-physiological mechanisms which react to positive or negative
stimulus. Internally funded research at Case Western Reserve has documented reactions in
the human brain to compassionate and critical coaching methods. The results start to
reveal the mechanisms by which learning can be enhanced through coaching with compassion
(a method that emphasizes the coached individual's own goals).
Codex NRVs are Thrown Back in the
Oven for Reheating
At last year’s meeting of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special
Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) in Dusseldorf, Germany, the National Health Federation (with help
from the Indian and Iraqi delegations) was able to stop the advance of those Guidelines on
Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) that would have set low numerical values for vitamins and
minerals. Some delegations, especially Australia, were strongly pushing for these
“dumbed down” NRVs to go forward. Had they gone forward at that time – as
they very nearly did – then we would now be looking at well-advanced Codex NRVs of,
for example, 45 milligrams for Vitamin C and 200 IUs for Vitamin D as providing 100% of an
adult’s daily nutritional needs.
Combating cancer’s double
whammy
A major study is under way at The University of Nottingham which could lead to better
prevention of a serious and sometimes fatal complication in cancer patients.
Common Errors in Phthalates Reports
(PR)
This media alert is in response to inaccurate statements about phthalates – a family
of compounds used primarily as a vinyl softener – that have appeared in recent news
reports.
Common strain of bacteria found in
patients with cystic fibrosis in Canada
A common transmissible strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been identified
among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in Canada, suggesting that cross-infection has
occurred widely between CF centers in the United Kingdom and Canada, according to a study
in the November 17 issue of JAMA. Infection with this strain among Canadian CF patients
has been associated with an increased risk of death or lung transplantation. There is
variability in the type and timing of outcome among CF patients who are infected with P
aeruginosa; some patients experience a rapid decline in pulmonary function after infection
and others harbor the organism for extended periods without any obvious adverse effects.
The marked difference in prognosis among patients with P aeruginosa has not been
adequately explained, but it may be due in part to differences among infecting strains,
according to background information in the article.
Communication Engages Complex Brain
Circuitry And Processes
New human and animal studies released today uncover the extensive brain wiring used in
communication and provide new insights into how the brain processes and produces language,
accents, and sounds. The research also explores the brain abnormalities in people with
speech and language problems, such as stuttering, suggesting future treatment avenues.
Communication engages complex brain
circuitry and processes
New human and animal studies released today uncover the extensive brain wiring used in
communication and provide new insights into how the brain processes and produces language,
accents, and sounds. The research also explores the brain abnormalities in people with
speech and language problems, such as stuttering, suggesting future treatment avenues. The
new findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for
Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.
Compound That Blocks Sugar Pathway
Slows Cancer Cell Growth
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified a compound that could be used to starve
cancers of their sugar-based building blocks. The compound, called a glutaminase
inhibitor, has been tested on laboratory-cultured, sugar-hungry brain cancer cells and,
the scientists say, may have the potential to be used for many types of primary brain
tumors
Compound that blocks sugar pathway
slows cancer cell growth
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified a compound that could be used to starve
cancers of their sugar-based building blocks. The compound, called a glutaminase
inhibitor, has been tested on laboratory-cultured, sugar-hungry brain cancer cells and,
the scientists say, may have the potential to be used for many types of primary brain
tumors. The Johns Hopkins scientists, are inventors on patent applications related to the
discovery, caution that glutaminase inhibitors have not been tested in animals or humans,
but their findings may spark new interest in the glutaminase pathway as a target for new
therapies.
Cool rainforests store more carbon,
book finds
Cool rainforests store more carbon per acre than tropical rainforests, according to a new
book that synthesizes the work of 30 international scientists, a finding that could shift
the way policymakers approach climate policy.
COPD could be a problem with
autoimmunity
Moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be an auto-immunity
problem, according to researchers in Spain, who studied the presence of auto-antibodies in
patients with COPD and compared them to levels of control subjects. They found that a
significant number of patients with COPD had significant levels of auto-antibodies
circulating in their blood, about 5 to 10 times the level in controls. The findings were
published online ahead of the print edition of the American Thoracic Society's American
Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. "We showed that between one third
and one quarter of patients with clinically stable COPD present abnormal levels of
circulating auto-antibodies in the blood," said Jaume Sauleda M.D., coordinator of
respiratory medicine department, Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, Palma Mallorca, Spain.
"Our findings provide further support for the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of
COPD involves an auto-immune component."
Cosmetic surgeon concerned over
'guinea pig' patients
A leading UK cosmetic surgeon claims patients are treated like "guinea pigs"
because medical implants do not need to undergo independent clinical trials.
Could an antidepressant solve the
mystery that is migraine?
Mystic visions often have a very prosaic explanation - migraine. Sufferer Steve Jones
looks at the causes and a possible cure.
Could your seafood contain toxic
chemicals?
Footage taken by a U.S. advocacy group of seafood being raised in Vietnam, for example,
showed fish in dirty sewage water, pumped with toxic antibiotics and banned drugs just to
keep them alive, boosting production and driving down costs.
Countdown to 'thermogeddon' has
begun
As humidity rises, sweating cools us less, so we suffer heat stress at lower air
temperatures. For now, no place on Earth exceeds the human threshold for heat tolerance,
with the exception of a few caves like the Naica cave in Mexico.
Culturally sensitive treatment
model helps bring depressed Chinese immigrants into treatment
A treatment model designed to accommodate the beliefs and concerns of Chinese immigrants
appears to significantly improve the recognition and treatment of major depression in this
typically underserved group. In a report in the December American Journal of Public
Health, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team describes how their model for
screening and assessing patients for depression in a primary care setting increased the
percentage of depressed patients entering treatment nearly sevenfold. "Ours is the
first study to incorporate a culturally sensitive interview into a collaborative care
model in order to address disparities in mental illness treatment among ethnic minorities
in primary care," says Albert Yeung, ScD, MD, of the MGH Department of Psychiatry,
lead author of the AJPH report. "The model appears to be a promising way to treat
this population, which highly underutilizes mental health services."
Depression Linked To Altered
Activity Of Circadian Rhythm Gene
Depression appears to be associated with a molecular-level disturbance in the body’s
24-hour clock, new research suggests. Scientists examined genes that regulate circadian
rhythm in people with and without a history of depression. As a group, those with a
history of depression had a higher level of activity of the so-called Clock gene, which
has a role in regulating circadian rhythm, than did people with no mood disorders.
Depression may be both consequence
of and risk factor for diabetes
Diabetes appears to be associated with the risk of depression and vice versa, suggesting
the relationship between the two works in both directions, according to a report in the
November 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. An
estimated 23.5 million U.S. adults—more than 10 percent—have diabetes, including
23 percent of those ages 60 and older, according to background information in the article.
Major depressive disorder affects about 14.8 million U.S. adults each year. "Although
it has been hypothesized that the diabetes-depression relation is bidirectional, few
studies have addressed this hypothesis in a prospective setting," the authors write.
Differences in brain development
between males and females may hold clues to mental health disorders
Many mental health disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, produce changes in social
behavior or interactions. The frequency and/or severity of these disorders is
substantially greater in boys than girls, but the biological basis for this difference
between the two sexes is unknown. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of
Medicine have discovered differences in the development of the amygdala region of the
brain – which is critical to the expression of emotional and social behaviors –
in animal models that may help to explain why some mental health disorders are more
prevalent among boys. They also found a surprising variable – a difference between
males and females in the level of endocannabinoid, a natural substance in the brain that
affected their behavior, specifically how they played.
DNA repair protein caught in act of
molecular theft
Scientists have observed, for the first time, an intermediate stage in the chemical
process that repairs DNA methylation damage and regulates many important biological
functions that impact health conditions such as obesity, cancer and diabetes. The
observations focused on the bacterial DNA repair protein AlkB, but the results also apply
to several proteins in the same family that play key regulatory roles in humans. Armed
with these results, researchers may one day develop methods for blocking the protein's
efforts to perform the biologically important demethylation function in human cells, said
Chuan He, Professor in Chemistry at the University of Chicago.
Doctors and Drug Companies - Still
Cozy after All These Years
Geoff Spurling and colleagues report findings of a systematic review looking at the
relationship between exposure to promotional material from pharmaceutical companies and
the quality, quantity, and cost of prescribing. They fail to find evidence of improvements
in prescribing after exposure, and find some evidence of an association with higher
prescribing frequency, higher costs, or lower prescribing quality.
Doctors urge caution with popular
energy drinks
Even though energy drinks are hugely popular and can be bought just about anywhere from
corner markets to big-box stores to gyms, researchers writing in this month's Mayo Clinic
Proceedings urge caution in using them and endorse federal regulation.
Does sex matter? It may when
evaluating mental status
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that differs between the sexes in terms of age at
onset, symptomatology, response to medication, and structural brain abnormalities. Now, a
new study from the Université de Montréal shows that there is gender difference between
men and women's mental ability – with women performing better than men. These
findings, published recently in, Schizophrenia Research, have implications for the more
than 300 000 affected Canadians.
Dollars For Docs - The Top
Physicians In Big Pharma's Pocket
A new investigation reveals some big-name doctors who have make hundreds of thousands of
dollars boosting sales for drug companies.
Dressing indicates infections
Wounds have to be regularly checked, to make sure any complications in the healing process
are detected at an early stage. A new material will make it possible to check wounds
without changing the dressing: If an infection arises, the material changes its color.
Whether a small cut with a fruit knife, a surgical wound or a major injury caused by a
fall – the body’s defense and repair system leaps into action and tries to close
the wound as quickly as possible. Small injuries usually heal within a few days, but a
gaping wound will take longer to heal, and an infection can take hold even after several
days. Dressings protect the site of the injury but to check the wound they have to be
removed. This can be painful for the patient and moreover it risks giving germs the chance
to enter and cause infection. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for
Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT in Munich have developed dressing materials and
plasters which indicate pathological changes in the skin. If an infection is present, the
color of the dressing changes from yellow to purple.
E. coli infection linked to
long-term health problems
People who contract gastroenteritis from drinking water contaminated with E coli are at an
increased risk of developing high blood pressure, kidney problems and heart disease in
later life, finds a study published online in the British Medical Journal. The findings
underline the importance of ensuring a safe food and water supply and the need for regular
monitoring for those affected. It is estimated that E coli O157:H7 infections cause up to
120,000 gastro-enteric illnesses annually in the US alone, resulting in over 2,000
hospitalizations and 60 deaths. However, the long term health effects of E coli infection
in adults are largely unknown.
Early and Chronic Marijuana Use May
Damage Brain Function, Says Study
Chronic pot smokers beware. A new study found that regularly smoking marijuana may lower
cognitive function, especially if the person starts smoking before 16 years of age.
Early leukemia death tied to mutant
gene
Gene mutations may explain why some adults with a type of leukemia die quickly of the
disease while others don't.
Eating a variety of fruit cuts lung
cancer risk
Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables per day is one of the means that experts most
frequently recommend for preventing cancer. Now, the European EPIC study carried out by
researchers from 10 countries has shown that, in the case of lung cancer, the important
thing is not just the quantity but also the variety of fruit consumed, which can reduce
the risk by up to 23%. "This research looks more deeply into the relationship between
diet and lung cancer", María José Sánchez Pérez, co-author of the study and
director of the Granada Cancer Registry at the Andalusian School of Public Health, tells
SINC.
Eating soybean may reduce risk of
breast cancer
Increased intake of soy foods which is high in phytoestrogens like soy isoflavones may
reduce risk of breast cancer, according to a new study presented at the Ninth Annual AACR
Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, held Nov. 7-10, 2010.
Effect of adding the novel fiber,
PGX(R), to commonly consumed foods on glycemic response, glycemic index and GRIP
Addition of NVP reduced blood glucose response irrespective of food or dose (p<0.01). The GI of cornflakes, cornflakes+NVP, rice, rice+NVP, yogurt, yogurt+NVP, turkey dinner, and turkey dinner+NVP were 83+/-8, 58+/-7, 82+/-8, 45+/-4, 44+/-4, 38+/-3, 55+/-5 and 41+/-4, respectively. The GI of the control granola, and granolas with 2.5 and 5g of NVP were 64+/-6, 33+/-5, and 22+/-3 respectively. GRIP was 6.8+/-0.9 units per/g of NVP.
Effect of low-intensity magnetic
fields on the development of satellite muscle cells of a newborn rat in the primary
culture
The influence of Earth magnetic field shielded down to 0.3 microT and static magnetic
field (60-160 microT) on the proliferation and differentiation of satellite muscle cells
in the primary culture has been investigated. A stimulatory effect of static magnetic
fields on the rate of the formation of massive multinucleated myotubes and an increase in
the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) have been detected for magnetic fields
of the microtesla range. On the other hand, it was shown that the reduction of earth
magnetic fields to 0.3 microT leads to the inhibition of proliferation and differentiation
of skeletal muscle cells in the primary culture. Since the formation of contractile
myotubes during in vitro experiments is similar to the regeneration of skeletal muscle
fibers under muscle damage in vivo, it may be concluded that weak magnetic fields have a
strong effect on intracellular processes by influencing all phases of muscle fiber
formation. It is necessary to take this fact into consideration when forecasting probable
complications of skeletal muscle regeneration during long-term exposure of man to
low-intensity magnetic fields and also for the potential use of low static magnetic fields
as a tool to recover the affected myogenesis.
Elderly can blame fractures and
falls on low sodium
lder adults with even mildly decreased levels of sodium in the blood (hyponatremia)
experience increased rates of fractures and falls, according to a study presented at the
American Society of Nephrology's 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition. Falls are
a serious health problem for the elderly and account for about 50 percent of deaths due to
injury in the elderly. "Screening for a low sodium concentration in the blood, and
treating it when present, may be a new strategy to prevent fractures," comments Ewout
J. Hoorn, MD, PhD (Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands). However,
hyponatremia does not appear to affect the risk of osteoporosis, as defined by low bone
mineral testing, so more research is needed to understand the link between sodium levels
and fracture risk.
Energy drink use may lead to
alcohol dependence
A hallmark of college life is staying up late to study for an exam the following morning,
and many students stay awake by consuming an energy drink. Also increasing in popularity
is the practice of mixing alcohol with energy drinks. But these drinks are highly
caffeinated and can lead to other problems, in addition to losing sleep. Unfortunately,
the contents of energy drinks are not regulated. New research indicates that individuals
who have a high frequency of energy drink consumption (52 or more times within a year)
were at a statistically significant higher risk for alcohol dependence and episodes of
heavy drinking.
Enzyme Action Could Be Target for
Diabetes, Heart Disease Treatments
Cardiac researchers at UC have found a new cellular pathway that could help in developing
therapeutic treatments for obesity-related disorders, like diabetes and heart disease.
This research is being presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific
Sessions in Chicago Nov. 16.Tapan Chatterjee, PhD, and researchers in the division of
cardiovascular diseases found that action by the enzyme histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) can
lead to obesity-induced body fat dysfunction and that HDAC9-regulated pathways could be
targets for potential treatment options in obesity-related diseases.
EPA Chemical Health Hazards Program
Has 55-Year Backlog of Work, Report Says
Eighteen months after the Environmental Protection Agency announced reforms to its
controversial process for evaluating health hazards posed by dangerous chemicals,
significant problems continue to hamper the program and leave the public at risk,
according to a new report by a nonprofit research group.
EPA proposal on dioxin has Utah
regulators on alert
A proposed stricter standard on acceptable levels of cancer-causing dioxin in soil is
confusing to some in scientific circles, alarming local governments and has Utah
environmental regulators keeping a watchful eye.
EPA tells states to consider rising
ocean acidity
The federal agency's memo Monday to states recognizes carbon dioxide as not only an air
pollutant but a water pollutant, and notes the serious impacts that ocean acidification
can have on aquatic life.
EPA to Expand Chemicals Testing for
Endocrine Disruption
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified a list of 134 chemicals that
will be screened for their potential to disrupt the endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors
are chemicals that interact with and possibly disrupt the hormones produced or secreted by
the human or animal endocrine system, which regulates growth, metabolism and reproduction.
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made it a top priority to ensure the safety of
chemicals, and this is another step in this process
Epizyme identifies novel
opportunity for treatment of genetically defined human B-cell lymphomas
Epizyme, Inc., a company leading the discovery and development of first-in-class, targeted
cancer therapeutics against epigenetic targets, today announced the publication of
breakthrough new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA).
