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Week 48
'Lack of transparency' over fatal
Ninewells Hospital superbug outbreak
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon faced a claim that a patient was admitted to a ward hit
by a Clostridium difficile outbreak in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee after other patients
had been diagnosed with the bug.
150,000 dementia sufferers 'being
prescribed anti-psychotic drugs unnecessarily'
Up to 150,000 people with dementia are being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs
unnecessarily, a Government-ordered review disclosed.
9/11's delayed legacy - cancer for
many of the rescue workers
A spate of cancer-related illnesses among New York's rescue services who worked at Ground
Zero sparks fear of an epidemic.
Activists want to get lead out of
city soil
A pioneering scientist, a famous artist and an Algiers native have teamed up in an attempt
to make New Orleans a safer place for children, and for all of us.
Air Pollution Takes a Toll on Young
Lungs
Early exposure to airborne pollutants could increase the risk of infection in newborn
babies.
AMA urges clinical studies of
marijuana
The American Medical Association may have helped push marijuana further into the medical
mainstream when it urged the federal government to allow the herb to be used for studies
in the development of cannabis-based medicines.
Antivirals key to preventing severe
H1N1 disease
Antiviral medicines can prevent severe H1N1 flu and should be given to pregnant women,
very young children and people with underlying medical problems who fall ill, a World
Health Organisation official said on Thursday.
Canada doctor uses glue to aid
open-heart recovery
A new surgical technique using glue to repair breastbones intentionally broken during
open-heart surgery speeds up recovery time and is "substantially less painful"
for patients, a University of Calgary scientist said on Thursday.
Cancer protein 'can be disarmed'
Scientists have found a way to disarm a protein thought to play a key role in leukaemia
and other cancers.
China confronts global warming
dilemma
China, the world leader in both economic growth and carbon emissions, faces the dilemma of
how to respond to the challenges of global warming while not harming its robust economy.
Choosing Between Raw Milk and a
Dead, White Liquid
When health and business journalist David E. Gumpert, author of the newly released Raw
Milk Revolution: Behind America’s Emerging Battle Over Food Rights, decided to look
beyond the official FDA statement on raw milk and pasteurization, he encountered farmers
and producers of nutritional supplements who told a very different story.
Hunters Warned After Dioxin Delays
Fish advisories dot the banks of the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers. Various forms or
pollution, including historical dioxin pollution from Dow Chemical, have led to warnings
to avoid certain species of fish and limit consumption for them. Pregnant woment and young
children are given more stringent warnings.
Allergy drug tackles nasal
congestion
The "second generation" allergy drug desloratadine (brand name Clarinex)
significantly reduces both the runny nose and congestion of seasonal and persistent
allergic rhinitis, a study shows.
Depression Predicts Increases in
Inflammatory Protein Linked to Heart Disease
Which comes first, depression or inflammation? To help solve this long standing chicken
and egg conundrum, researchers led by Jesse Stewart, Ph.D., assistant professor of
psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis asked two critical
questions. Does depression lead to elevated inflammatory proteins in the human body? Or
does an increase in these proteins lead to depression? They found that the answer to the
first question appears to be "yes," and the answer to the second question may be
"no" among healthy adults (see also Inflammation).
Europe rejects GE corn but
Australia has 'no concerns'
A GENETICALLY engineered corn authorised by the Australian food regulator as safe for
human consumption has been withdrawn from Europe because of safety concerns.
Human Milk Saves Lives
UC San Diego Medical Center recently launched a website dedicated to offering families and
the medical community valuable information about the best way to provide human milk to
premature and underweight infants. The website was developed with a $10,000 grant from The
March of Dimes?San Diego chapter. “One of the goals of this website is to help fellow
hospitals adapt our model of human milk nutrition in their own neonatal intensive care
units,” said Jae Kim, MD, PhD, medical director of the Supporting Premature Infant
Nutrition Program (SPIN) at UC San Diego Medical Center. “Since the implementation of
our feeding protocols, we have seen rates of human milk feeding go up by 15 percent.
We’d love to see this become a nationwide trend.”
Pesticide Levels Decline in Corn
Belt Rivers
Concentrations of several major pesticides mostly declined or stayed the same in
“Corn Belt” rivers and streams from 1996 to 2006, according to a new U.S.
Geological Survey study. The declines in pesticide concentrations closely followed
declines in their annual applications, indicating that reducing pesticide use is an
effective and reliable strategy for reducing pesticide contamination in streams.
Sceptics anger Arctic scientists
As the world climate summit closes in, scientists monitoring the impact of global warming
in the far north have grown frustrated by public apathy and disbelief about the extent of
the problem.
Study Links Fluoride to Premature
Births
State University of New York (SUNY) researchers found more premature births in fluoridated
than non-fluoridated upstate New York communities, according to a presentation made at the
American Public Health Association’s annual meeting on November 9, 2009 in
Philadelphia.
Tiny Pesticide Exposure during
Pregnancy Can Have Long-Term Impact on Female Offspring
University of Wisconsin researchers’ study confirms chlorpyrifos levels far below
“toxic” threshold can impair learning, change brain function and alter thyroid
levels into adulthood for tested mice.
5 Pathogens Linked to Risk for
Stroke
Now a new study is linking cumulative exposure to five common pathogens with an increased
risk for stroke.
Why Dr. Oz Won’t Take the
Swine Flu Vaccine
Dr. Oz has been receiving a flu shot annually for the last ten years. He will also be
receiving the swine flu (H1N1) vaccine as well as a condition of his employment. However,
Dr. Oz’s wife and four children will not be receiving the swine flu vaccine,
therefore allowing them to escape the potential health hazards and toxins implicit of the
vaccine.
Quitting Meat Is a Process --
Almost Impossible to Do All at Once
When it comes to meat, change is almost always cast as an absolute. You are a vegetarian
or you are not. It's a strange formulation, and it's distracting.
Thousands of family doctors 'being
paid not to give out antibiotics'
Thousands of family doctors across the country are being paid not to give out antibiotics,
it has been revealed.
Whistleblowers Say Oil Reserve
Numbers Deliberately Inflated to Avoid Panic, Appease the US
Apparently the IEA was concerned that reporting the true reserve numbers would trigger a
buying panic.
Reports on Pfizer drug studies
misleading
Analysis of a dozen published studies testing possible new uses for a Pfizer Inc. epilepsy
drug found that reporting of the results was often misleading, indicating the medicine
worked better than internal company documents showed.
Penn Study Provides First Clear
Idea of How Rare Bone Disease Progresses
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine, is taking the first step in developing a treatment for a rare genetic
disorder called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), in which the body’s
skeletal muscles and soft connective tissue turns to bone, immobilizing patients over a
lifetime with a second skeleton. Reporting in the November issue of the Journal of
Clinical Investigation senior authors Eileen Shore, PhD, Professor of Genetics and
Orthopedics, and Mary Mullins, PhD, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, with
scientists in Japan and Germany, demonstrated that the mutation that causes FOP mistakenly
activates a cascade of biochemical events in soft tissues that kicks off the process of
bone development. The linchpin of the cellular signaling gone awry is a receptor for a
bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP.
Too much selenium can increase your
cholesterol
A new study from the University of Warwick has discovered taking too much of the essential
mineral selenium in your diet can increase your cholesterol by almost 10%. Selenium is a
trace essential mineral with anti-oxidant properties. The body naturally absorbs selenium
from foods such as vegetables, meat and seafood. However, when the balance is altered and
the body absorbs too much selenium, such as through taking selenium supplements, it can
have adverse affects. A team led by Dr Saverio Stranges at the University's Warwick
Medical School has found high levels of selenium are associated with increased
cholesterol, which can cause heart disease. In a paper recently published in the Journal
of Nutrition, the research team examined the association of plasma selenium concentrations
(levels of selenium in the blood) with blood lipids (fats in the blood). The researchers
found in those participants with higher plasma selenium (more than 1.20 µmol/L) there was
an average total cholesterol level increase of 8% (0.39 mmol/L (i.e. 15.1 mg/dL).
Researchers also noted a 10% increase in non-HDL cholesterol levels (lipoproteins within
your total cholesterol that can help predict the risk of someone suffering a heart attack
or chest pain). Also, of the participants with the highest selenium levels, 48.2% admitted
they regularly took dietary supplements.