The discovery, centered on the epigenetic enzyme EZH2, illuminates a clear path for the
translation of basic science into targeted therapies for the safe and effective treatment
of specific forms of human lymphomas. EZH2 is a histone methyltransferase (HMT), a class
of enzymes that play an important role in regulating the activity of particular groups of
genes that are involved in serious diseases, including cancer. The paper describes how the
development of two non-Hodgkin lymphomas - follicular lymphoma and germinal center B-cell
like subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma - requires the combined activities of both
the wild-type and Tyr641 mutants of EZH2. This novel insight reinforces the development of
targeted therapeutics for these patients, as it repudiates the previous supposition that
the Tyr641 mutation resulted in a loss of EZH2 function.
Errors kill 15,000 aged patients a
month
Mistakes and unavoidable problems kill an estimated 15,000 elderly U.S. patients every
month in hospitals, U.S. government investigators reported on Tuesday.
EU Commission's proposed GM
national bans may be legally invalid - EU Council Legal Service
EU Health Commissioner John Dalli has led an EU Commission plan to allow member states to
ban the cultivation of GM crops in return for allowing fast-track approval at the central
EU level. This proposal is opposed by many environmental and anti-GM groups, which warn
that member states that choose to implement bans at national level would be vulnerable to
legal challenges.
EU unveils trillion-euro single
energy market
The European Union's energy chief Wednesday unveiled an ambitious 10-year trillion-euro
energy investment plan for a single EU energy network to cut fossil fuel imports and fight
climate change.
Eurobarometer - More Europeans
opposed to GM food
The survey shows the European public see GM food as not offering benefits, as unsafe, as
inequitable and as worrying.
Europeans wary of GMO foods
Despite efforts from biotechnology companies such as Monsanto to promote GMO (genetically
modified organisms) foods, a new poll announced November 12 shows that as many as 95
percent of European respondents rate GMO foods as potentially unsafe and lacking real
benefits.
Ex-Glaxo Executive Is Charged in
Drug Fraud
In a rare move, the Justice Department on Tuesday announced that it had charged a former
vice president and top lawyer for the British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline with making false
statements and obstructing a federal investigation into illegal marketing of the
antidepressant Wellbutrin for weight loss.
Exercise may improve complications
of deep vein thrombosis
A pilot trial showed that a six-month exercise training program designed to increase leg
strength, leg flexibility and overall fitness may improve post-thrombotic syndrome, a
frequent, chronic complication of deep vein thrombosis, states a research article in CMAJ
(Canadian Medical Association Journal)
Exhaustion syndrome leaves
measurable changes in the brain
Exhaustion syndrome, also called burnout and exhaustion depression, leaves objectively
measurable changes in the brain – including reduced activity in the frontal lobes and
altered regulation of the stress hormone cortisol. This is shown in a new dissertation
from Umeĺ University in Sweden. Certain personality traits heighten susceptibility to
psychiatric disorders. Therefore a research team at Umeĺ University wanted to study
whether this patient group had any susceptibility factors that could explain the
development of their disorder. The patient group is distinguished by being anxious and
pessimistic, with a weak sense of self, which is common in many psychiatric disorders.
What was special about this group was that they stood out as persistent, ambitious, and
pedantic individuals.
Exhaustion syndrome leaves
measurable changes in the brain
Exhaustion syndrome, also called burnout and exhaustion depression, leaves objectively
measurable changes in the brain – including reduced activity in the frontal lobes and
altered regulation of the stress hormone cortisol. This is shown in a new dissertation
from Umeĺ University in Sweden. Certain personality traits heighten susceptibility to
psychiatric disorders. Therefore a research team at Umeĺ University wanted to study
whether this patient group had any susceptibility factors that could explain the
development of their disorder. The patient group is distinguished by being anxious and
pessimistic, with a weak sense of self, which is common in many psychiatric disorders.
What was special about this group was that they stood out as persistent, ambitious, and
pedantic individuals.
Experts battle Alzheimer's myths
Researchers are trying to find ways to diagnose Alzheimer's at the pre-clinical stage
before symptoms arise, which could lead to breakthroughs in treating, and possibly curing,
the disease, Standridge said.
Extreme global warming in the
ancient past
Variations in atmosphere carbon dioxide around 40 million years ago were tightly coupled
to changes in global temperature, according to new findings published in the journal
Science. The study was led by scientists at Utrecht University, working with colleagues at
the NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and the University of Southampton.
"Understanding the relationship between the Earth's climate and atmospheric carbon
dioxide in the geological past can provide insight into the extent of future global
warming expected to result from carbon dioxide emission caused by the activities of
humans," said Dr Steven Bohaty of the University of Southampton's School of Ocean and
Earth Science (SOES) based at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.
Eyeblink conditioning may help in
assessing children with fetal alcohol exposure
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an irreversible disorder in children that
affects the learning centers of the brain and results in cognitive and behavioral
impairment in the child for life. One of the most pressing problems in studying and
treating this disorder is that it is difficult to diagnose. Although the more severe form
of the disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is characterized by a distinct set of
facial features and growth retardation, the majority of lack these features, and there is
no recognized diagnostic criteria that can be used to identify them. However, a new study
released in the Feb. 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, which
is currently available at Early View, has been researching this problem and found that, by
using classical conditioning methods, a consistent FASD deficit has been identified.
According to Sandra Jacobson, a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Honorary Professor in the
Departments of Human Biology, and Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town Faculty of
Health Sciences, and lead author of the paper, the research examined whether heavy
prenatal alcohol exposure has an impact on both delay and trace learning in school-age
children.
Eyelid deposits may predict heart
risks
Researchers in Denmark say cholesterol deposits on eyelids -- xanthelasmata -- may predict
a greater chance of heart disease.
Farmers destroy DuPont's GM rice
trials
A transgenic rice variety, currently under trials at the Krishi Vignan Kendra of the
University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS) in Doddaballapur taluk, near here, was destroyed
by farmers on Wednesday.
Fat cells reach their limit and
trigger changes linked to type 2 diabetes
Scientists have found that the fat cells and tissues of morbidly obese people and animals
can reach a limit in their ability to store fat appropriately. Beyond this limit several
biological processes conspire to prevent further expansion of fat tissue and in the
process may trigger other health problems (see also Diabetes).
Feinstein pushes BPA restrictions
in food safety bill
Deliberations on the food safety bill the Senate is expected to take up Wednesday may
include a vote on an amendment by Sen. Dianne Feinstein that would limit the use of
bisphenol A, or BPA, the widely used but controversial plastics additive.
Fish oil omega-3 fatty acids DHA
and EPA may not be indispensable
A new study suggests as long you get enough intake of plant-derived linolenic acid or ALA,
your system will synthesize sufficient amounts of n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. In
other words, fish oil is not something indispensable.
Florida Researchers Make Surprising
Discovery about the 'Food of Angels'
Florida State University professor Bahram Arjmandi savors that description as he slices up
a juicy watermelon in his office and offers the slices to a visitor. Arjmandi calls
watermelon a magical fruit - and he should know.
For better or worse, happiness is
hitched to your spouse
Now new research suggests a person’s happiness — or lack thereof — may
actually depend on something else entirely - their spouse.
French weight loss drug linked to
500 deaths
A weight loss drug that has been taken by millions of French is likely to have been the
cause of death of 500 people, the country’s drug safety body announced yesterday,
amid claims that health authorities long ignored calls for the drug to be banned.
Fructose-rich beverages associated
with increased risk of gout in women
Consumption of fructose-rich beverages, such as sugar-sweetened sodas and orange juice is
associated with an increased risk of gout among women, although their contribution to the
risk of gout in the population is likely modest because of the low incidence rate among
women, according to a study that will appear in the November 24 print edition of JAMA. The
study is being released early online to coincide with its presentation at the American
College of Rheumatology annual scientific meeting. Gout is a common and very painful
inflammatory arthritis. "The increasing disease burden of gout in the United States
over the last few decades (e.g., an annual incidence of 16/100,000 in 1977 vs. 42/100,000
in 1996) coincided with a substantial increase in soft drink and fructose
consumption," the authors write. "Fructose-rich beverages such as
sugar-sweetened soda and orange juice can increase serum uric acid levels and, thus, the
risk of gout, but prospective data on the relationship are limited."
Functional amino acids play a critical role in the development of both animals and humans,
according to a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.
Garlic 'remedy for hypertension'
Garlic may be useful in addition to medication to treat high blood pressure, a study
suggests.
Gene find could lead to healthier
food, better biofuel production
Purdue University scientists have found the last undiscovered gene responsible for the
production of the amino acid phenylalanine, a discovery that could lead to processes to
control the amino acid to boost plants' nutritional values and produce better biofuel
feedstocks. Natalia Dudareva, a distinguished professor of horticulture, and Hiroshi
Maeda, a postdoctoral researcher in Dudareva's laboratory, determined that the gene is one
of 10 responsible for phenylalanine production in plants. Understanding how the amino acid
is produced could provide a strategy to increase or reduce that production.
Gene linked to ADHD allows memory
task to be interrupted by brain regions tied to daydreaming
Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) say brain scans show that a
gene nominally linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) leads to
increased interference by brain regions associated with mind wandering during mental
tasks. Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, these researchers
believe their findings are the first to show, through brain scanning, the differences in
brain network relationships between individuals with this particular form of gene and
others with a different form. "Our goal is to narrow down the function of candidate
genes associated with ADHD, and in this study, we find this gene is tied to competition
between brain networks. This could lead to increased inattention, but it likely has
nothing to do with hyperactivity," says the study's lead author, Evan Gordon, a
doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at GUMC. "This is
just one gene, and it does not cause ADHD but likely contributes to it. The disorder is
believed to be due to a myriad of genetic factors." The gene in question is DAT1; its
protein produces the dopamine transporter that helps regulate dopamine transmission
between brain cells. The DAT1 gene comes in two alleles, or forms – DAT1 10 and DAT1
9. People who inherit two 10 alleles (10/10) are said to be at greater risk for developing
ADHD than people who inherit 10/9 alleles. Rarely does someone inherit two 9 alleles,
according to Gordon; he says, in fact, that the10 allele is slightly more common than the
9 allele.
Gene links to anorexia found by
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia researchers
Scientists at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have identified both common and rare
gene variants associated with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. In the largest genetic
study of this psychiatric disorder, the researchers found intriguing clues to genes they
are subjecting to further investigation, including genes active in neuronal signaling and
in shaping interconnections among brain cells. Anorexia nervosa (AN) affects an estimated
9 in 1000 women in the United States. Patients have food refusal, weight loss, an
irrational fear of weight gain even when emaciated, and distorted self-image of body
weight and shape.
Gene therapy for metastatic
melanoma in mice produces complete remission
A potent anti-tumor gene introduced into mice with metastatic melanoma has resulted in
permanent immune reconfiguration and produced a complete remission of their cancer,
according to an article to be published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of
Clinical Investigation. The online version is now available. Indiana University School of
Medicine researchers used a modified lentivirus to introduce a potent anti-melanoma T cell
receptor gene into the hematopoietic stem cells of mice. Hematopoietic stem cells are the
bone marrow cells that produce all blood and immune system cells.
Genes give clue to early puberty
At least 30 genes appear to play a role in the age at which girls reach puberty, according
to an international group of scientists.
Genes link sexual maturity to body
fat in women
An international group of scientists, including researchers at the Medical Research
Council (MRC), has discovered 30 genes that control the age at which girls reach sexual
maturity. They found that many of the genes responsible for puberty also play a strong
role in how the body metabolises fat, establishing new biological links between going
through puberty at a young age and being at increased risk of obesity. This knowledge will
help to explain why girls in some families are more likely to go through puberty at an
early age, and may eventually help to prevent chronic health problems associated with
excessive weight gain.
Global health officials target
tobacco additives
A conference on tobacco held in Uruguay has recommended that additives used to make
cigarettes more appealing to new smokers should be restricted or banned.
Glucose Tolerance in Non-industrial
Cultures
Glucose is the predominant blood sugar and one of the body's two main fuel sources (the
other is fatty acids). Glucose, in one form or another, is also the main form of
digestible dietary carbohydrate in nearly all human diets. Starch is made of long chains
of glucose molecules, which are rapidly liberated and absorbed during digestion. Sucrose,
or table sugar, is made of one glucose and one fructose molecule, which are separated
before absorption.
Guardian angels for seeds
The seeds that you plant in your backyard garden next spring — and farmers sow in
their fields — may have a guardian angel that helps them sprout, stay healthy, and
grow to yield bountiful harvests. It's a thin coating of chemicals termed a "seed
treatment" that can encourage seeds to germinate earlier in the season, resist
insects and diseases, and convey other advantages. These new seed defenders are the topic
of an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS'
weekly newsmagazine.
Hearing Colors, Seeing Sounds - New
Research Explores Sensory Overlap In The Brain
New research indicates that the integration of senses and functions in the brain is
common. About two percent of the population has a condition called synesthesia, in which
two different sensations, like color and sound, are experienced at once. Although this
condition is rare, the new findings suggest the brain is wired in complex and sometimes
overlapping ways to help people interpret and understand their environments.
Hearing loss common following
radiation therapy for head and neck cancer
Patients who undergo radiation therapy for head and neck cancer appear more likely to
experience hearing loss and to be more disabled by its effects than those who do not
receive such treatment, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of
Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Head and
neck cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide, according to background
information in the article. Treatment methods include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation
therapy, either alone or in combination. Choice of treatment depends on factors such as
size and location of tumor, disease stage, the patient's condition and whether the cancer
can be cured. Any of these treatment methods may affect the auditory system and cause
temporary or permanent hearing loss.
Hearing loss study reveals role of
bone hardness in tissue function
Scientists are reporting the first direct evidence that a subtle change in the physical
properties of a tissue can affect its function. The finding has immediate implications for
understanding several rare hearing disorders, they said, and ultimately could offer
insight into such conditions as osteoporosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and
cancer.
Heart disease in children harms
mothers’ mental health
Mothers of children with severe heart disease are more likely to suffer from anxiety and
depression than mothers of healthy children, even once any medical interventions are over.
Every year some 500 children with congenital heart defects are born in Norway. Most of
them survive, but how does the children’s illness affect the mental health of their
mothers?
High alpha-carotene levels
associated with longer life
High blood levels of the antioxidant alpha-carotene appear to be associated with a reduced
risk of dying over a 14-year period, according to a report posted online today that will
be published in the March 28 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals. Oxygen-related damage to DNA, proteins and fats may play a role in
the development of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, according to background
information in the article. Carotenoids—including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and
lycopene—are produced by plants and microorganisms and act as antioxidants,
counteracting this damage. Carotenoids in the human body are obtained mainly through
eating fruits and vegetables rich in the nutrients, or through antioxidant supplements.
Although studies suggest eating more fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risk
of chronic diseases, randomized controlled trials have not shown any benefit for
beta-carotene supplements, the authors note. "Therefore, carotenoids other than
beta-carotene may contribute to the reduction in disease risk, and their effects on risk
of disease merit investigation," the authors write.
High cocoa polyphenol rich
chocolate may reduce the burden of the symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome
Chocolate is rich in flavonoids that have been shown to be of benefit in disparate
conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer. The effect of polyphenol rich
chocolate in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has not been studied previously.
This study suggests that HCL/ PR chocolate may improve symptoms in subjects with chronic
fatigue syndrome.
Home Exposure to Tobacco
Carcinogens High in Children of Smokers
Ninety percent of children who lived in a house where an adult smoked had evidence of
tobacco-related carcinogens in their urine, according to research presented at the Ninth
AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, held here from Nov 7-10, 2010.
Homeopathy consultations can
benefit arthritis patients, say scientists
New evidence that homeopathic consultations can reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid
arthritis has been revealed by scientists from the University of Southampton. In a study
published today in the journal Rheumatology, researchers found that arthritis patients
significantly benefited when they received homeopathy alongside conventional treatment
over a period of 6 months, but this improvement was due to homeopathy's consultation
process and not its remedies. "Although previous trials have shown homeopathy may
help patients with rheumatoid arthritis, this is the first time that we have scientific
evidence that these benefits are specifically due to its unique consultation
process," comments lead author Dr Sarah Brien, a senior research fellow in
complementary medicine at the University of Southampton.
Hormone therapy use may increase or
decrease dementia risk depending upon timing
Compared to women never on hormone therapy, those taking hormone therapy only at midlife
had a 26 percent decreased risk of dementia; while women taking HT only in late life had a
48 percent increased risk of dementia, according to Kaiser Permanente researchers. Women
taking HT at both midlife (mean age 48.7 years) and late life had a similar risk of
dementia as women not on HT, according to the study which appears in the Annals of
Neurology. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
How Do Neural Stem Cells Decide
What to Be -- and When?
Researchers at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore have uncovered a novel
feedback mechanism that controls the delicate balance of brain stem cells. Zif, a newly
discovered protein, controls whether brain stem cells renew themselves as stem cells or
differentiate into a dedicated type of neuron (nerve cell).
How has public health policy on
vitamin D in the UK failed?...
Sunlight robbery: Vitamin D and Public Health — Is current UK public health policy on
vitamin D fit for purpose?
Immunomodulatory dietary
polysaccharides: a systematic review of the literature
A large body of literature suggests that certain polysaccharides affect immune system
function. Much of this literature, however, consists of in vitro studies or studies in
which polysaccharides were injected. Their immunologic effects following oral
administration is less clear. The purpose of this systematic review was to consolidate and
evaluate the available data regarding the specific immunologic effects of dietary
polysaccharides.
In fending off diseases, plants and
animals are much the same, research shows
It may have been 1 billion years since plants and animals branched apart on the
evolutionary tree but down through the ages they have developed strikingly similar
mechanisms for detecting microbial invasions and resisting diseases. This revelation was
arrived at over a period of 15 years by teams of researchers from seemingly disparate
fields who have used classical genetic studies to unravel the mysteries of disease
resistance in plants and animals, according to a historical overview that will appear in
the Nov. 19 issue of the journal Science. The report, written by Pamela Ronald, a UC Davis
plant pathologist, and Bruce Beutler, an immunologist and mammalian geneticist at The
Scripps Research Institute, describes how researchers have used common approaches to tease
apart the secrets of immunity in species ranging from fruit flies to rice. It also
forecasts where future research will lead.
In India, anti-corruption all the
rage
Indians have had it with paying bribes, and they're speaking out on an anti-corruption
website
Infant foods should be screened for
mycotoxins
An international team of scientists calls for protecting complementary food for infants in
developing countries – especially those where corn is a staple food – against
fumonisin, a toxin produced by fungi. Until now, physicians thought the growth retardation
of children in those regions was to be blamed on the poor nutritional value of the
complementary maize porridge they receive when breast milk is no longer sufficient. But
toxins indeed are involved, the scientists report in the journal Molecular Nutrition and
Food Research. The call is made by scientists of the Institute of Tropical Medicine
Antwerp and their colleagues of the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority and Gent University.
Until now, not much attention was paid to mycotoxins in food (mycotoxins are toxins
produced by fungi) – with the exception of aflatoxin, of mouldy nuts ill fame. But
their research in rural Tanzania does connect fumonisin with stunting and underweight. It
is the first time anybody establishes this association.
Inhibitory neurons key to
understanding neuropsychiatric disorders
The brain works because 100 billion of its special nerve cells called neurons regulate
trillions of connections that carry and process information. The behavior of each neuron
is precisely determined by the proper function of many genes. In 1999, Baylor College of
Medicine (www.bcm.edu) researcher Dr. Huda Zoghbi
(http://www.bcm.edu/genetics/index.cfm?pmid=11053), and her colleagues identified
mutations in one of these genes called MECP2 as the culprit in a devastating neurological
disorder called Rett syndrome (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/rett_syndrome.cfm).
In new research in mice published in the current issue of the journal Nature
(www.nature.com), Zoghbi and her colleagues demonstrate that the loss of the protein MeCP2
in a special group of inhibitory nerve cells in the brain reproduces nearly all Rett
syndrome features. Children, mostly girls, born with Rett syndrome, appear normal at
first, but stop or slow intellectual and motor development between three months and three
years of age, losing speech, developing learning and gait problems. Some of their symptoms
resemble those of autism.
Innovative neural probe senses and
stimulates individual brain cells
Imec, together with its partners within the European FP6 Program NeuroProbes, has created
a new neural probe enabling electrical and chemical recording and stimulation of single
neurons in the brain. Applications of the new technology are vast, ranging from tools for
fundamental research on the functioning of the brain, to instruments for more precise
diagnosis of brain seizures before brain-surgery. To discriminate single neurons in the
brain, the recording electrode should be positioned very close to the neuron, ideally
within 100 micrometers or less. To date, multi-electrode recording probes have relied on
trial and error, as it is not possible to mechanically optimize the position of electrodes
independently from each other. The new Electronic Depth Control (EDC) technology,
introduced by imec and its NeuroProbes partners, enables individual adjustment of the
position of the different electrodes without requiring any mechanical displacement. The
EDC neural probe has hundreds of electronically switchable electrodes, allowing to scan
for the most informative neural signals, to lock onto them, and eventually adjust their
position during the course of an experiment.
Insulin-like growth factor-I may
boost death risk in older men
A new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has found older
community dwelling men with cancer who displayed high levels of insulin-like growth
factor-I were more likely to die than those who had lower levels.
IQ Scores Fail to Predict Academic
Performance in Children with Autism
New data show that many children with autism spectrum disorders have greater academic
abilities than previously thought. In a study by researchers at the University of
Washington, 90 percent of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders showed
a discrepancy between their IQ score and their performance on reading, spelling and math
tests. “Academic achievement is a potential source of self-worth and source of
feeling of mastery that people may not have realized is available to children with
autism,” said Annette Estes, research assistant professor at the UW’s Autism
Center.
Is ADHD tied to adulthood obesity?
Young adults with a history of symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
may be more likely than their peers to be obese, a new study suggests.
Joggers who revive through energy
drinks 'putting their health at risk'
Joggers are putting their health at risk by trying to revive themselves after exercise
with high-caffeine energy drinks, a study has warned.
Kentucky’s Coal Country
Cancels Coal-Fired Plant: New Power Movement Electrifies Nation
Thanks to a powerful and growing New Power grassroots movement, a broad alliance of
Kentucky activists sent an electrifying message across the nation today: A just transition
to a clean energy future, even in the heartland of coal country Kentucky, is
possible.Recognizing the spiraling costs of coal-fired plant construction and more
practical energy efficiency and renewable energy options, the East Kentucky Power
Cooperative has agreed to halt its once fervent plans to construct two coal-burning power
plants in Clark County
Key Player in Detoxification
Pathway Isolated After Decades of Searching
Chemical reactions are happening all over the place all the time--on the sun, on the Earth
and in our bodies. In many cases, enzymes help make these reactions occur. One family of
enzymes, called cytochrome P450s (P450), is important because they help us eliminate
toxins. We know P450s are important to life of all kinds because they have been found in
animals, plants, fungi and bacteria, but they are of special interest to humans because
they are responsible for metabolism of about 75 percent of known pharmaceuticals.
"The reactions that P450s perform to detoxify a compound are interesting because they
activate chemical bonds that are usually not reactive. Chemically speaking, this is a very
difficult thing to do in a controlled way," said Michael Green of the department of
chemistry at Penn State University. Green and a former student are authors of a paper
describing a breakthrough in isolation of P450 compound I, an important chemical
intermediate in the process of drug metabolism. This research, supported by the National
Science Foundation, appears in the November 12 issue of the journal Science.
Kiln pollution continues despite
deaths
Polluting brick kilns are continuing to operate in Soc Son District despite the fact their
toxic smoke caused the death of three people last Monday and has been killing livestock
over a long period.
Krill oil omega-3s seen to be
effective at lower levels
Aker’s krill oil has similar effects as fish oil on serum lipids, markers of
oxidative stress and inflammation, but with lower doses of EPA and DHA, a new study in
healthy volunteers has concluded.
Laboratory studies show promise for
new multiple sclerosis treatment
Successfully treating and reversing the effects of multiple sclerosis, or MS, may one day
be possible using a drug originally developed to treat chronic pain, according to
Distinguished Professor Linda Watkins of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Watkins
and her colleagues in CU-Boulder's department of psychology and neuroscience discovered
that a single injection of a compound called ATL313 -- an anti-inflammatory drug being
developed to treat chronic pain -- stopped the progression of MS-caused paralysis in rats
for weeks at a time. Lisa Loram, a senior research associate who spearheaded the project
in Watkins' laboratory, presented the findings at the Society for Neuroscience's annual
meeting held in San Diego this week. MS is an inflammatory disease where the body's immune
system attacks a protective sheath called myelin that encompasses nerves in the spinal
cord and brain. As the disease progresses, the myelin develops lesions, or scars, that
cause permanent neurological problems.
Late-preterm babies at greater risk
for problems later in childhood
Late-preterm babies - those born between 34 and 36 weeks - are at an increased risk for
cognitive and emotional problems, regardless of maternal IQ or demographics, according to
new research published by Michigan State University researchers in the current edition of
the journal Pediatrics. While late-preterm births (full-term pregnancies last at least 37
weeks) have been associated with such problems before, the study represents one of the
most rigorous looks at the issue by accounting for other potential causes, said the
study's lead author, Nicole Talge, a postdoctoral research associate in MSU's Department
of Epidemiology.
Lead Gas Predominant Source of Lead
Exposure in Latter 20th Century
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University find that leaded gasoline was responsible
for about two-thirds of toxic lead that children in Cleveland ingested or inhaled during
the latter two-thirds of the 20th century. The researchers say what they've shown in
Cleveland probably applies to many cities across the U.S. and reinforces concerns about
the health threat for children in countries still using leaded gasoline.
Leaking Siberian ice raises a
tricky climate issue
The Russian scientist shuffles across the frozen lake, scuffing aside ankle-deep snow
until he finds a cluster of bubbles trapped under the ice. With a cigarette lighter in one
hand and a knife in the other, he lances the ice like a blister. Methane whooshes out and
bursts into a thin blue flame.
Leaking underground CO2 storage
could contaminate drinking water
Leaks from carbon dioxide injected deep underground to help fight climate change could
bubble up into drinking water aquifers near the surface, driving up levels of contaminants
in the water tenfold or more in some places, according to a study by Duke University
scientists. Based on a year-long analysis of core samples from four drinking water
aquifers, "We found the potential for contamination is real, but there are ways to
avoid or reduce the risk," says Robert B. Jackson, Nicholas Professor of Global
Environmental Change and professor of biology at Duke.
Length of pregnancy influenced by
placenta structure
The nine-month pregnancy in humans is influenced by the structure of the placenta,
according to new research into the evolution of reproduction in mammals which ends a
100-year mystery. The study, by Durham and Reading universities, shows that babies grow
twice as fast in the wombs of some mammals compared to others. The difference in growth
rates appears to be due to the structure of the placenta and the way it connects mother
and baby. The research has found that the more intimate the connection is between the
tissues of the mother and the foetus, the faster the growth of the baby and the shorter
the pregnancy. The findings help to explain why humans, whose placentas do not form the
complex web-like structure seen in animals such as dogs and leopards, have relatively
lengthy pregnancies. The structure of the placenta is surprisingly different amongst
mammal species although it serves the same basic function in all of them. The scientists
say that, despite speculation, the reasons for this variation have been a mystery for more
than 100 years, until now.
Let the Babies Eat BPA
For several years now, Environmental Working Group (EWG) has been warning of the risks
associated with bisphenol A (BPA) - especially the BPA in baby bottles, sippy cups and
cans of infant formula. EWG has also been a leader in trying to get state and federal
agencies to regulate this hazardous chemical.
List of Anti-Cancer Foods
According to the Angiogenesis Foundation, if you can control the blood vessels forming
process called angiogenesis, cancer can't grow.
Low-allergenic wines could stifle
sniffles and sneezes in millions of wine drinkers
Scientists have identified a mysterious culprit that threatens headaches, stuffy noses,
skin rash and other allergy symptoms when more than 500 million people worldwide drink
wine. The discovery could help winemakers in developing the first low allergenic vintages
— reds and whites with less potential to trigger allergy symptoms, they say. The new
study appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research.
Lower back and foot pain associated
with more severe knee osteoarthritis symptoms
A new study found that patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who also have pain in
other joints were more likely to experience greater knee pain. Specifically, pain in the
lower back as well as foot pain and elbow pain on the same side as the affected knee were
associated with more severe knee pain. Full details appear in the December issue of
Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the
American College of Rheumatology. Knee OA is the leading cause of disability in the U.S.,
with nearly 4.3 million adults over age 60 having the symptomatic form of the disease
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A study by Helmick et
al. published in Arthritis & Rheumatism reported 59 million people have low back pain,
which is the most common cause of lost work time among individuals less than 45 years of
age and the third most common cause among those 45 to 65 years of age.
Lower Back and Foot Pain Associated
with More Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms
A new study found that patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who also have pain in
other joints were more likely to experience greater knee pain. Specifically, pain in the
lower back as well as foot pain and elbow pain on the same side as the affected knee were
associated with more severe knee pain. Full details appear in the December issue of
Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the
American College of Rheumatology. Knee OA is the leading cause of disability in the U.S.,
with nearly 4.3 million adults over age 60 having the symptomatic form of the disease
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A study by Helmick et
al. published in Arthritis & Rheumatism reported 59 million people have low back pain,
which is the most common cause of lost work time among individuals less than 45 years of
age and the third most common cause among those 45 to 65 years of age.
Mayo Clinic study finds aggressive
surgery is best for children with brain tumors
A new Mayo Clinic study found that children with low-grade brain tumors (gliomas)
(http://www.mayoclinic.org/brain-tumors/) who undergo aggressive surgery to completely
remove the tumor have an increased chance of overall survival. If complete removal is not
possible, adding radiation therapy to a less complete surgery provides patients with the
same outcomes as a complete removal. This study was presented at the Society for
NeuroOncology Annual Scientific Meeting and Education Day in Montreal on Nov. 21.
Medical mistakes kill 15,000
patients every month
Your local hospital just might be more of a death trap than an actual health care
facility. A new report issued by the Office of Inspector General at the Health and Human
Services Department (HHS) says that every month roughly 134,000 hospital patients
experience some type of adverse event during their stays. And about 15,000 of them die
every month due to various medical and surgical errors.
Menopause, as Brought to You by Big
Pharma
MILLIONS of American women in the 1990s were told they could help their bodies ward off
major illness by taking menopausal hormone drugs. Some medical associations said so. Many
gynecologists and physicians said so.
Modulating a protein in the brain
could help control Alzheimer's disease
A protein known to exist in the brain for more than 30 years, called 5-lipoxygenase, has
been found to play a regulatory role in the formation of the amyloid beta in the brain,
the major component of plaques implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease,
according to researchers at Temple University's School of Medicine. The researchers also
found that inhibitors of this protein currently used to control asthma could possibly be
used to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.
Monsanto pressing for GMO sugar
beet ban to be lifted
Sugar beet farmers from across the country are bemoaning the court ruling from last
October that barred any further plantings of genetically-modified (GM) sugar beets until
proper safety studies have been completed. But according to a recent Associated Press (AP)
report, Monsanto spin doctors and industry groups have been busy petitioning the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow limited, self-monitored plantings of the crop in
order to avoid what they say will be the devastation of the domestic sugar market.
Monsanto-ising Indian agriculture
"It is apparent that corporations like Monsanto are only out to grab ready markets
for themselves through taxpayers' funds whereas it is the responsibility of the government
to protect the livelihoods of the marginalized. It is clear from what is emerging on the
ground with projects such as 'Project Golden Rays' that high-external-input-driven farming
with hybrid seeds will only increase indebtedness of farmers, is already changing their
dietary habits posing questions on future nutrition security, is threatening environmental
sustainability in fragile eco-systems and is taking away our seed and food sovereignty.
Mothers-to-be who smoke 'turn
babies into future criminals'
Children whose mothers smoke heavily during pregnancy are more likely to become repeat
criminal offenders, research suggests.
MS patients lack followup after
vein therapy
Some Canadians with multiple sclerosis who've received an experimental vein treatment in
other countries say they're now suffering complications from the surgery but having
trouble getting doctors in Canada to help.
Multiyear study of Teck pollution
continues
A massive study of industrial pollution in the upper Columbia River is wrapping up its
second year of sampling.
Myocarditis Can Attack Hearts
without Warning
Young father receives leading-edge intervention prior to undergoing heart transplant.
Myotoxicity of telbivudine in
pre-existing muscle damage
Telbivudine appears to cause accelerated muscle toxicity if given to patients who already
have muscle damage. Patients under telbivudine should be closely monitored for muscular
side effects and those with pre-existing muscle damage should not receive the drug.
Mysterious cells may play role in
ALS
By tracking the fate of a group of immature cells that persist in the adult brain and
spinal cord, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered in mice that these cells undergo
dramatic changes in ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. A study reported November 17
online in Neuron shows that these cells, called NG2+, grow and expand rapidly during early
life, eventually morphing into mature nervous system cells called oligodendrocytes. These
"oligos" help speed the transmission of electrical impulses by providing
insulation around nerve cells. This insulation, known as myelin, is disrupted in nervous
system diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The team tracked the fate of NG2+ cells in
both normal mice and mice with a mutant form of the SOD1 gene that causes ALS. Using a
stringent system that let them color-tag only NG2+ cells and then accurately locate these
cells at various times in their development, the researchers found that NG2+ cells
normally keep up a quiet program of dividing in adult tissues, sometimes replacing
themselves and other times forming new oligos. A slow and steady turnover of
oligodendrocytes may be required throughout life to maintain myelin, says Dwight Bergles,
Ph.D., associate professor in The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine. However, the normal developmental program of NG2+
cells goes awry in the spinal cords of ALS mice.