Researchers discover mechanism of
insulin production that can lead to better treatment for diabetes
How a specific gene within the pancreas affects secretion of insulin has been discovered
by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with Japanese and
American universities. Their work opens the way for a new understanding of possible paths
to battle diabetes and diabetes-related health problems, which are on the rise all over
the world. Blood glucose levels are tightly regulated by secretion of insulin from beta
cells in the pancreas. Defective insulin secretion results in poorly regulated blood
glucose levels and diabetes. The work of the multi-national research team explored the
role of LKB1, a gene involved in many cellular functions, whose role in the pancreas was
not examined before. Specifically, they studied the implications of beta cell-specific
loss of the LKB1 gene, using a mouse model system. They were able to show that eliminating
this gene from beta cells causes the production and secretion of more insulin than normal
beta cells, resulting in an enhanced response to increases in blood glucose levels. The
findings have potentially great implications for those suffering from diabetes (excessive
blood sugar) due to insufficient production of insulin in the pancreas. Since it was shown
that LKB1 negatively regulates both insulin content and secretion, the way has now been
opened to possible development of a novel therapy that would limit the presence of this
gene in pancreas beta cells, thus enhancing insulin secretion.
New paper describes connections
between Circadian and metabolic systems
A paper by University of Notre Dame biologist Giles Duffield and a team of researchers
offers new insights into a gene that plays a key role in modulating the body's Circadian
system and may also simultaneously modulate its metabolic system. The relationship between
circadian and metabolic systems the researchers describe could have important implications
for understanding the higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes
among shift workers. The master circadian clock in the human resides within the
suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamic brain and receives direct input from the
retina (eye) through which the clock can be reset or synchronized on a daily basis to the
prevailing light-dark cycle. This provides both time of day and also time of year
information to the brain and body. Things can go wrong with the internal clocks when
either the clock system or its light input pathway is disrupted. Duffield notes that in
addition to the master circadian clock in the brain, many tissues throughout the body
harbor circadian clocks. "These peripheral clocks, such as in the liver and heart,
regulate local rhythms of biochemistry and physiology, but are kept in a normal
synchronized state with the external environment through a combination of signals,
including hormonal and nerve signals from the brain clock, and in the case of the liver,
from nutrients that fluctuate with the daily rhythm of feeding," he said. "The
local tissue clocks are very important as they impart rhythmic control over as much as 10
percent of local gene activity." In a paper published earlier this year in the
journal Current Biology, Duffield in collaboration with researchers from the Dartmouth
Medical School and Norris Cotton Cancer Center described how they used DNA microarray
techniques to identify an important gene called the "Inhibitor of DNA-binding 2"
(ID2) as rhythmically expressed in various tissues including the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
The researchers produced "knockout" mice that did not express the ID2 gene. They
then exposed the mice to a time-zone change in their light-dark cycle and were able to
examine the effect of artificial jet lag (or shift-work adjustment). They discovered that
the knockout mice took only one or two days to recover from jet lag, while unaltered mice
took four or five days to fully adjust.
Harvard nutrition expert offers
family physician group no-cost alternative to funding from Coca-Cola
Leading Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) nutrition and health researcher Walter
Willett, M.D., Dr. P.H., has written a letter to the President-elect of the American
Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) offering an alternative to the organization's
decision, announced in October, to accept a six-figure grant from the Coca-Cola Company to
develop web content on beverages and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In his November 9,
2009 letter, Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH and a professor at
Harvard Medical School, suggests that AAFP provide a link on its website to HSPH's popular
Nutrition Source website, which contains multiple pages of easy-to-read content for lay
people on how to achieve a healthy diet. The healthy beverages section of the site,
"Choosing Healthy Drinks", offers advice on how to limit sugary beverage
consumption and handy guidelines on the amount of calories and sugar in soda, juice and
other popular drinks. It also offers lower-calorie beverage options as a way to decrease
the risk of obesity.
Research reveals lipids' unexpected
role in triggering death of brain cells
The lipid that accumulates in brain cells of individuals with an inherited enzyme disorder
also drives the cell death that is a hallmark of the disease, according to new research
led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators. The work provides the first
evidence that a lipid can initiate the suicidal, or apoptotic, response in cells. The
findings involve a lipid called GM1-ganglioside. Lipids are fat-like molecules. GM1 builds
up with devastating results in the brain cells of patients with GM1-gangliosidosis because
they lack the enzyme required to break down that molecule. Working in mice missing this
key enzyme, researchers reported new details of how GM1 accumulation inside certain
structures in brain cells disrupts their internal calcium balance. This imbalance
ultimately leads to the programmed cell death known as apoptosis. The work appears in the
November 13 online edition of Molecular Cell. "The finding is essential for
understanding the causes of progressive loss of brain cells, characteristic of this
disease," said Alessandra d'Azzo, Ph.D., of St. Jude Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology.
She is the senior author of the report and holds the Jewelers for Children Endowed Chair
in Genetics and Gene Therapy. The work also provides hints for a strategy to intervene in
the disease process. The research led d'Azzo and her colleagues to propose that the death
of brain cells and neurodegeneration that strikes GM1-gangliosidosis patients is a
two-step process. The investigators demonstrated that blocking the first step in this
process prevented cells from self-destructing, which was not the case when just the second
step was inhibited. They predicted the discovery might have important implications for
developing new treatments for this catastrophic disease. The findings also have
implications for scientists studying other aspects of the cross-talk between intracellular
compartments, involving calcium signaling.
Teens' mental health affects how
long they stay in school, new study shows
Queen's University researcher Steven Lehrer has won a prestigious international award in
recognition of his contributions to health economics. A professor in Queen's School of
Policy Studies and Department of Economics, Dr. Lehrer shares the RAND Corporation's
Victor R. Fuchs Research Award with Jason Fletcher of Yale University. Their prize-winning
paper, recently published in the journal Forum for Health Economics & Policy, examines
the effects of adolescent health on educational outcomes. "Our study shows that poor
mental health in children and teenagers has a large impact on the length of time they will
stay in school," says Dr. Lehrer. He notes a large number of school-based programs
have recently been introduced to prevent childhood obesity through lifestyle changes, but
suggests the net should be cast more widely. "It's important for policymakers to
target health conditions that are not the easiest to identify – like inattention
– but may have larger impacts on one's future."
Mechanical ventilation for patients
with lung damage don't always work as planned
As more Canadians are diagnosed with H1N1 influenza infection, some will be admitted to
hospital. The most severely affected may be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) and
placed on a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe while they recover from the
infection. While mechanical ventilation clearly saves the lives of many people felled by
serious illness, in some cases, this supportive measure has been known to damage the
lungs, says Dr. Arthur S. Slutsky, a scientist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.
"In clinicians' previous zeal to maintain relatively normal blood gas values, they
have ventilated patients using relatively large tidal volumes," Dr. Slutsky explains.
"They also tended to ventilate patients in the supine position—that is, while
they lay on their backs." ("Tidal volume" refers to the normal volume of
air displaced in the lungs between normal inhalation and exhalation when extra effort is
not applied. Other studies have found that lowering tidal volumes decreases mortality
rates in ventilated patients.) "Ventilation is what we call a physiological-based
treatment," he explains. "We look at the patient's current physiological state,
then devise and use treatments aimed at altering this state, hoping the change will
translate into recovery."
Faithful mothers have healthier
babies
Faculty of 1000 reviewers examine a study from New Zealand on whether prolonged exposure
to the father's semen protects new mothers against pre-eclampsia and having an undersized
baby In this study by Kho and colleagues at the University of Auckland, published in the
Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 2507 first-time pregnant women were interviewed about
the length of their relationship with the baby's biological father. When the pregnancies
came to term, pre-eclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension) was found to be less common
in women who had long-term sexual relations exclusively with the biological father, than
in those who had been with their partner only for a short time (i.e. less than six
months). The study also revealed that women who had undersized babies (SGA, or 'small for
gestational age') were also more likely to have been in shorter relationships, but only
when 20 week ultrasounds demonstrated reduced blood flow to the fetus.
The use of stem cells in
regenerative medicine may also be detrimental for health
The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine is not always beneficial for human health,
it may even be harmful according to a work done by the University of Granada and
University of León. Scientists have demonstrated that transplantation of human
mononuclear cells isolated from umbilical cord blood exerted a deleterious effect in rats
with liver cirrhosis. Researchers aimed to investigate whether the mononuclear cell
fraction of human cord blood (HUCBM cells), which contains stem cells, might be useful in
hepatic regenerative medicine. Both histological and biochemical findings obtained in this
research suggest that cell transplantation did not improve the health of sick animals but
it induced a hepatorenal syndrome instead. The authors of this work are Ana I
Álvarez-Mercado, María V García-Mediavilla, Sonia Sánchez-Campos, Francisco Abadía,
María J Sáez-Lara, María Cabello-Donayre, Ángel Gil, Javier González-Gallego and Luis
Fontana, researchers from the University of Granada and University of León.
Frequent consumption of certain
types of fish during pregnancy and early childhood associated with poorer cognitive
performance of children
This is due to the presence of a pollutant –mercury– mainly in oily fish and
canned fish, and to a lesser extent in white fish. Scientists from the University of
Granada have studied exposure to environmental contaminants through water, air and diet,
in a sample of 220 children.
Coffee break - Compound brewing new
research in colon, breast cancer
A compound in coffee has been found to be estrogenic in studies by Texas AgriLife Research
scientists. Though the studies have not been conducted to determine recommended
consumption amounts, scientists say the compound, called trigonelline or "trig,"
may be a factor in estrogen-dependent breast cancer but beneficial against colon cancer
development. "The important thing to get from this is that 'trig' has the ability to
act like a hormone," said Dr. Clinton Allred, AgriLife Research nutrition scientist.
"So there is a tie to cancer in the sense that we are looking at estrogen-dependent
cancer cells. But that doesn't suggest that it would actually cause the disease. I don't
believe there should be any concern about drinking coffee at this point." His report
was published in the Journal of Nutrition. Allred's lab studies dietary compounds that can
mimic the hormone estradiol – the primary hormone in women. His main focus has been
to look at how estrogen protects against the development of colon cancer. Estradiol is one
of three estrogen hormones. "There's a history of these compounds in crops such as
soy," Allred said. "Soy has a number of different compounds that actually can
mimic estradiol in several disease states some of which are good and some of which have
the potential to be more deleterious-type effects."
Dopamine enhances expectation of
pleasure in humans
Enhancing the effects of the brain chemical dopamine influences how people make life
choices by affecting expectations of pleasure, according to new research from the UCL
Institute of Neurology.The study, published today in Current Biology, confirms an
important role for dopamine in how human expectations are formed and how people make
complex decisions. It also contributes to an understanding of how pleasure expectation can
go awry, for example in drug addiction. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in several
areas of the brain that is found in a wide variety of animals. Its role in reward learning
and reward-seeking behaviour is well established by animal studies – however, in
humans its role is much less understood. Lead author Dr Tali Sharot, Wellcome Trust Centre
for Neuroimaging at UCL, said: "Humans make much more complex decisions than other
animals – such as which job to take, where to go on holiday, whether to start a
family – and we wanted to understand the role of dopamine in making these types of
decisions. Our results indicate that when we consider alternative options when making
real-life decisions, dopamine has a role in signalling the expected pleasure from those
possible future events. We then use that signal to make our choices." The research
team, which included Dr Tamara Shiner and Professor Ray Dolan, examined estimated pleasure
of future events before and after the administration of a drug called L-DOPA which is
known to enhance dopamine function in the brain and is commonly used to trat patients with
Parkinson's disease. The 61 study participants were asked to rate their expectations of
happiness if they were to holiday at each of 80 destinations, from Thailand to Greece.
They were then given L-DOPA or a placebo and asked to imagine holidaying in those
destinations.
To make memories, new neurons must
erase older ones
Short-term memory may depend in a surprising way on the ability of newly formed neurons to
erase older connections. That's the conclusion of a report in the November 13th issue of
the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, that provides some of the first evidence in
mice and rats that new neurons sprouted in the hippocampus cause the decay of short-term
fear memories in that brain region, without an overall memory loss. The researchers led by
Kaoru Inokuchi of The University of Toyama in Japan say the discovery shows a more
important role than many would have anticipated for the erasure of memories. They propose
that the birth of new neurons promotes the gradual loss of memory traces from the
hippocampus as those memories are transferred elsewhere in the brain for permanent
storage. Although they examined this process only in the context of fear memory, Inokuchi
says he "thinks all memories that are initially stored in the hippocampus are
influenced by this process." In effect, the new results suggest that failure of
neurogenesis will lead to problems because the brain's short-term memory is literally
full. In Inokuchi's words, we may perhaps experience difficulties in acquiring new
information because the storage capacity of the hippocampus is "occupied by un-erased
old memories." Of course, Inokuchi added, "our finding does not necessary deny
the important role of neurogenesis in memory acquisition." Hippocampal neurogenesis
could have a dual role, he says, in both erasing old memories and acquiring new ones.
Vacationing in Thailand over
Greece? That's the dopamine talking
People constantly make complex decisions, from the more mundane—which restaurant to
go to for dinner or which movie to go see—to the more profound—whether to have
kids or not. Now, a new study published online on November 12th in Current Biology, a Cell
Press publication, confirms an important role for the brain chemical dopamine in how
people make such life choices, by influencing our expectations of the pleasure associated
with their outcomes. "Humans make much more complex decisions than other
animals—such as which job to take, where to vacation, whether to start a
family—and we wanted to understand the role of dopamine in making these types of
decisions," said Tali Sharot of University College London. "Our results indicate
that when we consider alternative options when making real-life decisions, dopamine has a
role in signaling the expected pleasure from those possible future events. We then use
that signal to make our choices." Dopamine's role in reward learning and
reward-seeking behavior has been established in animals, Sharot explained. In humans,
however, much less was known. Her team recently found that when we imagine future events,
activity in a dopamine-laden part of the brain tracks people's estimates of the expected
pleasure to be derived from those events. Based on these findings, the researchers
suspected that they could alter people's expectations, and with them their choices, by
manipulating dopamine levels in the subjects' brains.
Advances in malaria research show
promise for fight against 1 of the world's deadliest diseases
In a novel approach at disseminating scientific research, the Johns Hopkins Malaria
Research Institute (JHMRI) will hold a web summit to release the latest breakthroughs in
malaria research, including new approaches to boosting mosquito immunity to malaria,
mapping mosquito migrations, and the promise of a rapid sputum test that could
revolutionize the way malaria is tracked and tested for in rural areas, which are hotbeds
for the disease. Each year more than 300 million malaria cases occur worldwide. Nearly one
million people die of malaria every year, most of them children. In Africa, malaria is
responsible for one in five childhood deaths. "Many young people today are passionate
about global health issues. We want to engage them to pursue scientific careers in the
battle against malaria," says Peter Agre, MD, Nobel Laureate, Director of the JHMRI,
and current president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Treatment to improve degenerating
muscle gains strength
A study appearing in Science Translational Medicine puts scientists one step closer to
clinical trials to test a gene delivery strategy to improve muscle mass and function in
patients with certain degenerative muscle disorders. Severe weakness of the quadriceps is
a defining feature of several neuromuscular disorders. Researchers at Nationwide
Children's Hospital have shown that a gene delivery strategy that produces follistatin
– a naturally occurring protein that inhibits myostatin, a growth factor expressed
specifically in skeletal muscle – directly to the quadriceps of non-human primates
results in long-term gene expression with muscle enhancing effects, including larger
muscles with greater strength. Previously, Nationwide Children's researchers demonstrated
follistatin's therapeutic potential using rodent models. This more recent study produced
similar results in non-human primates, in a translational study to demonstrate efficacy in
safety in a species more closely related to humans. Non-human primates that received the
injection of the follistatin transgene experienced pronounced and durable increases in
muscle size and strength. Muscle growth occurred for 12 weeks after treatment, after which
time the growth rates appeared to stabilize and were well tolerated, with no adverse
events noted over the course of the 15-month study. "Our studies indicate that this
relatively non-invasive approach could have long-term effects, involve few risks and could
potentially be effective in various types of degenerative muscle disorders including
multiple forms of muscular dystrophy," said the study's corresponding author, Brian
Kaspar, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy of The Research
Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Barrow study identifies new way to
biopsy brain tumors in real time
A new miniature, hand-held microscope may allow more precise removal of brain tumors and
an easier recognition of tumor locations during surgery. Neurosurgeons at Barrow
Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center are using the new
miniature laser confocal microscope to view brain tumor regions during surgery and obtain
digital images of the tumor and brain tissue. This was not previously possible without
taking biopsies of the tissue. The microscope is used to image the tissue after a
fluorescent drug is injected into the patient and travels into the tumor. The first
application of the technology in the research lab at Barrow showed that it was possible to
distinguish cancer cells and the margin of the brain tumor without taking a biopsy. Barrow
researchers also discovered that it was possible to obtain a digital video of the brain
tumor to show blood flowing through the abnormal vessels of the tumor and the transition
from normal to abnormal brain tissue. Typically, intraoperative diagnosis is performed by
obtaining several specimens from within a brain tumor using biopsy forceps and cutting,
freezing and staining the specimen for examination under the microscope. The traditional
analysis is limited by sampling error and by mechanical tissue damage from the biopsy
forceps, slowing operative workflow by 30 to 40 minutes.