Myth of a germ-free world - a
closer look at antimicrobial products
Killing microorganisms has become a national obsession. A pair of antimicrobial compounds
known as triclosan and triclocarban are lately the weapons of choice in our war of
attrition against the microbial world. Both chemicals are found in an array of personal
care products like antimicrobial soaps, and triclosan also is formulated into everyday
items ranging from plastics and toys to articles of clothing.
Nearly 25 percent of overweight
women misperceive body weight
A startling number of overweight and normal weight women of reproductive age inaccurately
perceive their body weight, affecting their weight-related behaviors and making many
vulnerable to cardiovascular and other obesity-related diseases, according to new research
from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston. In the December issue of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, the researchers report that nearly 25 percent of overweight and
16 percent of normal weight reproductive-age women misperceive their body weight. This is
the first study to examine reproductive-age women's weight-related behaviors associated
with self-perception of weight.
New animal research shows effects
of prenatal drug exposure and early life infections on the brain
New findings released today help identify the long-term impact of the prenatal environment
and early parental care on the brain. Using animals as models, researchers help explain
why early inflammation and a mother's exposure to drugs such as nicotine and high doses of
pain killers have lasting consequences for children — and even future generations.
Maternal drug use has been associated with increased risk for learning disabilities,
behavioral problems, and mental disorders for children. The new results provide greater
insight into the neurobiological factors involved in these lifelong issues, and were
reported at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the
world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health.
New Approach Finds Success in
Teaching Youth With Autism
As the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders continues to increase,
the one thing that won’t change is the need for those children to develop social
skills. Statistics show that if these students are able to communicate effectively, they
can achieve success in the classroom, and later, in the workplace. In addition to the
challenges facing each individual student, educators find themselves facing dwindling
resources. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri are developing an effective
social competence curriculum, with a virtual classroom component, that could help
educators meet the demand of this growing population.
New approach to colon cancer
surgery wins top medical award
A Yorkshire Cancer Research scientist has earned himself a national medical award for
helping pioneer life-saving surgical improvements to the way tumours are removed from
colon cancer patients. Clinical researcher, Dr Nick West, 30, who works at St. James's
University Hospital in Leeds, has been awarded the British Oncological Association’s
Young Investigator Award for his joint research which reveals that undertaking a new
approach to colon cancer surgery produces superior colon cancer specimens by removing more
tissue, blood vessels and lymph nodes around the tumour therefore reducing the chances of
cancer spread.
New blood test may help predict
heart failure in apparently healthy older adults
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore report that a
new, highly sensitive investigative blood test may help predict the risk of heart failure
and cardiovascular death much earlier than previously possible in older people who do not
have symptoms of heart failure. Results of a study were presented at the Scientific
Sessions of the American Heart Association on November 15, 2010, and simultaneously
published online in JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association. The new test
measures troponin T, a marker for the biological process of cell death that leads to heart
failure. Current cardiac troponin T blood tests do not detect troponin in seemingly
healthy people and are often used in hospital emergency rooms to clarify whether the
source of chest pain is a heart attack or something else. The new test, not commercially
available in the United States, detects troponin levels that are 10 times lower than
previous tests. The researchers found the marker in two-thirds of people without symptoms
age 65 or older whose blood samples were collected and stored for up to 18 years as part
of a long-term cardiovascular research project.
New Characteristics of Premature
Aging Protein Discovered at Stevens
Dr. Joseph Glavy at Stevens Institute of Technology studies the smallest and most basic
elements of life. The Assistant Professor of Chemical Biology runs the Glavy Lab, where
advanced student scientists study the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in cells, observing
the minutest mechanisms of life as they unfold during mitosis. The Glavy Lab's formal
purpose is to study the NPC at the molecular level in the pursuit of the unknown or
unexpected in the well-studied but not always well-understood nuclei of living cells.
New Data Uncover Common Molecular
Pathways Between Rett Syndrome, Autism and Schizophrenia
The laboratory of Huda Zoghbi, where the discovery that mutations in the gene MECP2 cause
the severe childhood neurological disorder Rett Syndrome was made, has taken yet another
step toward unraveling the complex epigenetic functions of this gene, implicated also in
cases of autism, bipolar disease and childhood onset schizophrenia. The November 11 issue
of Nature reports that removing MECP2 from a small group of neurons that typically make
the inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, recapitulates many symptoms of Rett as well as
numerous neuropsychiatric disorders.
New function of gene in promoting
cancer found by VCU researchers
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have discovered that a gene well known for
its involvement in tumor cell development, growth and metastasis also protects cancer
cells from being destroyed by chemotherapy. By inhibiting the expression of this gene,
doctors may have a new viable and effective approach for treating aggressive cancers such
as breast, liver and prostate carcinomas, malignant gliomas and neuroblastomas that result
from high expression of this cancer-promoting gene.
New imaging method developed at
Stanford reveals stunning details of brain connections
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, applying a state-of-the-art
imaging system to brain-tissue samples from mice, have been able to quickly and accurately
locate and count the myriad connections between nerve cells in unprecedented detail, as
well as to capture and catalog those connections' surprising variety. A typical healthy
human brain contains about 200 billion nerve cells, or neurons, linked to one another via
hundreds of trillions of tiny contacts called synapses. It is at these synapses that an
electrical impulse traveling along one neuron is relayed to another, either enhancing or
inhibiting the likelihood that the second nerve will fire an impulse of its own. One
neuron may make as many as tens of thousands of synaptic contacts with other neurons, said
Stephen Smith, PhD, professor of molecular and cellular physiology and senior author of a
paper describing the study, to be published Nov. 18 in Neuron. Because synapses are so
minute and packed so closely together, it has been hard to get a handle on the complex
neuronal circuits that do our thinking, feeling and activation of movement. But the new
method may put the mapping of these connections within scientists' grasp. It works by
combining high-resolution photography with specialized fluorescent molecules that bind to
different proteins and glow in different colors. Massive computing power captures this
information and converts it into imagery.
New Insight into the Cause of
Common Dementia Found by Researchers at Mayo Clinic
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have found a clue as to how some people
develop a form of dementia that affects the brain areas associated with personality,
behavior, and language. In the Nov. 17 online issue of the American Journal of Human
Genetics, the scientists write that they discovered a link between two proteins —
progranulin and sortilin — they say might open new avenues for the treatment of
frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), which occurs in the frontal lobe and temporal
lobe of the brain. This form of dementia, which is currently untreatable, generally occurs
in younger people, compared to other common neurodegenerative disorders such as
Alzheimer's disease.
New research reveals danger of
combining warfarin with herbal and dietary supplements
Herbal and dietary supplements are popular. People claim they make their joints feel
better, their bones stronger, and their hearts healthier. But a recent study by
researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City shows
that many of these people may not realize their favorite supplement, mixed with
prescription medications, may be putting their lives in danger, especially if they are
taking warfarin – a blood-thinning medication commonly prescribed to patients living
with atrial fibrillation to lower their risk of stroke. Researchers and pharmacists from
the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, along with registered dieticians from
Utah State University, conducted interviews with 100 atrial fibrillation patients to
determine their understanding of potential interactions between supplements and
medications, such as warfarin.
New risk factor for developing
breast cancer
An Australian research team from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the University of
Melbourne and the University of Queensland has identified a new risk factor for developing
breast cancer. This has been published online in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.
The risk factor involves a modification (DNA methylation) to the BRCA1 gene. BRCA1 is
known for its involvement in breast and ovarian cancer. Women with mutations in this gene,
which inactivates its function, are predisposed to these diseases. The DNA methylation
modification is known as an epimutation and acts to turn off the BRCA1 gene from its
normal protective function against breast cancer. It is not considered a genetic mutation
as it does not directly affect the sequence of the gene like a mutation but nevertheless
inactivates the normal protective function of the gene.
New sleep cycle discovery explains
why fatty diets during pregnancy make kids obese
The link between sleeping and obesity is drawn tighter as a new research published online
in the FASEB Journal study shows that what your mother ate when she was pregnant may make
you obese or overweight by altering the function of genes (epigenetic changes) that
regulate circadian rhythm. In the report, pregnant primate females consuming a high-fat
diet altered the function of fetal genes that regulate circadian rhythm (including
appetite and food intake) during development. The offspring also had non-alcoholic fatty
liver disease.
New study affirms handwriting
problems affect children with autism into the teenage years
The handwriting problems that affect children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are
likely to continue into their teenage years, according to a study from the Kennedy Krieger
Institute in Baltimore, Md. The research is published in the November 16, 2010 issue of
NeurologyŽ, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In 2009, Kennedy
Krieger researchers conducted the first study to examine handwriting quality in children
with ASD, finding that motor skills (e.g., timed movements) predicted handwriting
deficits. This latest study revealed that, like children with ASD, adolescents with ASD
(ages 12 to 16) have poor handwriting quality and motor skill impairments when compared to
typically developing peers. However, unlike younger children, perceptual reasoning was the
main predictor of handwriting performance in adolescents. Perceptional reasoning is a
person's ability to reason through problems with nonverbal material.
New study into bladder regeneration
heralds organ replacement treatment
Researchers in the United States have developed a medical model for regenerating bladders
using stem cells harvested from a patient's own bone marrow. The research, published in
STEM CELLS, is especially relevant for paediatric patients suffering from abnormally
developed bladders, but also represents another step towards new organ replacement
therapies. The research, led by Dr Arun Sharma and Earl Cheng from the Feinberg School of
Medicine at Northwestern University and Children's Memorial Research Center, focused on
bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) taken from the patient. Previously studies into
the regenerative capacity of cells in bladders have focused on animal models, but these
have translated poorly in clinical settings.
New USGS study finds mercury
widespread
One in eight fish taken from Indiana waterways and analyzed over a five-year period was
tainted with the toxic metal mercury, according to federal scientists who last year
reported that precipitation that falls near southeastern Indiana's coal-fired power plants
harbors some of the nation's highest concentrations of atmospheric mercury.
New Ways To Detect And Treat
Alzheimer’s Disease
New studies identify brain changes in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The results
give researchers a greater understanding of the disease and may help at-risk individuals
by improving early detection. New animal research also shows a novel approach to
Alzheimer’s vaccine design that may avoid dangerous side effects.
Night lights 'could cause
depression'
Neuroscientists believe that even having a dim light on - such as a night light often used
in a child's room - adversely affects the chemical balance and structure of the brain.
Such a light appears to interfere with secretion of the hormone melatonin, which helps let
the body know it is night time. A team at Ohio State University in the US came to their
conclusions after comparing two sets of Siberian hamsters, one group which was exposed to
a dim light at night, the other which enjoyed complete darkness.
Nighttime Sleep Found Beneficial to
Infants’ Skills
At ages 1 and 1-1/2, children who get most of their sleep at night (as opposed to during
the day) do better in a variety of skill areas than children who don’t sleep as much
at night. That’s the finding of a new longitudinal study conducted by researchers at
the University of Montreal and the University of Minnesota. The research appears in the
November/December2010 issue of the journal Child Development. The study, of 60 Canadian
children at ages 1, 1-1/2, and 2, looked at the effects of infants’ sleep on
executive functioning. Among children, executive functioning includes the ability to
control impulses, remember things, and show mental flexibility. Executive functioning
develops rapidly between ages 1 and 6, but little is known about why certain children are
betterthan others at acquiring these skills.
NIH scientists unveil mechanisms of
immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome
Newly published research by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, sheds light on a poorly understood,
acute illness called Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) that develops in
some HIV-infected individuals soon after they begin antiretroviral therapy.
No link found between iron and
breast cancer
While some prior research has hinted at a link between meat consumption and breast cancer,
a large new study suggests that the iron in meat is probably not to blame.
Not Following Doctor’s Orders
- Prescription Abandonment
Failure to have a prescription filled can undermine medical treatment, result in increased
health care costs and potentially have devastating results for the patient. An editorial
in the Nov. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine highlights the problem and issues
a call to action. In the editorial, “Prescription Abandonment: Another Path to
Medication Nonadherence,” Michael D. Murray, PharmD, MPH, a Regenstrief Institute,
Inc. investigator and Purdue University professor of pharmacy practice, and Jeff Harrison,
Ph.D., of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, observe that precise information on the
dimensions of the problem does not exist. How many prescriptions are not brought to a
pharmacy? How many prescribed medications are never retrieved? Will the rising use by
physicians of electronic prescribing alter these numbers?
Observations from France
The French diet generally contains a lot of fat, mostly from traditional animal sources
such as dairy and pork fat. Industrial seed oils have crept into the diet over the course
of the 20th century, although not to the same degree as in most affluent nations. People
seem to think that eating a lot of fat is unhealthy, particularly the younger generation,
but they do it anyway.
Origin of cells associated with
nerve repair discovered
Scientists have discovered the origin of a unique type of cell known for its ability to
support regeneration in the central nervous system. Their findings, published this week in
the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), raise the
possibility of obtaining a more reliable source of these cells for use in cell
transplantation therapy for spinal cord injuries. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), as
the name suggests, ensheath and protect the nerve fibres in the olfactory nerve, which
transmit olfactory (smell) information to the brain from receptor cells sitting in the
lining of the nose. Excitingly, OECs can promote nerve repair when transplanted into the
damaged spinal cord. They can also be grown in dishes from pieces of nasal lining but,
unfortunately, in such small quantities that this may not be a viable option for use in
treatments.
Overfeeding Reduces Insulin
Resistance?
Overfeeding, in the medical literature, means giving someone a closely-monitored increase
in calories above their normal, weight-maintenance requirement. When people embark upon
RRARF, my program that you can read about in a Free eBook, calories are not monitored.
Rather, one is asked to eat at least to the satisfaction of the natural appetite and
perhaps a little BEYOND appetite. I don’t say to force feed, but explicitly say to
“eat as much as you can ENJOY.”
PDF - Foods and drinks that fight
cancer
In April 2005 my son Bobby, who was 3 years and 2 months old, started limping. To cut a
long story short, he had stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma, a very aggressive childhood
cancer. It had spread to all his bone marrow cavities and he had tumours on his bones, and
in his head and abdomen. Bob was put into the poor prognosis group with a 5 year survival
rate of less than 20%. My husband asked the oncologists “Could diet make a difference
to the outcome?” We were told “No, let him eat whatever he wants”.
Suggested foods were ‘Wotsits’, ‘Pringles’, ‘Pot Noodles’
etc. To us this was ridiculous advice. A diet of homemade meals, focusing on foods thought
to hinder cancer and avoiding the foods known to feed cancer, made perfect sense to us,
and that is what we did.
Pelletized manure reduces toxic
runoff
There is considerable amount of uncertainty concerning the environmental impacts that
animal hormones have on surface water. Higher concentrations of hormones in waterways have
been found to cause physiological and sexual impairment in fish and other aquatic species.
However, a study from the University of Delaware that examined estrogen concentrations
runoff from agricultural fields fertilized with chicken manure found that it is as much
about the application of the manure as it is about the measurement of the types of
estrogen. The study was conducted on the experimental plots on the Coastal Plain
agricultural soils in Middletown, DE. It measured and compared the amounts of both toxic,
free forms of estrogen hormones and less toxic species found in runoff. Corn was planted
as a cover crop and chicken manure was applied in either a pelletized form or a raw litter
form. Reduced tillage and no tillage treatments were also employed. Samples of surface
runoff were collected after 10 rain storms during the 2008 summer growing season from
April through July.
People with no ideology vote for
the party in power
Around 28% of the electorate describe themselves as non-ideological voters, according to
the latest Barometer from the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS). A high percentage of
voters' decisions have nothing to do with factors such as political candidates or party
identity, but rather on the political group that happens to be in power at the time. This
is the conclusion of a study carried out by a team from the University of Girona (UdG),
the Juan March University and the University of Trento (Italy). "Our results are
quite surprising, because they show that people with no ideology are always more likely to
vote for the party in power. This happens regardless of whether it is a right wing or left
wing government and whether the government is likely to win or lose the election",
Lluís Orriols, co-author of the study, a researcher at the University of Oxford (United
Kingdom) and a professor at the UdG, tells SINC.