IACC includes vaccine research
objective in strategic plan for autism research
Autism Speaks is encouraged by yesterday's decision of the Interagency Autism Coordinating
Committee (IACC) to include vaccine research studies in the objectives of the updated
Strategic Plan for Autism Research. The new language, approved unanimously, calls for
studies to determine if there are sub-populations that are more susceptible to
environmental exposures such as immune challenges related to naturally occurring
infections, vaccines or underlying immune problems. "This revised plan is an
important step toward a more comprehensive approach to exploring the wide range of risk
factors that may be contributing to autism," said Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., Autism
Speaks chief science officer. IACC met yesterday at the NIMH in Rockville, Md., to discuss
the Strategic Plan. As mandated by the Combating Autism Act (CAA), the IACC must develop
and annually update a strategic plan for the conduct of, and support for, autism spectrum
disorder research, including proposed budgetary requirements. In gathering Congressional
support for the CAA, members of Congress specified that all possible causes of autism
– including vaccines – be studied. The plan, which is intended to represent a
collaborative effort between federal officials and public members who represent the autism
community, has been under revision following passage of the first iteration in February.
Anita Miller Sostek, Ph.D., Autism Speaks' vice president of scientific review and
operations, provided a detailed statement to the IACC in advance of today's meeting
outlining key concerns, focusing on the need to comply with CAA's legislative intent;
support rigorous, evidence-based scientific research into all aspects of autism from
potential causes, to diagnosis and treatments; and through rigorous and evidence-based
science, engender the trust of the scientific, medical and entire autism community. The
full statement is attached.
Mouse gene suppresses Alzheimer's
plaques and tangles
Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and colleagues have
identified a novel mouse gene (Rps23r1) that reduces the accumulation of two toxic
proteins that are major players in Alzheimer's disease: amyloid beta and tau. The amyloid
and tau lowering functions of this gene were demonstrated in both human and mouse cells.
Amyloid beta is responsible for the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
Tau causes the tangles found within patients' brain cells. The study was published in the
journal Neuron on November 12. These findings could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's
disease. Scientists throughout the world are searching for ways to reduce the levels of
these two proteins as a means of treating Alzheimer's, so finding a gene that can control
the amount of both proteins is particularly important. Overproduction of amyloid beta and
its accumulation within senile plaques in the brain and the formation of abnormal tau
tangles (neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein) are major
causes of disrupted brain function in Alzheimer's disease. Hauxi Xu, Ph.D., professor and
acting director of the Neurodegenerative Disease Research program at Burnham, collaborated
with Nobel laureate Paul Greengard, Ph.D., of the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular
Neuroscience at The Rockefeller University, Stanley Cohen, Ph.D., of the Department of
Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Limin Li, Ph.D., of Functional
Genetics, Inc., and with researchers from Xiamen University, to demonstrate that the
RPS23R1 protein, which is encoded by the gene, triggers a signaling pathway within brain
cells that inhibits a protein called GSK-3 (glycogen synthase kinase-3), which regulates
both amyloid beta generation and tau phosphorylation (required for tangle formation).
How many vaccines do children get?
How many vaccines do children get should swine flu vaccine be mandatory in the Us Is there
any truth to the prophecy plague? What happened in 1976 with Guillain Barr Syndrome? What
are the dangers of squalene? Is the H1N1 deadly? What will happen in 2012? Does mercury in
vaccines pose a threat to public health?
DU professor advises families to
refocus for holidays to ease financial tension
Martha Wadsworth, associate professor of psychology at the University of Denver (DU), says
during the holidays families should focus on what has been proven to matter most in
psychological research – quality family time. "I love the winter holidays
because most of them are about being together with those you love and getting back to what
is important in life and that's our relationship with each other," she says.
"Psychological research has shown over and over again that what truly makes people
happy is not money, not stuff, it's time with people you love." Wadsworth's research
focuses on coping processes in children and families exposed to overwhelming stress,
including financial stress. She suggests that families take this opportunity to build in
new family traditions that are more about spending time with each other and less about
money. Wadsworth says some families have started giving traditions, where they plant
trees, donate to a local shelter or volunteer in a soup kitchen. "Giving of your time
and your energy can be very satisfying," she says.
Client-directed therapy technique
drastically reduces divorce/separation rates
Using four simple questions to generate client-directed feedback can greatly increase the
chances that struggling couples will stay together, according to a recently published
study. According to the largest clinical trial with couples to date – which was
co-authored by University of Rhode Island Human Development and Family Studies Professor
Jacqueline Sparks – couples that had systematic client feedback incorporated into
their sessions were 46.2 percent less likely to wind up divorced or separated. The largest
clinical trial to date, the findings of the study were published in the Aug. 3 issue of
the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Sparks co-authored the two-year study
– conducted at the Vestfold Family Counseling Center in Norway – with Barry
Duncan of Heart and Soul of Change Project and Morten Anker of the Family Counseling
Office in Vestfold. The team of U.S. and Norwegian researchers studied 205 randomly
selected couples from southern Norway for two years from October 2005 through December
2007. The couples showed problems typical of struggling relationships, from communication
problems to infidelity and physical or psychological issues. Half of the couples in the
study used the client feedback system, while the other half did not. The couples using the
feedback methods used a visual scale at the start of each session to rate their well being
in four categories – individual, interpersonal, social and overall. Using the Outcome
Rating Scale system as a guide, approaches for therapy could be altered in real time,
helping to open lines of communication between clients and therapists.
Paradoxical protein might prevent
cancer
One difficulty with fighting cancer cells is that they are similar in many respects to the
body's stem cells. By focusing on the differences, researchers at Karolinska Institutet
have found a new way of tackling colon cancer. The study is presented in the prestigious
journal Cell. Molecular signal pathways that stimulate the division of stem cells are
generally the same as those active in tumour growth. This limits the possibility of
treating cancer as the drugs that kill cancer cells also often adversely affect the body's
healthy cells, particularly stem cells. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, conducted
in collaboration with an international team of scientists led by Professor Jonas Frisén,
is now focusing on an exception that can make it possible to treat a form of colon cancer.
The results concern a group of signal proteins called EphB receptors. These proteins
stimulate the division of stem cells in the intestine and can contribute to the formation
of adenoma (polyps), which are known to carry a risk of cancer. Paradoxically, these same
proteins also prevent the adenoma from growing unchecked and becoming cancerous.
Satellite Imagery Confirms Ida's
Low is Finally Moving Away from the East Coast
Satellite imagery and weather ground station readings today along the Mid-Atlantic
indicate "Ida the coastal low pressure area" is finally moving away from the
U.S. east coast. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-12 captured a
visible image of "Ida the Coastal Low" this morning, Friday, November 13 at
10:31 a.m. ET. The image revealed the low pressure system as large area of clouds
stretching from the Canadian Maritimes down to South Carolina. GOES is operated by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA's GOES Project, located at
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. creates some of the GOES satellite
images.
Nonprofits put brand at risk in
corporate partnerships
Charities and other nonprofits may put their brand at risk when they partner with
corporations on social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The public can easily construe
such connections as a seal of approval of the corporation by the nonprofit. That's what
two marketing professors found when they examined consumer perceptions in a controlled
experiment. "Our results suggest that some CSR initiatives may produce consumer
inferences that are wrong but desirable for the company," says Stacy Landreth Grau,
associate professor of marketing in the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian
University in Fort Worth. "And these inferences can have potentially negative
consequences for the nonprofit." "Explicit Donations and Inferred Endorsements:
Do Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives Suggest a Nonprofit Organization
Endorsement?," by Amanda B. Bower, a marketing professor at Washington and Lee
University in Virginia, and Stacy Landreth Grau of TCU, appears in the Fall 2009 issue of
the Journal of Advertising. The professors designed an experiment with a fictional
childhood learning company. They created variations of a print ad with several levels of
connection to a pair of fictional nonprofits: the Alliance Against Childhood Obesity and
the Alliance for Early Literacy.
Fat collections linked to decreased
heart function
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that fat
collection in different body locations, such as around the heart and the aorta and within
the liver, are associated with certain decreased heart functions. The study, which appears
on-line in Obesity, also found that measuring a person's body mass index (BMI) does not
reliably predict the amount of undesired fat in and around these vital organs. The
prevalence of obesity is rising rapidly in the United States. Recent estimates suggest
that approximately 30 percent of the adult population meets this criterion. Past studies
have shown that fat accumulation in the liver and around the heart are linked to
cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. BUSM researchers compared fat volumes in obese
persons (BMI over 30), all of whom had high blood pressure and/or diabetes, and lean
healthy persons (average BMI of 22). All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) and proton MR spectroscopy to quantify pericardial and peri-aortic lipid volumes,
cardiac function, aortic compliance and intra-hepatic lipid content. Fasting plasma
lipoproteins, glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids were also measured among the
subjects. The researchers found fat collections in anatomically separate locations, such
as within the liver and around the heart, to be associated to cardiovascular function
– including a decrease in cardiac pumping function – as fat around the heart
increased. However, they also found that the amount of fat around the heart and aorta was
not predicted by the BMI of the individual in this population.