Personalised medicine paves the way
for tailor-made treatment
Personalised medicine is a field that holds a lot of promise as a provider of practices
and technology that could help develop more effective treatments for serious diseases such
as cancer. Personalised medicine involves tailoring treatment according to the genetic
profile and molecular makeup of each patient. The Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland
(FIMM) and FiDiPro Professor Jonathan Knowles have been busy setting out plans on how to
promote the use of personalised medicine in the treatment of diseases. “Our goal is
to put Finland at the international forefront of research in personalised medicine and to
promote the wider application of its principles in practical patient care,” says
Professor and FIMM Director Olli Kallioniemi.
Pesticide contamination alarms
experts
If new research holds true across the population globally, one mouthful out of five that
children eat is tainted with pesticides.
Pesticide industry involvement in
EU risk assessment puts survival of bees at stake
While the British Beekeepers' Association's decision to stop endorsing bee-killing
pesticides with its logo (item 3) is welcome, note that they are not doing so right away
but "as soon as practically possible" - and "the organisation has not ruled
out accepting funds in the future from pesticide companies".
Pharmaceutical Company Lawyer
Charged with Obstruction and Making False Statements
An attorney for a major pharmaceutical company was charged with obstruction and making
false statements, the Justice Department announced today. Lauren Stevens of Durham, N.C.,
was charged with one count of obstructing an official proceeding, one count of concealing
and falsifying documents to influence a federal agency, and four counts of making false
statements to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Plastic waste polluting Manitoba
lakes
Scientists and environmentalists are sounding the alarm about the wildlife being killed by
the rising tide of plastic pollution washing up on the shores of lakes in Manitoba and
elsewhere.
Pleasurable Behaviors Reduce Stress
via Brain Pathways, Research Shows
Whether it’s food or sex, pleasurable activity provides more than just pleasure,
University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers say. It actually reduces stress by inhibiting
anxiety responses in the brain.
Pomegranate juice could help kidney
patients
There may be a seed of truth amidst the many health claims for pomegranate juice,
researchers from Israel said Thursday, at least for kidney patients on dialysis.
Poor sleep quality increases
inflammation, community study finds
People who sleep poorly or do not get enough sleep have higher levels of inflammation, a
risk factor for heart disease and stroke, researchers have found. Data from a recent study
are scheduled to be presented Sunday, Nov. 14 at the American Heart Association Scientific
Sessions in Chicago by Alanna Morris, MD, a cardiology fellow at Emory University School
of Medicine. The results come from surveying 525 middle-aged people participating in the
Morehouse-Emory Partnership to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities (META-Health)
study on their sleep quality and sleep duration. The META-Health study's co-directors are
Arshed Quyyumi, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and
director of Emory's Cardiovascular Research Center, and Gary Gibbons, MD, director of the
Cardiovascular Research Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine. Donald Bliwise, MD,
director of the Emory University Sleep Program, contributed additional guidance.
Post-traumatic stress disorder
linked to death, atherosclerosis in veterans
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) more than doubles a veteran’s risk of death
from any cause and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to
research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2010.
Prediabetes, Turning Back the Tide
on America’s Newest Epidemic
Prediabetes is a warning sign that type 2 diabetes is around the corner. People with
prediabetes have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be
diagnosed as diabetes. Approximately 24 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, but an
even more staggering 57 million people in the United States have prediabetes, meaning they
are at grave risk of developing this disease. And once a prediabetic person becomes
diabetic, there is no turning back. Alarmingly, 85 percent of prediabetic people are
unaware of their condition, and one quarter remain unaware, and therefore suffer
undiagnosed, even after they have developed type 2 diabetes.
Prenatal Exposures Prompt EPA to
Re-examine Chemical Regulations
U.S. EPA regulators convened with scientists last month to discuss how to design
regulations for chemicals based on emerging science that connects exposures during
pregnancy with disease much later in life.
Prescribed medicines are
responsible for over 3 percent of road traffic crashes in France
In France, the effect that all medicines have on driving performance has been classified
into 4 levels of risk, from level 0 (no or negligible risk) to level 3 (major risk) and
according to a study by Ludivine Orriols, from Université Victor Segalen, Bordeaux,
France, and colleagues, level 2 and 3 medicines are responsible for over 3% of road
traffic crashes in France. The findings of this study, published in this week's PLoS
Medicine, are of international importance because in 2006, the International Council on
Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety proposed a classification list based on the French
classification system. The authors identified drivers involved in road traffic crashes in
France between July 2005 and May 2008 and used a statistical model to identify factors
associated with each driver responsible for a road traffic crash and each driver who was
not responsible for a crash.
Prescription Medicines and the Risk
of Road Traffic Crashes
The use of prescription medicines is associated with a substantial number of road traffic
crashes in France. In light of the results, warning messages appear to be relevant for
level 2 and 3 medications and questionable for level 1 medications. A follow-up study is
needed to evaluate the impact of the warning labeling system on road traffic crash
prevention.
Probiotics cut stomach upsets by
one day
Probiotics reduce the length of time people are ill with stomach upsets, a comprehensive
review of research has found.
Probiotics may ease kids' belly
aches
A daily dose of "friendly bacteria" could provide relief for kids suffering from
the cruel pain of a chronic tummy ache, suggests a new Italian study. Between 10 and 15
percent of school-aged children suffer from frequent stomach pain.
Process Leading to Protein
Diversity in Cells Important for Proper Neuron Firing
Cells have their own version of the cut-and-paste editing function called splicing.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have documented a novel
form of splicing in the cytoplasm of a nerve cell, which dictates a special form of a
potassium channel protein in the outer membrane. The channel protein is found in the
dendrites of hippocampus cells -- the seat of memory, learning, and spatial navigation --
and is involved in coordinating the electrical firing of nerve cells. Dendrites, which
branch from the cell body of the neuron, play a key role in the communication between
cells of the nervous system.
Produce-rich diet improves
long-term health, melatonin improves short-term health
In patients with kidney disease, the Western diet produces an acidic environment in the
body that has numerous negative effects and worsens with age as kidney function declines.
Nimirit Goraya, MD (Texas A&M College of Medicine and Scott and White Healthcare) and
her colleagues conducted a study to see if consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables
that counteract this acidity might improve the kidney health of 40 patients who have
moderately reduced kidney function due to high blood pressure. 30 days of this diet
reduced urine excretion of three indicators of kidney injury: albumin, transforming growth
factor, and N-acetyl-?-D- glucosaminidase. "These preliminary studies support the
need for larger long-term studies to determine if this simple and relatively inexpensive
intervention helps reduce the risk of subsequent worsening of kidney function in patients
with hypertension-associated kidney disease," said Dr. Goraya.
Produce-Rich Diet Improves
Long-Term Health, Melatonin Improves Short-Term Health in Kidney Disease Patients
In patients with kidney disease, the Western diet produces an acidic environment in the
body that has numerous negative effects and worsens with age as kidney function declines.
Nimirit Goraya, MD (Texas A&M College of Medicine and Scott and White Healthcare) and
her colleagues conducted a study to see if consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables
that counteract this acidity might improve the kidney health of 40 patients who have
moderately reduced kidney function due to high blood pressure. 30 days of this diet
reduced urine excretion of three indicators of kidney injury: albumin, transforming growth
factor, and N-acetyl-?-D- glucosaminidase. “These preliminary studies support the
need for larger long-term studies to determine if this simple and relatively inexpensive
intervention helps reduce the risk of subsequent worsening of kidney function in patients
with hypertension-associated kidney disease,” said Dr. Goraya.
Prostate cancer treatment linked to
higher rate of colon cancer
Men treated with hormone-based therapy for prostate cancer faced a 30 percent to 40
percent higher risk of colorectal cancer, compared to patients who did not receive this
treatment, according to a new study. The study looked at use of androgen deprivation
therapy, a common type of treatment for prostate cancer that involves blocking the male
hormone testosterone through either surgical removal of the testicles or a series of
injections. It’s been shown to benefit men with advanced cancers, but its benefit for
less-advanced disease is unclear. Still, more than half a million men in the United States
currently receive this therapy.
Protein Found to Predict Brain
Injury in Children on “ECMO” Life Support
Johns Hopkins Children’s Center scientists have discovered that high blood levels of
a protein commonly found in the central nervous system can predict brain injury and death
in critically ill children on a form of life support called extra-corporeal membrane
oxygenation or ECMO. ECMO, used to temporarily oxygenate the blood of patients whose heart
and lungs are too weak or damaged to do so on their own, is most often used as a last
resort because it can increase the risk for brain bleeding, brain swelling, stroke and
death in some patients.
Protein in the Urine - A Warning
Sign for Cognitive Decline
A new study has found that low amounts of albumin in the urine, at levels not
traditionally considered clinically significant, strongly predict faster cognitive decline
in older women. The study involved more than 1,200 women aged >70 years in the Nurses'
Health Study who were phoned every two years for three cycles and tested for general
cognition, verbal/word memory, verbal fluency (speed in making word associations), and
working/short-term memory. Julie Lin, MD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and her
colleagues found that participants with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of >5
mcg/mg at the start of the study experienced cognitive decline at a rate 2 to 7 times
faster in all cognitive measures than that attributed to aging alone over an average 6
years of follow-up. “The strongest association was seen with a decline in the verbal
fluency score, which has been attributed to progressive small vessel disease in the brain,
which supports the view that albuminuria is an early marker of diffuse vascular
disease,” said Dr. Lin.
Putting the Squeeze on Fat Cells
From fad diets to exercise programs, Americans continue to fight the battle of the bulge.
Now they'll have help from recent Tel Aviv University research that has developed a new
method to look at how fat cells — which produce the fat in our bodies — respond
to mechanical loads.
Radiation Worries for Children in
Dentists’ Chairs
Because children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to radiation, doctors three
years ago mounted a national campaign to protect them by reducing diagnostic radiation to
only those levels seen as absolutely necessary.
Rare disease reveals new path for
creating stem cells
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have found
that by mimicking a rare genetic disorder in a dish, they can rewind the internal clock of
a mature cell and drive it back into an adult stem-cell stage. This new "stem
cell" can then branch out into a variety of differentiated cell types, both in
culture and in animal models. "This certainly has implications for personalized
medicine, especially in the area of tissue engineering," says Bjorn Olsen, the Hersey
Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and Dean of Research at the Harvard
School of Dental Medicine.
Rare mutations linked with
catastrophic aortic aneurysms
TAAD causes thousands of deaths in the United States each year. Although timely surgical
repair of aneurysms can prevent death, thoracic aneurysms are often asymptomatic until
dissection (tearing of the vessel wall), and there are few recognized risk factors that
can be used for screening. "Prospective identification of patients at risk for TAAD
using a genetic strategy will be critical to prevent sudden deaths from this treatable
disease," explains senior study author Dr. John W. Belmont from Baylor College of
Medicine. To begin to unravel the genetic origins of TAAD, lead author Dr. Siddharth
Prakash and colleagues at Baylor and Dr. Dianna Milewicz and colleagues at the University
of Texas Health Science Center in Houston performed a genome-wide analysis of hundreds of
sporadic TAAD cases. The researchers identified 47 copy-number variant (CNV) regions in
the TAAD samples when compared with control samples. A CNV is an excess or absence in
copies of a particular gene. Previous research has demonstrated that CNVs are linked with
many different human diseases.
Reports claiming ALS caused by head
trauma lacks scientific validation
A recent study (1) suggesting that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be attributed
to "repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports" lacks scientific
epidemiological evidence to support this claim. In a review of the 12-patient study,
several experts specializing in motor neuron diseases challenge the findings as entirely
pathological and without clinical merit. Their editorial, which aims to dispel doubts of
Lou Gehrig's ALS diagnosis, is now available online in the peer-reviewed journal Muscle
& Nerve. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurological
disease that attacks nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and spinal cord which control
voluntary muscles. As the upper and lower motor neurons degenerate, the muscles they
control gradually weaken and waste away, leading to paralysis. Other symptoms of ALS
include difficulty breathing, issues with swallowing (gagging, choking), and speech
problems. According to the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
roughly 20,000 to 30,000 Americans have ALS, and 5,000 patients are diagnosed annually
with the disease.
Research links damaged organs to
change in biochemical wave patterns
By examining the distinct wave patterns formed from complex biochemical reactions within
the human body, diseased organs may be more effectively identified, says Zhengdong Cheng,
associate professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas
A&M University, who has developed a model that simulates how these wave patterns are
generated. His findings, which appear in the October issue of the journal "Physical
Review E," detail Cheng's work with a system designed to model cells in a biochemical
environment, similar to what occurs inside the human body. His system utilizes two types
of resin beads to represent cells. Those beads loaded with a catalyst are referred to as
active and represent living cells. Those beads that are not loaded with a catalyst are
referred to as inactive and represent diseased or dead cells. In contrast to previous
experiments that have only focused on the effects of active beads, Cheng's system is the
first to examine the effects of inactive beads, particularly the effects of significant
increases in the inactive bead population within a system. Because the beads within the
sample represent cells, the increase in inactive beads, Cheng explains, simulates a higher
percentage of dead or diseased cells within an organ, such as the heart.
Research Shows Mercury is a Likely
Cause for Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers have found that mercury is likely to be one of the multiple causes of
Alzheimer's disease. Mercury is one of the most toxic natural substances. It poses a
danger to humans and may lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Researcher Finds Anti-Cancer Agent
Is No Wonder Drug
A University of Guelph study has found that a prescription drug thought to have
anti-cancer properties when used off-label may not only be less effective than claimed but
may actually protect some kinds of cancers.
Researchers at Nutrition and Health
Research Center have published new data on health and medicine
Current study results from the report, 'Possible role of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in
black-white health disparities in the United States,' have been published.
"Significant health disparities exist between African Americans (AAs) and White
Americans (WAs). The all-cause mortality rate for AAs in 2006 was 26% higher than for
non-Hispanic WAs," researchers in the United States report (see also Health and
Medicine).
Researchers discover important link
between adrenal gland hormone and brain in hypertension
A hormone already responsible for increasing blood pressure by prompting the kidneys to
retain salt appears to moonlight as a major stimulator of the brain centers that control
the vascular system and blood pressure. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center
studied patients who overproduce aldosterone to see whether the hormone had any effect on
sympathetic nerve activity responsible for blood pressure increases. "Between 10
percent and 20 percent of patients with high blood pressure who are resistant to treatment
have elevated aldosterone hormones," said Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin, associate
professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study in the
October issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. "Previous
studies in animals showed that this hormone can affect many parts of the brain that
control the cardiovascular system. We wanted to understand whether aldosterone also
increases the nerve activity that causes constriction of blood vessels, which elevates
blood pressure in humans.
Researchers find tie between fat
outside of the arteries and cardiovascular disease
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that fat around the outside of
arteries may lead to the development of cardiovascular disease and could be linked to its
onset in individuals with diabetes. David Manka, PhD, a researcher in the division of
cardiovascular diseases, and his team found that this fat—known as perivascular
adipose tissue—could possibly lead to the formation of fatty buildup inside of
arteries and could cause existing buildup to break loose, leading to stroke or heart
attack. These findings are being presented at the American Heart Association's Russell
Ross Memorial Lectureship in Vascular Biology: Emerging Concepts in Vascular Disease on
Nov. 16.
Researchers hail
‘stunning’ breakthrough in childhood diabetes study
The majority of children who develop type 1 diabetes can avoid or significantly delay the
ailment simply by switching formulas in infancy, a new Hospital for Sick Children study
suggests.
Researchers identify PTSD measures
for use in traumatic brain injury research
Five U.S. federal agencies recently cosponsored a set of expert work groups to formulate
common data elements for research related to psychological adjustment and traumatic brain
injury (TBI). Danny G. Kaloupek, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral
neuroscience at Boston University School of Medicine, chaired the work group on
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Kaloupek's work at the National Center for PTSD
at VA Boston Healthcare helped to guide identification of key PTSD-related characteristics
and evidence-based measures that might be used in future research. The results have been
published in the November 2010 issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Researchers insert identification
codes into mouse embryos
Researchers from the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology at Universitat
Autňnoma de Barcelona (UAB), in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of
Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC),
have developed an identification system for oocytes and embryos in which each can be
individually tagged using silicon barcodes. Researchers are now working to perfect the
system and soon will test it with human oocytes and embryos.
Researchers kick-start ancient DNA
Binghamton University researchers recently revived ancient bacteria trapped for thousands
of years in water droplets embedded in salt crystals. For decades, geologists have looked
at these water droplets — called fluid inclusions — and wondered whether
microbes could be extracted from them. Fluid inclusions have been found inside salt
crystals ranging in age from thousands to hundreds of millions years old. But there has
always been a question about whether the organisms cultured from salt crystals are
genuinely ancient material or whether they are modern-day contaminants, said Tim
Lowenstein, professor of geological sciences and environmental studies at Binghamton.
Lowenstein and Binghamton colleague J. Koji Lum, professor of anthropology and of
biological sciences, believe they have resolved this doubt. And they've received $400,000
from the National Science Foundation to support further research on the topic.