The benefits of exercise
Physical exercise is one of the most effective methods of preventing disease. The current
issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106[40]: 713??) is
devoted to this important topic. The first article (see
http://www.aerzteblatt.de/v4/archiv/pdf.asp?id=66574), by Carl D. Reimers and coauthors,
deals with the remarkable potential of physical exercise to prevent stroke. In men,
exercise lowers the risk of cerebral hemorrhage by 40%, and that of cerebral infarction by
27%. Rapid walking or cycling suffices to achieve this effect. In women, a statistically
significant effect has not been demonstrated. In the second article (see
http://www.aerzteblatt.de/v4/archiv/pdf.asp?id=66575), sports physician Martin Halle and
his collaborators present the finding that regular walking lowers the risk of colorectal
carcinoma, the most common type of cancer in Germany, by 40%. Patients with colorectal
carcinoma can also improve their prognosis by exercising. Professor Leyk of the German
Sport University in Cologne opens this special issue with an editorial (see
http://www.aerzteblatt.de/v4/archiv/pdf.asp?id=66573), in which he asks the critical
question why the tremendous preventive and therapeutic benefits of exercise are still
underutilized in clinical medicine.
Youths see all parental control
negatively when there's a lot of it
A new study has found that young people feel differently about two types of parental
control, generally viewing a type of control that's thought to be better for their
development more positively. However, when parents are very controlling, young people no
longer make this distinction and view both types of parental control negatively. The
study, conducted in the United States by researchers at Örebro University in Sweden,
appears in the November/December 2009 issue of the journal Child Development. Unlike a lot
of prior research on parenting that's focused on control, this study looked at how
adolescents view and react to parental control. Scholars tell us that parental control
falls into two categories: behavioral control (when parents help their children regulate
themselves and feel competent by providing supervision, setting limits, and establishing
rules) and psychological control (when parents are manipulative in their behavior, often
resulting in feelings of guilt, rejection, or not being loved). It's thought that
behavioral control is better for youngsters' development. But the study, which asked 67
American children (7th and 8th graders, as well as 10th and 11th graders) to respond to
hypothetical scenarios involving both kinds of control, found that the youths put a
negative spin on both types of control when the parents in the scenarios exercised a lot
of control. Specifically, when parents showed moderate levels of control, they saw
psychological control more negatively than behavioral control, but when parents were very
controlling, they viewed both types of control negatively.
Does modernization affect
children's cognitive development?
Societal and technological changes have taken place at a dizzying pace over recent
decades. A new cross-cultural study aimed to determine whether these dramatic changes have
had an effect on the thinking skills that are learned over the course of childhood. The
study, by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, and Pitzer College, is
published in the November/December 2009 issue of the journal Child Development. Using
previously collected data from the late 1970s, the researchers looked at almost 200
children ages 3 to 9 in Belize, Kenya, Nepal, and American Samoa. When the data were
collected, these four communities differed in the availability of resources that are
typically associated with modernity, such as having writing tablets and books,
electricity, a home-based water supply, a radio and TV set, and a car. Children in
communities with more modern resources performed better in some areas of cognitive
functioning, such as certain types of memory and pattern recognition, and they took part
in more complex sequences of play. The researchers note that these differences don't mean
that children from more modern communities are more advanced intellectually; rather, the
findings reflect the cognitive skills that are valued and promoted in the communities
where the children live.
Funny, you don't look related
When Charles Darwin visited the Falkland Islands during the voyage of the Beagle in 1835,
he saw a wolf-like species, wrote about it in his diaries and correctly commented that it
was being hunted in such large numbers that it would soon become extinct. Darwin was
baffled by how this animal got on the islands, and it figured heavily in the formation of
his ideas on evolution by natural selection. Now, UCLA biologists and colleagues have
analyzed DNA from museum specimens, including one collected by Darwin, and have solved the
puzzle. Their results surprised them. "It was the only terrestrial mammal on the
island," said Robert Wayne, UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and
co-author of the research paper, published Nov. 3 in the journal Current Biology.
"How can something the size of a Labrador retriever end up on an island in sufficient
numbers that a new population emerges and evolves into a new species? The presence of this
large canid, the Falkland Islands wolf, has always been a puzzle, since the early
1800s." Was it brought to the Falklands, less than 300 miles from the mainland of
South America, by humans or did it somehow get there by itself? "Our analysis rules
out humans," said Graham Slater, a postdoctoral scholar in the UCLA Department of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and lead author of the paper.
Why can't chimps speak? Study links
evolution of single gene to human capacity for language
Why can't chimps speak? Study links evolution of single gene to human capacity for
language. Findings provide insight into the evolution of the human brain and may point to
possible drug targets for disorders like autism and schizophrenia.
Can thinking of a loved one reduce
your pain?
Yes, according to a new study by UCLA psychologists that underscores the importance of
social relationships and staying socially connected. The study, which asked whether simply
looking at a photograph of your significant other can reduce pain, involved 25 women,
mostly UCLA students, who had boyfriends with whom they had been in a good relationship
for more than six months. The women received moderately painful heat stimuli to their
forearms while they went through a number of different conditions. In one set of
conditions, they viewed photographs of their boyfriend, a stranger and a chair.
Cornell researchers identify a weak
link in cancer cell armor
The seeming invincibility of cancerous tumors may be crumbling, thanks to a promising new
gene therapy that eliminates the ability of certain cells to repair themselves.
Researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine have discovered that
inactivation of a DNA repair gene called Hus1 efficiently kills cells lacking p53 -- a
gene mutated in the majority of human cancers. Using a mouse model, senior author Robert
Weiss, associate professor of molecular genetics, first author and graduate student
Stephanie Yazinski and colleagues explored how cells respond when both genes are
inhibited. When they inactivated the Hus1 gene in healthy mammary gland tissues, the
researchers report, it caused genome damage and cell death. And when they studied the
effects of Hus1 inactivation in p53-deficient cells, which are highly resistant to cell
death, they discovered that the ability of Hus1 inactivation to kill cells was even
greater. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(Nov. 9).
Chemicals in Our Food, and Bodies
Your body is probably home to a chemical called bisphenol A, or BPA. It’s a synthetic
estrogen that United States factories now use in everything from plastics to epoxies
— to the tune of six pounds per American per year. That’s a lot of estrogen.
Britain's problem with pets -
they're bad for the planet
The authors of a provocative new book have bad news for animal-lovers - pets are bad for
the planet.
Babies May Read Your Poker Face
Harvard Lab Finds Babies Can Recognize Fear and Anger Before They Can Talk
15,000 pensioners needlessly
sedated with 'chemical cosh'
Just one in five elderly people given powerful anti-psychotic drugs in care homes and
hospitals derives any benefit from them, a UK government report published yesterday
claimed.
‘Despair’ Gene May Link
to Mood Disorders
A gene in the brain that was not previously linked to mood disorders could have a role in
biopolar, depression, and schizophrenic conditions. Pharmacy scientists at the University
of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) have identified antidepressant and anti-anxiety behaviors in
tests of mice lacking the gene. Writing in the journal BMC Neuroscience, Elisabeth
Barbier, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the School of Pharmacy, and Jia Bei Wang, PhD,
professor at the School, concluded after running a battery of standard behavioral tests on
the mice without the PKCI/HINT1 gene that it may have an important role in mood
regulation.
Prevent kidney disease by saying no
to diet sodas and excess salt
According to the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the number of people in the US
diagnosed with kidney disease has doubled over the past 20 years. About 20 million
Americans are at risk for developing kidney disease and the ASN web site states another 20
million Americans already have some evidence of chronic kidney disease. And when chronic
kidney disease progresses, it often leads to kidney failure or end stage renal disease
(ESRD) -- resulting in ongoing, expensive dialysis treatments or even kidney transplants.
Poor nutrition 'stunting growth'
Poor child nutrition still causes major problems in the developing world - despite some
progress, experts say.
Lab-Grown Meat - The Answer to
Animal Cruelty and Environmental Ruin From Feedlots?
If and when lab-grown meat begins filling the processed-food troughs of the masses, will
the Oscar Mayer wiener-eaters of the world even notice?
Fat-dissolving procedure carries
infection risks
French researchers are calling into question the safety of a cosmetic procedure that
offers to melt away fat without surgery, exercise or pills.
Does High Cholesterol REALLY Cause
Heart Disease?
Seven years ago I started THINCS, The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics
(www.thincs,org ), which by now includes about eighty doctors, professors and other
researchers from all over the world, who share my scepticism, and I have received two
international awards for my contributions. Also encouraging is the hundreds of emails that
I receive every year from patients, who have regained their health after having stopped
their cholesterol-lowering treatment.
Weekend lie-ins for teenagers wards
off obesity
Teenagers lying in at the weekend might seem like laziness, but it will actually help them
stay slim and healthy, claim scientists.
Get Genetically Engineered Vaccines
Out of Organic!
Scientists are warning, "Genetically engineered vaccines possess significant
unpredictability and a number of inherent harmful potential hazards."
Swarms of tiny robots to monitor
the oceans
A number of scientific organizations are working on pint-size robots that will act much
like schools of fish to explore and monitor the oceans.
Researcher Explores Link Between
Social Anxiety and Risky Behaviour Among Same-sex Partners
Why are some men, both HIV-positive and negative, still engaging in risky activities with
male partners? Dr. Trevor Hart, director of the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University,
is conducting a comprehensive study to find out the answer to this perplexing and alarming
question. In a four-year study, the Sexual Health and Attitudes Research Project (SHARP),
the psychology professor is examining the connection between social anxiety and its effect
on men who have unprotected sex with other men.
American Public Health Association
Supports Ban On Hormonal Milk And Meat
The Cancer Prevention Coalition is pleased to announce that the Governing Council of the
American Public Health Association has voted to oppose the continued sale and use of
genetically engineered hormonal rBGH milk, and also meat adulterated with sex hormones.
This decision is based on long-standing scientific and public policy information developed
and published by the Cancer Prevention Coalition over the last two decades, as summarized
below.
Mouth Is Indicator of Overall
Health, Says Dental School Professor
One day in medical clinics, the big picture of a patient’s state of health may be
found in little pictures from the mouth, says Li Mao, MD, a new professor at the
University of Maryland Dental School. The mouth or oral cavity area is an excellent
indicator of the whole body’s health, says Mao, who is the chair of the new
Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences at the School. Mao recently joined the
Dental School to be at the forefront of a movement to retool dental education, he says, to
make dentists practice more within the bigger health care community.
Pursuit of hedonistic pleasure our
only desire
the researchers also believe that a lack of the chemical, caused by depression, disease or
drug addiction, can lead to us making bad life choices.
How the 40 Year Drop in the Minimum
Wage Helped Cause Obesity
Growing consumption of increasingly less expensive food, and especially "fast
food", has been cited as a potential cause of increasing rate of obesity in the
United States over the past several decades.
New national study finds more than
half of cheerleading injuries in US due to stunts
Whether rallying the crowd at a sporting event or participating in competition,
cheerleading can be both fun and physically demanding. Although integral to cheerleading
routines, performing stunts can lead to injury. Stunt-related injuries accounted for more
than half (60 percent) of U.S. cheerleading injuries from June 2006 through June 2007,
according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and
Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Published as a series
of four separate articles on cheerleading-related injuries in the November issue of the
Journal of Athletic Training, the study focused on general cheerleading-related injuries,
cheerleading stunt-related injuries, cheerleading fall-related injuries and surfaces used
by cheerleaders. Data from the study showed that nearly all (96 percent) of the reported
concussions and closed-head injuries were preceded by the cheerleader performing a stunt.
"In our study, stunts were defined as cradles, elevators, extensions, pyramids,
single-based stunts, single-leg stunts, stunt-cradle combinations, transitions and
miscellaneous partner and group stunts," said author Brenda Shields, research
coordinator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's
Hospital.
Study reveals why certain drug
combinations backfire
Combination drug therapy has become a staple for treating many infections. For instance,
doctors treat extensively drug resistant forms of tuberculosis with one drug that breaks
down the pathogen's protective barriers and opens the door for another to deliver the
deathblow. Just as some drugs work better together, however, other pairings are
counter-productive. "The question we asked was how can it be that two drugs in
combination are less effective than one of them alone," said senior author and
Harvard Medical School associate professor of systems biology Roy Kishony. Kishony and his
team have found that the answer lies in the way some antibiotic drugs influence a
bacterial cell's gene expression levels. Combinations of these altered genetic behaviors
can "put the cell in a better position for survival," said Kishony. The work,
which was done in collaboration with Stanford University research associate Selwyn Quan,
is described in the November 13 Cell.
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
professor co-authors child development study
Brandy Frazier, assistant professor of psychology at UH Manoa, recently published a paper
in Child Development titled, "Preschoolers' Search for Explanatory Information Within
Adult-Child Conversation." The article examines curiosity in preschool-aged children,
focusing on their "how and why" questions. In the study, Frazier and
co-researchers at the University of Michigan carried out two studies of 2- to 5-year-olds,
focusing on their "how" and "why" questions, as well as their requests
for explanatory information, and carefully examined the children's reactions to the
answers they received from adults. In the first study, the researchers examined
longitudinal transcripts of six children's everyday conversations with parents, siblings,
and visitors at home from ages 2-4. In the second study, they looked at the
laboratory-based conversations of 42 preschoolers, using toys, storybooks, and videos to
prompt the children, ages 3-5, to ask questions.By looking at how the children reacted to
the answers they received to their questions, the researchers found that children seem to
be more satisfied when they receive an explanatory answer than when they do not. In both
studies, when preschoolers got an explanation, they seemed satisfied (they agreed or asked
a new follow-up question). In addition, when the children received answers that were not
explanations, they seemed dissatisfied and were more likely to repeat their original
question or provide an alternative explanation.
Brain injured athletes may benefit
from hypothermia research
NFL players and other athletes who suffer serious or multiple concussions may benefit from
ground-breaking research being conducted by scientists at Barrow Neurological Institute at
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. The scientists are developing a surgical
technique that involves hypothermia in specific regions of the brain. Therapeutic
hypothermia is a medical treatment that lowers a patient's temperature in order to help
reduce the risk of injury to tissue. The endovascular intra-arterial cooling method being
studied at Barrow rapidly preserves the injured portion of the brain and minimizes damage.
Results from the studies, which are being led by Barrow's director of Neurosurgery
Research Mark Preul, MD, have been published in academic journals such as Neurological
Research.
'Cross-talk' mechanism contributes
to colorectal cancer
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health
have identified a molecular mechanism that allows two powerful signaling pathways to
interact and begin a process leading to colorectal tumors. "We are very excited about
these findings," says Vladimir Spiegelman, an associate professor of dermatology.
"Drugs could be developed to block this mechanism and prevent colorectal cancer,
which affects millions of people worldwide." The research will appear in the current
(Nov. 15) Cancer Research. Spiegelman and his team study cellular processes that produce
several types of cancer. They have focused recently on the Wnt signaling pathway, which
has been implicated in the vast majority of all colorectal cancers. Like all signaling
pathways, this one involves a group of molecules that work in sequence to perform a
specific cell function. At each step along the way, the molecules perform tasks outlined
in the signals until the job is finally done. If there's a breakdown anywhere in the
normal process, cancer can occur. In an earlier paper published in Nature, Spiegelman's
team described how signals in the Wnt pathway regulate CRD-BP, a gene that contributes to
normal colorectal cells' changing into tumor cells. "Within the Wnt pathway, we found
that CRD-BP binds to and increases the messenger RNA of a cancer-promoting transcription
factor called GLI1," Spiegelman explains.
Shape perception in brain develops
by itself
Tests with westerners and African nomads suggest that brain has innate sense of geometry;
incidental result: baby likely can do without ubiquitous shape sorter. Despite minimal
exposure to the regular geometric objects found in developed countries, African tribal
people perceive shapes as well as westerners, according to a new study. The findings,
published online this week in Psychological Science, suggested that the brain's ability to
understand shapes develops without the influence of immersion in simple, manufactured
objects. "In terms of perceiving the world … either genetics or the natural
world will give you the right type of experiences," said lead author Irving
Biederman, an expert on perception who holds a named chair in neuroscience at the
University of Southern California's College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Biederman and
his team specifically measured subjects' sensitivity to "non-accidental"
properties of objects, such as whether they have straight or curved edges. A theory of
shape recognition developed by Biederman holds that the brain is more sensitive to
non-accidental properties – which stay the same as an object rotates in space –
than to metric properties, such as degree of curvature, that do appear to vary with
orientation.
U of M researchers find 2 units of
umbilical cord blood reduce risk of leukemia recurrence
A new study from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota shows that patients
who have acute leukemia and are transplanted with two units of umbilical cord blood (UCB)
have significantly reduced risk of the disease returning. This finding has the potential
to change the current medical practice of using one unit of UCB for treatment of patients
who are at high risk for recurrence of leukemia and other cancers of the blood and bone
marrow. Michael Verneris, M.D., and John Wagner, M.D., who specialize in research and
treatment of children with cancer, led the research team on this breakthrough study. The
results are published in the current issue of the scientific medical journal Blood. This
study was funded with grants from the National Cancer Institute and the Children's Cancer
Research Fund. Verneris and his colleagues studied 177 patients treated at the University
of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview and the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's
Hospital between 1994 and 2008. The average age of the patients in this study was 16
years. Eighty-eight patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 89 had acute
myeloid leukemia (AML). "Our analysis showed that patients in first or second
remission from the leukemia had a significantly lower likelihood of leukemia recurrence if
they were transplanted with two UCB units than if they were transplanted with one (19
percent vs. 34 percent)," says Verneris."We believe our finding provides
evidence that using two units of UCB for transplantation may be more effective in
preventing leukemia relapse and gives hope to patients with hematological malignancies so
that they may live cancer-free," he says.