Researchers learn that genetics
determine winter vitamin D status
Vitamin D is somewhat of an unusual "vitamin," because it can be made in the
body from sunlight and most foods do not contain vitamin D unless added by fortification.
Synthesis of vitamin D in the body requires exposure to ultraviolet light and can be
influenced by genetics, skin color, and sun exposure. Reports of greater than expected
vitamin D insufficiency coupled with emerging evidence that higher circulating
concentrations of this nutrient may protect against cardiovascular disease have prompted a
renewed interest in teasing out how environment, genetics, and behavior work independently
and coordinately to influence vitamin D status. To help clarify this, researchers at Emory
University studied vitamin D status in twins living in different North American locations.
You can read more about this study in the December 2010 issue of the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers link cerebral malaria
to epilepsy, behavior disorders
Almost a third of cerebral malaria survivors developed epilepsy or other behavioral
disorders in the most comprehensive study to date of the disease in African children,
solidifying the link between malaria and neuropsychiatric disorders that affect hundreds
of thousands of children. The research – led by Gretchen Birbeck, an associate
professor of neurology and ophthalmology in Michigan State University's College of
Osteopathic Medicine – appears in the current edition of The Lancet Neurology.
Cerebral malaria is a severe form of malaria affecting the brain, occurring predominantly
in children, with a mortality rate of 15-25 percent. It affects about one million children
every year, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.
Researchers Trace Toxins' Links to
Reproductive Health
“Hormones affect human development and some environmental chemicals act like
hormones,” Linda Giudice, UCSF’s chair of obstetrics, gynecology and
reproductive sciences, who treats thousands of patients for infertility. “Science has
exploded with data on the effect of endocrine disrupting hormones exposure in utero. The
trends in reproductive health are concerning.”
Rett syndrome mobilizes jumping
genes in the brain
With few exceptions, jumping genes-restless bits of DNA that can move freely about the
genome-are forced to stay put. In patients with Rett syndrome, however, a mutation in the
MeCP2 gene mobilizes so-called L1 retrotransposons in brain cells, reshuffling their
genomes and possibly contributing to the symptoms of the disease when they find their way
into active genes, report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Their
findings, published in the November 18, 2010 issue of the journal Nature, could not only
explain how a single mutation can cause the baffling variability of symptoms typical of
Rett syndrome but also shed new light on the complexity of molecular events that underlie
psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. "This is the first time that
we can show a connection between genomic stability and a mental disorder," says lead
author Fred Gage, Ph.D., a professor in the Salk's Laboratory of Genetics and holder of
the Vi and John Adler Chair for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases.
"In general genomic mosaicism, generated by L1 retrotransposition, likely requires
tight regulation. Epigenetic mechanisms like methlyation are ideally suited for
controlling L1 activity." "There is certainly a genetic component to Rett
syndrome and other psychiatric disorders but it may not be the only thing that's
relevant," says first author Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., who started the study as a
postdoctoral researcher in the Gage lab and now holds an appointment as an assistant
professor in the Department of Pediatrics/Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. "Somatic insertions and
alterations caused by L1 elements could play a significant but underestimated role because
they are hard to detect," he adds.
Rich Declare War on the Middle
Class
For the past thirty years the rich have been waging war on the middle class. It's been
astonishingly effective, partly because it has been undeclared. But even that pretense is
now being abandoned.
Road Trauma in Teenage Male Youth
with Childhood Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Disruptive behavior disorders explain a significant amount of road trauma in teenage male
youth. Programs addressing such disorders should be considered to prevent injuries.
Robust methods for GMO detection
ready at hand
A new Reference Report published today by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre
(JRC) lists 79 reference methods for GMO analysis which have been validated according to
international standards. This Compendium, developed jointly by the European Union
Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EU-RL GMFF) and the European
Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL), presents the technical state of the art in GMO
detection methods. Each method is described in a user-friendly way, facilitating the
implementation of GMO legislation by official control bodies. Presenting the Reference
Report today, the Director of the JRC Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP),
Elke Anklam, said: "The JRC has been working for more than 10 years on the analysis
of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed and has acquired
internationally-recognised expertise in this field. The publication of this
"Compendium of Reference Methods for GMO Analysis" represents a major milestone
in GMO analysis and will be a useful tool facilitating practical implementation of the
reference methods by GMO control laboratories".
RVF vaccine causes liver disease,
death
Many governments are pushing a new livestock vaccine for Rift Valley Fever (RVF), a
serious and deadly virus that infects both humans and animals, and that spread across
various regions of Africa earlier this year. But a recent study shows that the vaccine
itself causes serious liver problems as well as abortions in pregnant animals, which are
the same problems caused by the virus itself. Consequently, researchers are advising many
farmers not to use the vaccine in their livestock.
Sanitation and Health
Adequate sanitation, together with good hygiene and safe water, are fundamental to good
health and to social and economic development. That is why, in 2008, the Prime Minister of
India quoted Mahatma Gandhi who said in 1923, “sanitation is more important than
independence” [1]. Improvements in one or more of these three components of good
health can substantially reduce the rates of morbidity and the severity of various
diseases and improve the quality of life of huge numbers of people, particularly children,
in developing countries [2],[3]. Although linked, and often mutually supporting, these
three components have different public health characteristics. This paper focuses on
sanitation. It seeks to present the latest evidence on the provision of adequate
sanitation, to analyse why more progress has not been made, and to suggest strategies to
improve the impact of sanitation, highlighting the role of the health sector. It also
seeks to show that sanitation work to improve health, once considered the exclusive domain
of engineers, now requires the involvement of social scientists, behaviour change experts,
health professionals, and, vitally, individual people.
Schizophrenia and Vitamin D Related
Genes Could Have Been Subject to Latitude-driven Adaptation
Our results suggest a latitude-driven adaptation for both schizophrenia and vitamin D
related genes. In addition we confirm, at a molecular level, the link between
schizophrenia and vitamin D. Finally, we discuss a model in which schizophrenia is, at
least partly, a maladaptive by-product of latitude dependent adaptive changes in vitamin D
metabolism.
Scientists clock on to how sunlight
shapes daily rhythms
Fresh insight into how biological clocks adjust to having less sunlight in the winter
could help us better understand the impact of jet lag and shift work. Scientists studying
the daily activity cycle in plants – known as circadian rhythms – have
discovered a finely tuned process that enables the plant's genes to respond to the times
of dawn and dusk each day, as well as the length of daylight in between. This system helps
the plant to reset its internal clock every day in response to seasonal changes in
daylight, which helps the plant control the timing of key activities such as growth and
flowering.
Scientists ferret out a key pathway
for aging
It has been well documented in species ranging from spiders to monkeys that a diet with
consistently fewer calories can dramatically slow the process of aging and improve health
in old age. But how a reduced diet acts at the most basic level to influence metabolism
and physiology to blunt the age-related decline of tissues and cells has remained, for the
most part, a mystery. Now, writing in the current online issue (Nov. 18) of the journal
Cell, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and their colleagues
describe a molecular pathway that is a key determinant of the aging process. The finding
not only helps explain the cascade of events that contributes to aging, but also provides
a rational basis for devising interventions, drugs that may retard aging and contribute to
better health in old age. "We're getting closer and closer to a good understanding of
how caloric restriction works," says Tomas A. Prolla, a UW-Madison professor of
genetics and a senior author of the new Cell study. "This study is the first direct
proof for a mechanism underlying the anti-aging effects we observe under caloric
restriction."
Scientists identify antivirus
system
Viruses have led scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to
the discovery of a security system in host cells. Viruses that cause disease in animals
beat the security system millennia ago. But now that researchers are aware of it, they can
explore the possibility of bringing the system back into play in the fight against
diseases such as sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, dengue and
yellow fever. The findings, published in Nature, solve a 35-year-old mystery that began
when National Institutes of Health researcher Bernard Moss, MD, PhD, noticed that
poxviruses put chemical "caps" on particular spots in every piece of genetic
material transcribed from their DNA. That transcribed material is RNA; to reproduce,
viruses need to trick the host cell into making viral proteins from this RNA. Noting
evidence that the host cell puts caps on its own RNA in identical positions, Moss
theorized that the caps might be a way for cells to distinguish between their RNA and that
of an invader. He guessed the caps might serve as a sort of fake identification badge for
the virus' RNA, allowing it to bypass host cell security systems primed to attack any RNA
lacking the caps.
Scientists identify potential new
target for treating triple negative breast cancer
Scientists believe they may have found a new target for treating triple negative breast
cancer – one of the more difficult breast cancers to treat successfully and for which
there is no targeted therapy at present. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a cancer
that does not express receptors for oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) or the human
epidermal growth factor (HER2). It tends to be more aggressive, occurs more often in
younger women, and is difficult to treat successfully as it lacks the receptors that
currently available targeted therapies such as tamoxifen and trastuzumab (Herceptin) can
home in on. Surgery, followed by chemotherapy, is the usual treatment. Now researchers in
Dublin (Ireland) have found that TNBC cells respond to compounds that disrupt the
signalling processes of another receptor, EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), high
levels of which are expressed in TNBC. In a presentation to the 22nd EORTC-NCI-AACR [1]
Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Berlin today (Wednesday), Dr
Patricia McGowan, a senior postdoctoral scientist at University College Dublin, said the
compounds had reduced the growth of TNBC cells in the laboratory by up to 91%.
Scientists to develop tougher
plastics from plants
Scientists at the University of Bath and Tel Aviv University are working on a new project
to improve the properties of plastics made from plants so that they can be used in a wider
variety of products, from bottles to clothes. Poly(lactic acid) or PLA is a type of
biodegradable plastic that can be made from renewable plant sources such as corn, wheat or
sugar. It is currently used in bottles, bags and films, and can even be woven into fibres
to make clothes in the place of polyester.
Scientists Warn Naked Body Scanners
May Cause Cancer
US scientists warned Friday that the full-body, graphic-image X-ray scanners that are
being used to screen passengers and airline crews at airports around the country may be
unsafe.
Scripps Research Scientists
Identify First Synthetic Activator of Two Critical Proteins
Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a
novel synthetic activator of a pair of proteins that belong to a protein family playing
key roles in human metabolism and immune function. The discovery could provide new and
potentially more effective therapeutic approaches to diseases ranging from diabetes to
osteoporosis. “This new compound is particularly important because it works in vivo,
and it is selective for certain receptors,” said Tom Burris, a professor in the
Department of Molecular Therapeutics at Scripps Florida who led the study. “These two
properties give it significant potential as a possible therapeutic compound.”
Scripps Research scientists report
molecular structure of dopamine receptor
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has solved the structure of one
of the receptors that responds to the neurotransmitter dopamine. Although dopamine
transmission is essential to normal brain functioning, the biological assembly of the
molecules involved in this crucial neuronal interplay had not been known—until now.
In the new study, whose authors included collaborators from Weill Cornell Medical College,
Receptos, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons, the scientists solved the structure of the dopamine D3 receptor
(D3R), one of five distinct dopamine receptor subtypes.
Season, time of day appear to
predict higher UV levels, need for sun safety measures among skiers
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels may remain high during winter months, and conditions can
change rapidly, suggesting that adults participating in outdoor sports should rely on the
season and time of day when judging the need for protective clothing and sunscreen,
according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals. "Over 62,000 new cases of melanoma will occur this year that
will claim 8,000 lives, along with over a million cases of basal (a form of slow-growing
skin cancer) and squamous (a form of cancer that may occur in various organs, including
the skin, lips, mouth or esophagus) skin cancer, both of which are associated with cancer
at all sites," the authors write as background information in the article. "The
main cause of skin cancer is exposure to UV radiation."
Serum vitamin D concentrations are
related to depression in young adult US population
Vitamin D receptors have been mapped throughout the brain suggesting a role for vitamin D
in psychosomatic disorders. Results from previous epidemiological studies on relation
between vitamin D status and depression are equivocal.
Seven Ways Medical Conflicts of
Interest are Disguised
"Trust me" used to be the punch line about how a certain obscenity is uttered by
Hollywood agents. It also used to govern the conflicts of interest policies at hospitals,
universities, medical schools and scientific journals about doctors' and researchers'
financial links.
Shockwaves work better than surgery
for smaller kidney stones trapped in the ureter
Different techniques should be used to remove single stones that have become lodged in the
distal ureter after being expelled by the kidney, depending on whether they are under or
above one centimetre, according to the December issue of BJUI. Surgeons from the
Department of Urology at University Federico II, Naples, Italy, believe that
extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) - which uses a non-invasive acoustic pulse to
break down ureteric stones - should be the treatment of first choice in patients with a
stone of up to 1cm. Patients with a stone over 1cm should be treated using uretoscopy
(URS), where a ureteroscope is passed into the distal ureter to remove the stone.
Side effects of hormonal breast
cancer therapy increased; may affect treatment adherence
Women being treated for breast cancer with aromatase inhibitors may experience extremely
low estrogen levels resulting in a wide variety of side effects that a typical
postmenopausal woman without cancer may not experience (see also Breast Cancer).
Size of hippocampus may indicate
early dementia
The size of the part of the brain known as the hippocampus may be linked to future
dementia, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Mild cognitive
impairment, or MCI, is a condition where the cognitive functions are impaired –
though not as severely as in dementia – and is a precursor to several types of
dementia. "One of the challenges for the healthcare is identifying which MCI patients
have an underlying dementia disorder, which is why we need new tools to detect the early
signs of dementia," says Carl Eckerström, a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy's
Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, and doctor at Sahlgrenska University
Hospital's memory clinic.
Skin prick testing does not reflect
the presence of IgE against food allergens in adult eosinophilic esophagitis patients
Skin prick testing is widely used to predict the presence of allergen-specific IgE. In
eosinophilic esophagitis patients, who frequently exhibit polysensitization and broad
reactivity upon skin prick testing, this is commonly used to aid avoidance recommendations
in the clinical management of their disease. We present here the predictive value of skin
prick testing for the presence of allergen-specific IgE, in 12 patients, determined by
immunoblot against the allergen extracts using individual-matched serum. Our results
demonstrate a high degree of predictive value for aeroallergens but a poor predictive
value for food allergens. This suggests that skin prick testing likely identifies IgE
reactivity towards aeroallergens in adult eosinophilic esophagitis but this is not true
for foods. Consequently, IgE immunoblotting might be required for determining food
avoidance in these patients.
Sleep apnea linked to cognitive
difficulties and deficits in gray matter
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may blame their daytime difficulties on simple
sleepiness, but new research suggests that their brains may be to blame. Specifically,
their cognitive challenges may be caused by structural deficits in gray matter, brought on
by the intermittent oxygen deprivation that comes with OSA. The good news is that these
deficits may be partially or fully reversible with early detection and treatment,
according to Italian researchers. "OSA patients demonstrate several
neuropsychological impairments, but current knowledge of the brain structures affected by
OSA is limited. This study provides the first evidence that structural brain abnormalities
exist in regions susceptible to hypoxemia, and they can change with treatment," said
Vincenza Castronovo, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at the Sleep Disorders Center,
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy.
Sleep Makes Your Memories Stronger
As humans, we spend about a third of our lives asleep. So there must be a point to it,
right? Scientists have found that sleep helps consolidate memories, fixing them in the
brain so we can retrieve them later. Now, new research is showing that sleep also seems to
reorganize memories, picking out the emotional details and reconfiguring the memories to
help you produce new and creative ideas, according to the authors of an article in Current
Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological
Science.
Sleep program needed for IT
engineers
Insomnia is bad news for software engineers’ quality of life and deserves greater
recognition and attention, according to new research by Sara Sarrafi Zadeh and Khyrunnisa
Begum from the University of Mysore in India. Their work shows that poor sleep has a
bearing on quality of life - affecting physical and mental health in particular - in this
group with high levels of job-related stress. Their paper is published online in
Springer’s journal Applied Research in Quality of Life.
Small cell carcinoma in ulcerative
colitis - new treatment option: a case report
The most common type of carcinoma associated with ulcerative colitis (UC) is
adenocarcinoma. We present a case of primary rectal small cell carcinoma in a patient with
a history of UC.
Smoke from fireworks is harmful to
health
The metallic particles in the smoke emitted by fireworks pose a health risk, particularly
to people who suffer from asthma. This is the conclusion of a study led by researchers
from the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), published
this week in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. "The toxicological research has
shown that many of the metallic particles in the smoke from fireworks are bio-reactive and
can affect human health", Teresa Moreno, a researcher from the IDAEA (CSIC) and lead
author of a study that has been published this week in the Journal of Hazardous Materials,
tells SINC. The different colours and effects produced in these displays are achieved by
adding metals to the gunpowder. When a pyrotechnic display takes place it releases a lot
of smoke, liberating minute metallic particles (of a few microns in size, or even less),
which are small enough to be inhaled deeply into the lungs.