Can thinking of a loved one reduce
your pain?
"The very thought of you … the mere idea of you" —from the song
"The Very Thought of You" by Ray Noble. Can the mere thought of your loved one
reduce your pain? Yes, according to a new study by UCLA psychologists that underscores the
importance of social relationships and staying socially connected. The study, which asked
whether simply looking at a photograph of your significant other can reduce pain, involved
25 women, mostly UCLA students, who had boyfriends with whom they had been in a good
relationship for more than six months. The women received moderately painful heat stimuli
to their forearms while they went through a number of different conditions. In one set of
conditions, they viewed photographs of their boyfriend, a stranger and a chair. "When
the women were just looking at pictures of their partner, they actually reported less pain
to the heat stimuli than when they were looking at pictures of an object or pictures of a
stranger," said study co-author Naomi Eisenberger, assistant professor of psychology
and director of UCLA's Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. "Thus, the mere
reminder of one's partner through a simple photograph was capable of reducing pain."
'Catastrophic' e-waste fuels global
toxic dump
A "catastrophic accumulation" of millions of tonnes of "e-waste" from
computers, cellphones and television sets is fuelling a global pile of hazardous waste, an
international body warned Friday.
Arab experts predict Mideast water
wars
A Jordanian academic has predicted that Israel will go to war with neighboring Lebanon and
Egypt to get their water.
Blizzard Renews Storm Over China
Making Snow
Heavy snowfall in northern China is testing the country's disaster preparedness and
prompting fresh questions about Beijing's efforts to alter its weather.
BPA in plastic bottles ups male
infertility risk
Exposure to the high concentrations of Bisphenol A (BPA), found in hard, clear plastic
bottles, causes to impotence in certain individuals.
Brookfield natives expose bottled
water industry
By 2030, two-thirds of the world's citizens will not have access to clean drinking water,
according to the United Nations. Thirty-five states in the U.S. are experiencing drought
now.
Calorie guidelines could be wrong
Calorie guidelines that have been followed by the health conscious for almost two decades
may be stricter than necessary, scientists have said.
Can topical use of milk of magnesia
reduce blemishes?
Milk of magnesia is great for blemishes. I started using it six months ago, and it really
helped clear up my skin.
China faces reckoning over lead
production
Lead poisoning has become an issue in a region where a cluster of factories produced lead
for car batteries for years. With thousands sickened, mostly children, nearby villages are
being evacuated.
How Nature Helps Cancel Out
Humanity's Sins
But a new study suggests that the more CO2 we make, the more nature absorbs. So do we
really need all those rainforests?
Did Big Oil Win the War in Iraq?
As U.S. and British oil companies sign contracts with the Iraqi government, is it time to
declare Big Oil the "victor" in the bloody venture?
Expert Pediatrician Exposes Vaccine
Myths
Conventional medicine teaches that the polio and the smallpox epidemics went away because
of the vaccines, and that most of the diseases that we faced in the 20th century in the
United States were brought down because of the power, strength and the implementation of
the vaccine policy. Meanwhile, there are a significant number of studies in the medical
literature that actually show there were many other reasons that these infectious diseases
went away.
Huge rise in birth defects in
Falluja
Iraqi former battle zone sees abnormal clusters of infant tumours and deformities
Medical workers balk at mandatory
flu vaccines
Even as they are forced to wait like everyone else for swine flu vaccines in short supply,
thousands of nurses and other front-line healthcare workers are fighting mandatory flu
immunization policies being put in place by some U.S. hospitals.
Obama's Pesticide-Pushing Nominee
The president taps an exec from the pesticide lobby—which slammed Michelle Obama's
organic garden—for a top agriculture post.
Plastic-hardening chemical makes
men soft
Regular contact with high levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a compound commonly found in
plastic food and drink containers, appears to cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual
performance problems in men.
Mingo mother is denied vaccine
exemption for daughter
Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin ruled against a Mingo County mother who did
not want her child to be immunized from disease.
Gut Bacteria Causes Weight Gain
Switching from a low-fat, plant-based diet to one high in fat and sugar alters the
collection of microbes living in the gut in less than a day, with obesity-linked microbes
suddenly thriving, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine
in St. Louis. The study was based on transplants of human intestinal microbes into
germ-free mice. Over time, humanized mice on the junk food diet became obese. Their weight
gain was in lock step with dramatic shifts in the types of intestinal bacteria present
compared to mice on a low-fat diet. Using the latest DNA sequencing technology, the
researchers found that mice on the high-fat, high-sugar diet had more microbes and
microbial genes devoted to extracting calories from their "western" diet. These
microbial genes were turned on when the mice were switched to the diet high in fat and
sugar. The new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, documents the intimate
relationship between diet and the dynamic variations in the community of intestinal
microbes that can influence metabolism and weight. The research also paves the way for
using humanized mouse models to tease apart the contributions of human intestinal microbes
and human diets to obesity and its converse, malnutrition.
Artificial Sweeteners are
Continually Found to be Unsafe and Toxic
A recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology in
San Diego found that adult women who drink at least two diet sodas a day experience a 30
percent drop in kidney function over the course of a decade. Findings indicate that
artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose are the culprits in the rapid
degeneration of glomerular filtration rates in the kidneys of those consuming excessive
amounts of artificially-sweetened diet sodas.
The Science of Food Cravings
Sugary and Fatty Food Cravings Could Be as Addictive as Illegal Drugs.
Baby boomers feeling consequences
of obesity as they age
Baby boomers are facing more disabilities as they enter their 60s than their counterparts,
a finding that has "significant and sobering implications," said the
researchers.
Experts scale up calorie count by a
cheeseburger
FOR decades dieters have been counting calories to try to lose weight. But scientists now
say long-established standards of how many calories adults should be consuming each day
could be wrong.
Baby boomers facing old age health
crisis
THE baby-boomer generation, born shortly after the Second World War, faces an old age
blighted by health problems because of poor diet and inactivity, a study has shown.
Big rise in birth defects may be
linked to war
BIRTH defects in Falluja have increased to 15 times the normal rate, in a spike that may
be linked to the Iraq War.
Mutant genes 'key to long life'
There is a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an
enzyme that prevents cells from ageing, researchers say.
Fat Producing Hormone May Lower
Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 180 million people have
diabetes. Roughly 90 percent have what's called Type Two diabetes, caused by the body's
ineffective use of insulin.
Immune-Based Therapy May Hold Key
to Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, behind lung cancer,
and it is the most common cancer among women.
Food Poisoning May Hurt for Life
Episodes of food poisoning may have serious long-term consequences -- including kidney
failure or mental retardation -- particularly among children, researchers say.
Three-Week Course of Breast
Radiation May Be as Effective as Conventional Five to Seven Week Course for Early Breast
Cancers, Says U.S. Study
According to a study presented November 4, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), a shortened, more intensive course of
radiation given to the whole breast, along with an extra dose of radiation given to the
surgical bed of the tumor (concomitant boost), has been shown to result in excellent local
control at a median follow up of two years after treatment with no significant side
effects (see also Breast Cancer).
Emotions, pain closely connected
Researchers have established a link between mood and pain and maintain that pleasant
pictures or music can help ease aches.
Scientists identify gene that can
help you live to 100
A gene that can help you live to 100 has been identified by scientists.
Mutant genes linked to Parkinson's
in some
People of Japanese and European descent who have mutant versions of five genes may be at
higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease, two large teams of researchers have found.
New fears of 3M chemicals
Three new studies show a link between Scotchgard-type chemicals in ground water and high
cholesterol in human blood.
Largest Gene Study in Childhood IBD
Finds 5 New Genes
In the largest, most comprehensive genetic analysis of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel
disease (IBD), an international research team has identified five new gene regions,
including one involved in a biological pathway that helps drive the painful inflammation
of the digestive tract that characterizes the disease.
Tobacco poison surrounds child
workers
The children pick through mountainous piles of waste tobacco and sweep it up with their
bare hands into giant bags in the hope of scraping a living.
Heart and Bone Damage from Low
Vitamin D Tied to Declines in Sex Hormones
Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive
evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by
lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone.
With dental fillings, it's a
question of mercury amalgam vs. composite
About 10 years ago, Kay Meyer lost 60 pounds when she developed severe food allergies. She
couldn't think clearly, suffered from severe headaches and chronic fatigue.