Smoking linked to half of all
bladder cancers
When most people think of smoking-related cancers, they probably think lung cancer. Some
people may also think about throat cancer. Few people, however, realize that smoking is
the primary risk factor for bladder cancer, the sixth most common cancer in the United
States.
Social Media Actually Strengthen
Social Ties, Various Demographics Engage Differently, Study Says
Contrary to popular opinion, Facebook is making us more social, albeit in ways unique to
the digital age, according to new research at The University of Texas at Austin.
Solar Storm Risks Bring Disaster
Plans
In a worst case, a major geomagnetic storm “could be perhaps the largest natural
disaster this country could face,” said John G. Kappenman, a consultant to the power
industry. It could cause regionwide or larger blackouts, potentially for months, and
affect grids on other continents as well.
Some Lip Gloss May Promote Cancer
Some dermatologists have said that the translucent sheen helps ultraviolet rays penetrate
the already fragile skin of the lips -- thereby increasing your risk.
South Florida water managers weigh
costly consequences of sea level rise
For millions of South Floridians, life on a peninsula means melting icecaps in Greenland
aren't just something for polar bears to worry about.
Specialized Blood Vessels Jumpstart
and Sustain Liver Regeneration
The liver's unique ability among organs to regenerate itself has been little understood.
Now Weill Cornell Medical College scientists have shed light on how the liver restores
itself by demonstrating that endothelial cells -- the cells that form the lining of blood
vessels -- play a key role.
Specialized blood vessels jumpstart
and sustain liver regeneration
The liver's unique ability among organs to regenerate itself has been little understood.
Now Weill Cornell Medical College scientists have shed light on how the liver restores
itself by demonstrating that endothelial cells -- the cells that form the lining of blood
vessels -- play a key role. The results of their study are published today in the online
edition of the journal Nature, with a companion study in the Oct. 24 issue of Nature Cell
Biology describing how endothelial cells are activated to initiate organ regeneration.
Spleen Might Be Source Or Damaging
Cells At Spinal Cord Injury Site
The spleen, an organ that helps the body fight infections, might also be a source of the
cells that end up doing more harm than good at the site of a spinal cord injury, new
research suggests. Considering the spleen’s role in the after-effects of spinal cord
injury could change the way researchers pursue potential treatments for these devastating
injuries.
Sports Can Increase Your
Child’s Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s
The brain is incredibly fragile and concussions cause brain injury. It’s that simple.
Treating concussions as a “ding” or “getting your bell rung” only
deflects from the seriousness of the blow.
Spouse can help in painful bladder
problem
Spouses who provide pleasant distractions can take their partners' minds off an exhausting
and excruciating bladder condition, a new study finds.
Statin Therapy May be
Overprescribed in Healthy People without Evidence of Diseased Arteries
Rolling back suggestions from previous studies, a Johns Hopkins study of 950 healthy men
and women has shown that taking daily doses of a cholesterol-lowering statin medication to
protect coronary arteries and ward off heart attack or stroke may not be needed for
everyone.
Stem cells bulk up muscle and stop
them ageing
Researchers have discovered that transplanting specially treated repair stem cells into
damaged muscle makes them twice as big and strong – and also stops them from ageing.
Stomach bacteria study goes to
Yukon
Researchers who have identified a possible bacterial link to a high number of stomach
cancer cases in Aklavik, N.W.T., are setting up shop in Old Crow, Yukon, to find out if
residents there have the same infection.
Stress Over Money, Work, Economy
Top the List for Americans
In a new survey by the American Psychologial Association, nearly 75 percent of Americans
say they are stressed to the max. And experts say the 2010 Stress in America survey points
to a looming national health crisis.
Stress takes its toll in
Parkinson's disease
We all know that living a stressful lifestyle can take its toll, making us age faster and
making us more susceptible to the cold going around the office. The same appears to be
true of neurons in the brain. According to a new Northwestern Medicine study published
Nov. 10 in the journal Nature, dopamine-releasing neurons in a region of the brain called
the substantia nigra lead a lifestyle that requires lots of energy, creating stress that
could lead to the neurons' premature death. Their death causes Parkinson's disease.
"Why this small group of neurons dies in Parkinson's disease is the core question we
struggled with," says lead author D. James Surmeier, the Nathan Smith Davis Professor
and chair of physiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Our
research provides a potential answer by showing this small group of neurons uses a
metabolically expensive strategy to do its job. This 'lifestyle' choice stresses the
neurons' mitochondria and elevates the production of superoxide and free radicals –
molecules closely linked to aging, cellular dysfunction and death."
Stress takes its toll in
Parkinson's disease
We all know that living a stressful lifestyle can take its toll, making us age faster and
making us more susceptible to the cold going around the office (see also Parkinson
Disease).
Structure of a protein related to
heart and nervous system health revealed
University of Michigan researchers have solved the structure of a protein that is integral
to processes responsible for maintaining a healthy heart and nervous system. The protein
structure in question is cystathionine beta-synthase, known as CBS. CBS uses vitamin B6 to
make hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gaseous signaling molecule that helps maintain a healthy
heart and nervous system. H2S also induces a state of suspended animation or hibernation
in animals by decreasing body temperature and lowering metabolic rate. The work to decode
the structure was led by Ruma Banerjee, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biological
Chemistry at the U-M Medical Schoool, Janet Smith, Ph.D., a research professor at the U-M
Life Sciences Institute, and their colleagues. Their findings are published today in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Studies expand oxytocin's role
beyond 'cuddle hormone'
New human research suggests the chemical oxytocin — dubbed the "cuddle
hormone" because of its importance in bonding between romantic partners and mothers
and children — also influences feelings of well-being and sensitivity to advertising.
Additional animal research shows that oxytocin may relieve stress and anxiety in social
settings and may be more rewarding than cocaine to new mothers. The findings were
presented at Neuroscience 2010, the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting and the
world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. Oxytocin is best
known for its vital role in childbirth and breastfeeding, and animal studies have shown
that it is also important in monogamous social relationships. Recently, economic research
in humans implicated oxytocin in trust and empathy.
Study claims libido boost from
holidays
Most couples have sex more on a one-week holiday than during two months at home, a survey
by www.sunshine.co.uk has claimed.
Study could mean greater
anticipated global warming
Current state-of-the-art global climate models predict substantial warming in response to
increases in greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. The models, though, disagree widely
in the magnitude of the warming we can expect. The disagreement among models is mainly due
to the different representation of clouds. Some models predict that global mean cloud
cover will increase in a warmer climate and the increased reflection of solar radiation
will limit the predicted global warming. Other models predict reduced cloudiness and
magnified warming. In a paper that has just appeared in the Journal of Climate,
researchers from the University of Hawaii Manoa (UHM) have assessed the performance of
current global models in simulating clouds and have presented a new approach to
determining the expected cloud feedbacks in a warmer climate.
Study examines relationship between
autoimmune skin disease and neurologic disorders
Individuals with the autoimmune skin disease bullous pemphigoid appear more likely to have
a diagnosis of neurologic disease, such as dementia and cerebrovascular disease, according
to a report in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. "Bullous pemphigoid is a debilitating autoimmune skin disease that is
characterized by large, tense blisters on the skin of the elderly," the authors write
as background information in the article. The condition affects about 43 per million
individuals per year in the United Kingdom and 7 to 13 per million in other parts of
Europe. "Over the last two decades, various neurologic diseases have been described
in association with bullous pemphigoid, including cerebrovascular disease, dementia,
multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson disease, Shy-Drager syndrome and amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis."
Study finds evidence of gender bias
toward diagnosing boys with autism
Social factors can play a key role in whether or not a child is diagnosed as autistic, a
new study has found. Boys were more likely to receive a diagnosis of autistic spectrum
disorder (ASD) than girls, even when symptoms were equally severe, according to
researchers at the universities of Exeter and Bristol. "We wanted to find out what
distinguishes those children without diagnosis but with autistic traits from those who
have received a formal ASD diagnosis in the clinic," explained lead researcher Ginny
Russell, from Egenis at the University of Exeter. "We thought that there may be
social and demographic factors that explain why some children are diagnosed and others are
not. Understanding social factors that act as access barriers may provide useful insights
for clinicians in practice."
Study finds low birth weight may
cause lifelong problems processing medications
New research has found that a mother’s poor nutrition during pregnancy and nursing
can cause problems for her offspring’s ability to process medications, even well into
adulthood. The results of the study, by Oregon State University researchers, suggest that
in the future physicians prescribing drugs ranging from Tylenol to cancer chemotherapies
may need to factor birth weight along with body weight into dosing decisions for their
patients.
Study finds the mind is a frequent,
but not happy, wanderer
People spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what
they're doing, and this mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy. So says a study that
used an iPhone web app to gather 250,000 data points on subjects' thoughts, feelings, and
actions as they went about their lives. The research, by psychologists Matthew A.
Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert of Harvard University, is described this week in the
journal Science.
Study links sex genes to obesity
Early sexual maturity and obesity are genetically linked in women, a study has shown.
Study on acne suicide risk fuels
debate over drugs
People with severe acne are at increased risk of attempting suicide, scientists said on
Friday in a study which fuels a debate about whether acne drugs such as Roche's Accutane
prompt suicidal thoughts.
Study points to window of
opportunity for successful autism therapy
"The biggest surprise to me was that we could rescue the autistic phenotype [in the
human cells] to something close to normal," said Alysson Muotri of the University of
California San Diego.
Study reveals neural basis of rapid
brain adaptation
You detect an object flying at your head. What do you do? You probably first move out of
the way -- and then you try to determine what the object is. Your brain is able to quickly
switch from detecting an object moving in your direction to determining what the object is
through a phenomenon called adaptation. A new study in the Nov. 21 advance online edition
of the journal Nature Neuroscience details the biological basis of this ability for rapid
adaptation: neurons located at the beginning of the brain's sensory information pathway
that change their level of simultaneous firing. This modification in neuron firing alters
the nature of the information being relayed, which enhances the brain's ability to
discriminate between different sensations -- at the expense of degrading its ability to
detect the sensations themselves.
Study Seeks New Way To Enhance
Neuron Repair In Spinal Cord Injury
If researchers could determine how to send signals to cells responding to a spinal cord
injury, they might be able to stop one type of cell from doing additional damage at the
injury site and instead, coax it into helping nerve cells grow. That is the theory behind
new research at Ohio State University, where scientists are trying to determine how to
simultaneously stop damage and promote neuron growth with a single, targeted signal.
Study shows vitamin D shortfall
among north-east women
Four times as many women are deprived of vitamin D in the north-east of Scotland as in the
south of England, according to a new study.
Study Ties Alcohol to Recurrence of
Breast Cancer
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, and a study suggests
that breast cancer survivors who consume just a few drinks a week may be more likely to
experience a recurrence than nondrinkers.
Sue government over toxic town,
activist tells Port Hope
Radium is leaking into Lake Ontario and uranium from the Cameco refinery and is
“almost certainly” being inhaled by residents, she told more than 200 people
jammed into the banquet hall at the Best Western Durham Hotel in Oshawa.
Synapses recycle proteins for the
release of neurotransmitters
Neurons communicate via chemical transmitters which they store in the bubble-like synaptic
vesicles and release as required. To be able to react reliably to stimulation, neurons
must have a certain number of "acutely releasable" vesicles. With the help of a
new method, neuroscientists at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in
Göttingen have now discovered that neurons systematically recycle the protein components
necessary for transmitter release and in this way guarantee the reliability of signal
transmission in the brain. If this process is disrupted, the communication between the
neurons quickly comes to a standstill and vital processes that rely on the rapid
transmission of information, for example seeing or the instant identification of a sound
source, become impossible to carry out.
Taking a break from osteoporosis
drugs can protect bones
Taking time off from certain osteoporosis drugs may be beneficial to bone health,
according to a study conducted at Loyola University Health System. Researchers found that
bone density remained stable for three years in patients who took a drug holiday from
bisphosphonates, a popular class of osteoporosis drugs that can cause fractures in the
thigh bones and tissue decay in the jaw bone. "These drugs are potentially harmful
when taken for long durations, yet little has been known until now about the length of
time osteoporosis patients should go without treatment for this debilitating
condition," said Pauline Camacho, MD, study investigator and director of the Loyola
University Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease Center. "Our study demonstrated
that bones can remain stable for a number of years after these drugs are
discontinued."
Taking a slice of the GM rice pie
Early this year, Bayer announced that it is pulling out its application for commercial
approval of its genetically modified Liberty Link rice (LL62) in Brazil. Its action sent a
signal that – with the numerous law suits it had to settle or pay in damages in the
US for contaminating rice farms with its LL601 rice variety – GM rice, the herbicide
resistant one in any case, might just be too controversial to be commercialised. At least
for now. Bayer's LL62 has been genetically-engineered to resist high doses of glufosinate
– particularly Bayer's Liberty/Basta – sprayed on rice fields to kill a wide
range of weeds. The idea is that LL62 rice will survive but the weeds will not, so the use
of this rice will increase use of the said herbicide thereby increasing sales of
Bayer’s glufosinate.
Targeted breast ultrasound plays
key role in evaluating breast abnormalities in women younger than 40
Targeted breast ultrasound should be the primary imaging technique used to evaluate focal
(confined) breast signs and symptoms in women younger than 30, according to a study in the
December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. Breast ultrasound is commonly
used to help diagnose breast abnormalities and to characterize potential abnormalities
seen on mammography. For women younger than 30 years with focal breast signs or symptoms,
targeted ultrasound is the technique typically recommended for initial imaging evaluation.
However, questions remain regarding the accuracy of ultrasound and the need for concurrent
mammography in this patient population. Researchers identified and reviewed all ultrasound
examinations from January 1, 2002, through August 30, 2006, performed for focal breast
signs or symptoms in women younger than 30 years at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in
Seattle, WA. Outcomes were determined by biopsy, 24 months of ultrasound surveillance or
linkage with the regional tumor registry.
Tell USDA to say no to GM beets
In August, a Federal court ruled that USDA's approval of genetically engineered (GE),
Roundup Ready sugar beets was unlawful, concluding that USDA had failed to conduct an
adequate analysis of the impacts of this crop on farmers and the environment, such as the
biological contamination of non-GE crops with GE pollen.
The First Butchers
Hominids have been cutting their steak for much longer than anybody thought.
The Hazardous Gas in Your Mouth -
Is This the First Crack in the ADA's Corrupt Cover-up?
Costa Mesa, California is the first city in the United States to call for an immediate end
to dental amalgam.
The International Network of
Cholesterol Skeptics
For decades, enormous human and financial resources have been wasted on the cholesterol
campaign, more promising research areas have been neglected, producers and manufacturers
of animal food all over the world have suffered economically, and millions of healthy
people have been frightened and badgered into eating a tedious and flavorless diet or into
taking potentially dangerous drugs for the rest of their lives. As the scientific evidence
in support of the cholesterol campaign is non-existent, we consider it important to stop
it as soon as possible. The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics (THINCS) is a
steadily growing group of scientists, physicians, other academicians and science writers
from various countries. Members of this group represent different views about the
causation of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, some of them are in conflict with
others, but this is a normal part of science. What we all oppose is that animal fat and
high cholesterol play a role. The aim with this website is to inform our colleagues and
the public that this idea is not supported by scientific evidence; in fact, for many years
a huge number of scientific studies have directly contradicted it.
The Pericyte Becomes a Player in
Alzheimer’s, Other Neurodegenerative Diseases
Cells in the brain called pericytes that have not been high on the list of targets for
treating diseases like Alzheimer’s may play a more crucial role in the development of
neurodegenerative diseases than has been realized.
The Perils of Too Much Sleep
Women who get more than 10 hours of sleep a night may increase their risk of incident
stroke, researchers said here at the American Heart Association meeting.
The Sweet Truth About Liver and Egg
Yolks -- Choline Matters More to Fatty Liver Than Sugar, Alcohol, or Fat
Some researchers, such as Dr. Robert Lustig, are making the case against fructose.
Naturally, the nutritional establishment and the media will blame anything on saturated
fat, and fatty liver is no exception, even when the "saturated fat" is corn oil.
The Toxic Side of India
In the first of a two-part series, Mint reveals how rising demand and the entry of new
firms into the market, along with lack of proper attention to collection and recycling,
have led to increased levels of lead exposure among factory workers
Tiny molecules protect from the
dangers of sex
Pathogenic fungi have been found to protect themselves against unwanted genetic mutations
during sexual reproduction, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. A
gene-silencing pathway protects the fungal genome from mutations imposed by a partner
during mating. This pathway was discovered in Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungus that
commonly infects humans, causing over one million cases of lung and brain infection each
year, and more than 600,000 deaths. A related species, Cryptococcus gattii, is causing an
expanding outbreak in the Pacific Northwest that is of considerable public health impact
and concern.
Too Much Screen Time Leads To
Psychological Problems in Children
Most all parents are aware that too many hours in front of the TV screen is not good for
children. However, most kids enter the world of television at a very early age.
Toxic Hotspots Require Global
Superfund
One of the world's biggest health threats is also one of the least recognised - more than
100 million people who literally breathe and eat toxic pollutants like lead, mercury,
chromium every day, according to the first-ever detailed assessment.
Toxic Toys R Us
As parents and others consider purchases of the latest toys and games, it is vital that
these individuals have the information they need to buy safe, non-toxic gifts for
children. Unfortunately, Toys R Us continues to sell toys containing and packaged in
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic toxic for our health and the environment. Children are
not "little adults" - their developing brains and bodies, their metabolism and
behaviors make them uniquely vulnerable to harm from toxic chemicals such as those
released by the PVC lifecycle.
Trained bacteria convert bio-wastes
into plastic
There is considerable interest in bioplastics nowadays. The technical problems associated
with turning potato peel into sunglasses, or cane sugar into car bumpers, have already
been solved. The current methods, however, are not very efficient: only a small percentage
of the sugars can be converted into valuable products. By adapting the eating pattern of
bacteria and subsequently training them, Meijnen has succeeded in converting sugars in
processable materials, so that no bio-waste is wasted.
Traveling with Allergies
Traveling is hectic enough these days with the pat downs and shoe checks, but if you have
a child with allergies, it can be even more stressful. Follow these tips for a safe and
happy holiday.
Trojan Horse ploy to sneak
protective drug into brains of stroke patients
Scientists are reporting development of a long-sought method with the potential for
getting medication through a biological barrier that surrounds the brain, where it may
limit the brain damage caused by stroke. Their approach for sneaking the nerve-protective
drug erythropoietin into the brain is medicine's version of the Trojan Horse ploy straight
out of ancient Greek legend. It also could help people with traumatic head injuries,
Parkinson's disease, and other chronic brain disorders. Their report appears in ACS'
Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal.
Troubling Emails Reveal Federal
Scientists Fear FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Salmon
After submitting a Freedom of Information Act request, the consumer advocacy group Food
& Water Watch received numerous recent internal documents and emails from the U.S.
Department of Interior's Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) exposing startling concerns
with AquaBounty salmon - a controversial genetically engineered (GE) fish the FDA may soon
approve as the first GE food animal for human consumption.
Two doctors in Germany are
convicted of taking bribes from drug company
Two doctors in Germany have been convicted of bribery for accepting money from a drug firm
for prescribing its drugs.
U.S. airport scanners pose skin
cancer risks, doctors warn
U.S. scientists warned Friday that the full-body, graphic-image X-ray scanners that are
being used to screen passengers at airports around that country may be unsafe, raising
concerns for Canadians travelling south of the border.
U.S. animal disease lab carries
risks, report says
A planned U.S. laboratory aimed at studying dangerous foreign animal diseases and
preventing their spread to American cattle, hogs and other livestock carries the risk of
spreading highly contagious pathogens, the National Research Council said on Monday.
U.S.-Backed Pesticide Spraying in
Guatemala Draws Fire
For most of three decades, the U.S. has financed massive aerial spraying of pesticides
over a large part of Guatemala in an attempt to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly, but
common precautions to limit exposure to the toxic chemicals are not being followed.
UCLA researchers identify molecular
program for brain repair following stroke
A stroke wreaks havoc in the brain, destroying its cells and the connections between them.
Depending on its severity and location, a stroke can impact someone’s life forever,
affecting motor activity, speech, memories, and more. The brain makes an attempt to rally
by itself, sprouting a few new connections, called axons, that reconnect some areas of the
brain. But the process is weak, and the older the brain, the poorer the repair. Still,
understanding the cascade of molecular events that drive even this weak attempt could lead
to developing drugs to boost and accelerate this healing process.
UH physicists study behavior of
enzyme linked to Alzheimer's, cancer
University of Houston (UH) physicists are using complex computer simulations to illuminate
the workings of a crucial protein that, when malfunctioning, may cause Alzheimer's and
cancer. Margaret Cheung, assistant professor of physics at UH, and Antonios Samiotakis, a
physics Ph.D. student, described their findings in a paper titled "Structure,
function, and folding of phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) are strongly perturbed by
macromolecular crowding," published in a recent issue of the journal Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences, one of the world's most-cited multidisciplinary
scientific serials. The research was funded by a nearly $224,000 National Science
Foundation grant in support of Samiotakis' dissertation. "Imagine you're walking down
the aisle toward an exit after a movie in a crowded theatre. The pace of your motion would
be slowed down by the moving crowd and narrow space between the aisles. However, you can
still maneuver your arm, stretch out and pat your friend on the shoulder who slept through
the movie," Cheung said. "This can be the same environment inside a crowded cell
from the viewpoint of a protein, the workhorse of all living systems. Proteins always
'talk' to each other inside cells, and they pass information about what happens to the
cell and how to respond promptly. Failure to do so may cause uncontrollable cell growth
that leads to cancer or cause malfunction of a cell that leads to Alzheimer's disease.
Understanding a protein inside cells – in terms of structures and enzymatic activity
– is important to shed light on preventing, managing or curing these diseases at a
molecular level."
UK supermarkets urged to label food
that *ISN'T* GM
Supermarkets are being told to come clean on the fact that at least 70 per cent of their
meat and milk comes from animals reared on genetically modified feed.
Ulcerative colitis and irritable
bowel patients exhibit distinct abnormalities of the gut microbiota
Molecular profiling of faecal bacteria revealed abnormalities of intestinal microbiota in
UC and IBS patients, while different patterns of Bacteroides species loss in particular,
were associated with UC and IBS.
Umbilical cord cells may treat
arthritis
Umbilical cord stem cells may be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Animal and in vitro experiments, described in BioMed Central's open access journal
Arthritis Research and Therapy, have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) taken from
umbilical cord blood can suppress inflammation and attenuate collagen-induced arthritis.
Professor Zhan-guo Li worked with a team of researchers, from Peking University People's
Hospital, China, to carry out the study. He said, "Very little is known about
umbilical cord MSCs, and there has been no previous report about their use in the
treatment of RA. MSCs can exert profound immunosuppression, which encourages their use in
the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as RA. At present, the most common source of
MSCs has been bone marrow. However, aspirating bone marrow is an invasive procedure and
the number and the differentiating potential of bone marrow MSCs decrease with age. In
contrast, the collection of umbilical cord MSCs does not require any invasive
procedure".
University of Minnesota engineering
researcher finds new way to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria
New findings by civil engineering researchers in the University of Minnesota's College of
Science and Engineering shows that treating municipal wastewater solids at higher
temperatures may be an effective tool in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Heating the solid waste to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) was particularly
effective in eliminating the genes that confer antibiotic resistance. These genes are used
by bacteria to become resistant to multiple antibiotics, which are then known as
"superbacteria" or "superbugs."
Uptake Protein Acts as Zinc’s
Doorway to the Cell
Discovery of mechanism sheds light on how zinc — essential to the growth of all
living organisms — enters cells
US climate scientists fight back
after year of scepticism
Rapid response website to improve public understanding of global warming, while
Republicans speak out against party line.
US doctors say chemicals can cause
cancer
Dr Linda Giudice has treated thousands of patients over the years with a range of
troubling reproductive disorders, and this week, she joined health experts and a young
mother in fingering chemicals as the probable cause.
UTHealth discoveries shed more
light on deadly thoracic aortic disease
Discovery of a fifth gene defect and the identification of 47 DNA regions linked to
thoracic aortic disease are the subject of studies released this month involving
researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). In
both studies, the investigators have identified alterations in the genetic material or DNA
that affect the ability of smooth muscle cells, which line the aorta and other blood
vessels, to contract. This can lead to a weakening of the wall of the aorta, the main
blood vessel leading out of the heart. One of the studies was published in the November
issue and the other was published online today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
"Both discoveries are more confirmation of the role that proper contraction of smooth
muscle cells has on the aorta and they increase our knowledge of the pathway of the
disease," said Dianna M. Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D., a senior author of both studies,
professor and the President George H.W. Bush Chair in Cardiovascular Research and director
of the Division of Medical Genetics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston,
part of UTHealth. "That allows us to figure out how to potentially block or reverse
the disease, which is our ultimate goal."
UV Radiation Poses Hidden Risk for
Skiers
There were lots of findings, but the big takeaway is that people do not know when UV is
high and do not take precautions.
UWM research offers hope for
treatment of cocaine addiction
Two separate discoveries by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM)
offer potential for development of a first-ever pharmacological treatment for cocaine
addiction. In one study, a common beta blocker, propranolol, currently used to treat
hypertension and anxiety, has shown to be effective in preventing the brain from
retrieving memories associated with cocaine use in animal-addiction models, according to
Devin Mueller, UWM assistant professor of psychology and a co-author with James Otis of
the research.
Video - UC researcher investigates
mistletoe as a cancer treatment
Vitamin C - A potential life-saving
treatment for sepsis
Physicians caring for patients with sepsis may soon have a new safe and cost-effective
treatment for this life-threatening illness. Research led by Dr. Karel Tyml and his
colleagues at The University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research Institute have
found that vitamin C can not only prevent the onset of sepsis, but can reverse the
disease. Sepsis is caused by a bacterial infection that can begin anywhere in your body.
Your immune system goes into overdrive, overwhelming normal processes in your blood. The
result is that small blood clots form, blocking blood flow to vital organs. This can lead
to organ failure. Babies, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most
likely to get sepsis. But even healthy people can become deathly ill from the disease.
According to Dr. Tyml, a professor at Western's Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry, patients with severe sepsis have a high mortality rate, nearly 40 percent,
because there is no effective treatment.
Vitamin D deficit doubles risk of
stroke in whites, but not in blacks
Low levels of vitamin D, the essential nutrient obtained from milk, fortified cereals and
exposure to sunlight, doubles the risk of stroke in whites, but not in blacks, according
to a new report by researchers at Johns Hopkins. Stroke is the nation's third leading
cause of death, killing more than 140,000 Americans annually and temporarily or
permanently disabling over half a million when there is a loss of blood flow to the brain.
Researchers say their findings, to be presented Nov. 15 at the American Heart
Association's (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago, back up evidence from earlier
work at Johns Hopkins linking vitamin D deficiency to higher rates of death, heart disease
and peripheral artery disease in adults. The Hopkins team says its results fail to explain
why African Americans, who are more likely to be vitamin D deficient due to their darker
skin pigmentation's ability to block the sun's rays, also suffer from higher rates of
stroke. Of the 176 study participants known to have died from stroke within a 14-year
period, 116 were white and 60 were black. Still, African Americans had a 65 percent
greater likelihood of suffering such a severe bleeding in or interruption of blood flow to
the brain than whites, when age, other risk factors for stroke, and vitamin D deficiency
were factored into their analysis.
Vitamin D helps prevent Alzheimer's
disease
A new study in International Journal of Neuroscience suggests that vitamin D deficiency
intensifies the spatial learning deficit in Alzheimer's disease, a common form of
dementia.
Want to live longer? Eat less. And
here's why
American scientists have discovered the key to how eating less can lead to a longer,
healthier life — an enzyme that curbs cell damage. The discovery, by scientists at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, could lead to new drugs designed to slow aging and to
enhance health in the golden years.
Well-Known Molecule May be Behind
Alcohol’s Benefits to Heart Health
Many studies support the assertion that moderate drinking is beneficial when it comes to
cardiovascular health, and for the first time scientists have discovered that a well-known
molecule, called Notch, may be behind alcohol’s protective effects. Down the road,
this finding could help scientists create a new treatment for heart disease that mimics
the beneficial influence of modest alcohol consumption.
Where Did You Get Those Eyes And
That Brain?
A family history of Alzheimer’s disease significantly increases the risk for
developing this disorder, but a new study in Biological Psychiatry suggests that which of
your parents has the disease is very important. Alzheimer’s is the most common form
of dementia in late-life, affecting over 5 million elderly in the United States alone. In
order to develop preventative treatments, it is necessary to identify those individuals
who are at highest risk for developing Alzheimer’s.
WHO seeks regulation of flavoured
tobacco
More than 170 countries were taking up measures Friday to regulate flavoured tobacco
products out of concern they seek to get young people addicted to nicotine.
Why Genetic Engineering Has No
Place in a World in Transition
I believe absolutely that GM has no place whatsoever in a world responding responsibly to
climate change and peak oil, and in saying so, I am not rejecting a "science-led
assessment of the likely risks and benefits", rather am basing it very much on the
science. So, lets take a look at the claims Lynas makes for GM.
Why so many antibodies fail to
protect against HIV infection
Researchers have been stymied for years over the fact that people infected with the AIDS
virus do indeed produce antibodies in response to the pathogen – antibodies that turn
out to be ineffective in blocking infection. Now, scientists at Duke University Medical
Center can explain why: Some of the earliest and most abundant antibodies available to
fight HIV can't actually "see" the virus until after it's already invaded a
healthy cell. The scientists based their conclusion on the results of a series of
crystallography and biochemical experiments that revealed the specific molecular
structures different types of antibodies need to have in place in order for them to mount
an effective defense. Previous research had shown that two of the most robust antibodies
against HIV –antibodies called 2F5 and 4E10 – target a specific part of the
outer coating of the virus called the MPER region of gp41. The antibodies, which operate
in a lock and key relationship, are able to latch on to the virus as it reveals this
vulnerable part of its structure, referred to as an "Achilles heel" of the AIDS
virus.
Women Take Note - High Cholesterol
in Middle Age Not a Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
High cholesterol levels in middle age do not appear to increase women’s risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia later in life, new Johns
Hopkins-led research finds, despite a body of scientific evidence long suggesting a link
between the two.
Women with high job strain have 40
percent increased risk of heart disease
Women who report having high job strain have a 40 percent increased risk of cardiovascular
disease, including heart attacks and the need for procedures to open blocked arteries,
compared to those with low job strain, according to research presented at the American
Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010. In addition, job insecurity – fear of
losing one's job – was associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease such
as high blood pressure, increased cholesterol and excess body weight. However, it'snot
directly associated with heart attacks, stroke, invasive heart procedures or
cardiovascular death, researchers said. Job strain, a form of psychological stress, is
defined as having a demanding job, but little to no decision-making authority or
opportunities to use one's creative or individual skills.
XXI Energy Goes Deep Into the Gulf
BP be damned--John Schiller's pip-squeak Energy XXI is drilling some of the most ambitious
wells the Gulf of Mexico has ever seen.
Yoga boosts feel-good brain
chemical
The ability of yoga to reduce anxiety and raise spirits is linked to a surge in a specific
brain chemical, researchers say.
You are not what you eat
The types of gut bacteria that populate the guts of primates depend on the species of the
host as well as where the host lives and what they eat. A study led by Howard Ochman at
Yale University examines the gut microbial communities in great apes, showing that a
host's species, rather than their diet, has the greatest effect on gut bacteria diversity.
These findings will publish next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology.
"Bacteria are crucial to human health. They enhance the immune system, protect
against toxins, and assist in the maturation and renewal of intestinal cells," says
Ochman. Gut microbes outnumber our own cells by 10 to 1 but little is known about how
certain species come to populate our stomachs, which are sterile at birth. What causes
this variation within microbial communities has been a matter of debate. Some scientists
have argued that diet and habitat play the most prominent roles. However, Ochman and
colleagues found that diversity in the composition of these gut communities, not including
those occasional transients and unwelcome visitors such as pathogenic bacteria, depends
primarily upon the host species. Using genetic markers, the team measured the diversity
and abundance of various microbial species found in fecal matter of five great ape species
collected in their native ranges and discovered that bacterial populations assorted to
species. Moreover, the relationships of the microbial communities matched that of their
host. In other words, not only is it possible to differentiate chimpanzees from humans by
examining the microbial populations within their guts, but these gut microbes have been
tracking the evolution of their hosts for millions of years.
Young children sensitive to others'
behaviors and intentions
Young children's helpfulness is tempered when they see that the person they intend to help
has harmed another person. But it also diminishes when they see that the object of their
attention meant to harm another, even if no harm was done. That's the conclusion of two
new studies of 3-year-olds conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for
Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
Your Own Fat, Relocated
THE latest kind of recycling has nothing to do with soda bottles. It entails
liposuctioning fat from, say, thighs or buttocks and injecting it into breasts to augment
them.