Greenland ice cap disappearing at
rate of 300 Lake Windermeres a year
The Greenland ice cap is melting at triple the rate of just a decade ago – shedding
the equivalent of nearly 300 Lake Windermeres a year and threatening millions of homes
with flooding, claim British scientists.
For Ethiopia's farmers, climate
change compounds food crisis
Standing amidst a group of scrawny fellow Ethiopian farmers, Tuke Shika points to the
scorching sun when asked why his food reserves have dwindled this year.
Global warming threatens to rob
Italy of pasta
Scientists will this week warn that Italy may be forced to import the basic ingredients
for pasta, its national food, because climate change will make it impossible to grow durum
wheat.
Scientists find key to creating
clean fuel from coal and waste
Millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide could be prevented from entering the atmosphere
following the discovery of a way to turn coal, grass or municipal waste more efficiently
into clean fuels.
Deadly skin cancer on the rise in
Sweden
The number of Swedes diagnosed with one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer has
increased by 50 percent over the last decade, a new study shows.
Ancient Egypt cures sore backs in
Scotland
A SCOTTISH clinic is the first in the UK to deploy a modern twist on an old therapy to
treat patients with chronic back pain, it emerged yesterday.
Benefits of quitting smoking happen
in 20 minutes
"Heart rate and blood pressure drop 20 minutes after quitting," says the ACS in
their press release announcing the 34th Great American Smokeout this Thursday, Nov. 19.
Britain's WWII brainwashing
Brainwashing techniques were used by some British interrogators during World War II,
according to evidence unearthed by the BBC.
Chemicals in plastics
‘feminising’ baby boys, says study
Chemicals used in plastics are "feminising" the brains of baby boys, according
to a study.
Don’t Be Fooled By Fake
Probiotic Products
If you think you are getting a great benefit from certain yogurt manufacturers, who
promote that their probiotic-containing products are essentially digestive super-heroes,
you may want to find out the real story behind these products.
Fish Farming Can Make Diseases More
Virulent, Say Researchers
The conditions in which fish are farmed may be the reason infections such as columnaris
disease are becoming increasingly virulent, as aquaculture creates selective pressures
that encourage the most lethal strains of disease to thrive.
Genes link points to Parkinson's
cure
A CURE for Parkinson's disease has come a step closer after scientists identified five
genes linked to the illness.
Genetic links to bowel disease
TWO large genetic studies have found new clues to the causes of serious bowel diseases
which could lead to better treatments.
H1N1 "super flu" plague
in Ukraine spark concern
Here's what we know with some degree of certainty about the H1N1 virus in Ukraine right
now: nearly 300 people have died from the viral strain, and over 65,000 people have been
hospitalized (the actual numbers are increasing by the hour). The virus appears to be
either a highly aggressive mutation of the globally-circulating H1N1 strain, or a
combination of three different influenza strains now circulating in Ukraine. Some
observers suspect this new "super flu" might be labeled viral hemorrhagic
pneumonia (meaning it destroys lung tissue until your lungs bleed so much that you drown
in your own fluid), but that has not been confirmed by any official sources we're aware
of.
Little Benefit Seen, So Far, in
Electronic Patient Records
a new study comparing 3,000 hospitals at various stages in the adoption of computerized
health records has found little difference in the cost and quality of care.
More Than 200 Paraguay Villagers
Thought Sprayed with Pesticide
More than 200 indigenous people who refused to vacate their land in eastern Paraguay were
sprayed late last week with what some believe was pesticide, sending seven to the
hospital, a government cabinet member said this week.
New study casts more doubt on drugs
Vytorin, Zetia
The blockbuster cholesterol drugs Vytorin and Zetia suffered a major setback Sunday when
doctors released the results of a second study in as many years that raises concerns about
how well the drugs work.
Study Raises New Questions About
Merck Pill Zetia
A new study raises fresh concerns about Zetia and its cousin, Vytorin — drugs still
taken by millions of Americans to lower cholesterol, despite questions raised last year
about how well they work.
Vitamin D cuts risk of
cardiovascular disease
A new study suggests maintaining high levels of vitamin D in the blood help reduce risk of
stroke, heart disease and death significantly even in healthy people who never have heart
disease.
‘Scaffolding’ Protein
Changes in Heart Strengthen Link Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Chronic Heart
Failure
A team of U.S., Canadian and Italian scientists led by researchers at Johns Hopkins report
evidence from studies in animals and humans supporting a link between Alzheimer’s
disease and chronic heart failure, two of the 10 leading causes of death in the United
States.
Bacteria 'glow near landmines'
Bacteria that glow green in the presence of explosives could provide a cheap and safe way
to find hidden landmines, according to British scientists.
EU animal testing rules 'could harm
welfare'
A change in European law threatens to worsen the suffering of laboratory animals in the
UK, campaigners warned today.
Gut disorder 'blamed on leaks'
Genetic defects leading to a leaky gut are a key cause of the inflammatory disorder
ulcerative colitis, UK research suggests.
When a tropical trip has a sting in
the tail
Easy and cheap foreign travel has seen an increase in the number of people bringing back
tropical diseases.
UV warning for scientists in
Antarctica
AUSTRALIA is to take extra steps to protect its Antarctic expeditioners in light of new
research showing 80% are exposed to UV radiation in excess of accepted safe work limits.
Cover-up over dolphin deaths
THE West Australian government has been accused of a cover-up for failing to tell the
public that dolphins have been dying in Perth's Swan River for months.
Mn-based chromophore points to more
planet-friendly pigments
The Mn-doped substance suggests a route to compounds that could replace existing blue
pigments with ones that are cheaper, more stable, and environmentally benign.
Drug-resistant swine flu found
SCOTLAND could be facing a drug-resistant strain of swine flu after two patients failed to
respond to treatment.SCOTLAND could be facing a drug-resistant strain of swine flu after
two patients failed to respond to treatment.
Expensive cholesterol drug no
better than vitamin
A new study released Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that a widely
prescribed and expensive cholesterol drug known as Zetia made by Merck is not as effective
as niacin, a vitamin in reducing artery buildups in people already taking statins.
Fears grow over TB risk
PEOPLE moving to the Lothians from abroad have been urged to sign up to a GP to lower the
risk of a tuberculosis outbreak.
German H1N1 flu cases double in a
week
Confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu infection in Germany have more than doubled in the past
week, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said.
Is it possible to avoid
unsustainable palm oil?
Palm oil is decimating the world's forests, yet producers are shirking their
responsibility to move to sustainable sources.
Man-made ponds linked to arsenic in
Bangladesh water
Man-made ponds and rice fields irrigated using groundwater may be responsible for arsenic
contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh, a study has found.
Peru slum goes cutting edge as 'fog
catcher'
Many of Peru's grittiest slums can only dream of access to water. But thanks to a German
NGO, simple technology and hard work, some humble homes are the first to use plastic
netting to harvest water from the fog cloaking the night sky.
Quitters get a shot in the arm with
smoking vaccine
In early October in the Archives of General Psychiatry, scientists reported the results of
a cocaine vaccine study, the first successful placebo-controlled trial of a vaccine
against an illicit drug of abuse.
The two faces of China's giant coal
industry
Jonathan Watts reports from a boom area where the industry's past and future are on show.
Plastic chemicals 'feminise boys'
Chemicals in plastics alter the brains of baby boys making them "more feminine",
say US researchers.
Early end to key study on benefits
of niacin, a B vitamin, in keeping arteries open was premature
Heart experts at Johns Hopkins are calling premature the early halt of a study by
researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center on the
benefits of combining extended-release niacin, a B vitamin, with cholesterol-lowering
statin medications to prevent blood vessel narrowing. Cardiovascular atherosclerosis, as
it is also known, is believed responsible for one in three deaths in the United States
each year. The study, called HDL and LDL Treatment Strategies, or HALTS, involved 363 men
and women, and was shut down after only 208 study participants had completed the full
treatment timeline of 14 months. Results showed that prescribed niacin worked better in
combination with a statin than another double-cholesterol-lowering drug combo, ezetimibe
and a statin, in reducing carotid arterial wall thickness in the neck – the measure
used as a gauge of atherosclerosis. An average wall reduction of 0.014 of a millimeter
with niacin was observed. By contrast, the ezetimibe group showed no significant
change.Study participants, of whom nearly half were taking niacin and the rest were taking
ezetimibe, were at high risk of heart disease or already had it, with average bad LDL
blood-cholesterol levels of 82 milligrams per deciliter. All had already been prescribed
statin therapy. Results in both groups showed improvements in LDL levels, which dropped by
an average 18 milligrams per deciliter in the ezetimibe group, and by an average of 10
milligrams per deciliter in the niacin group. But only the niacin group showed a
significant increase in good HDL blood-cholesterol levels, an average of 8 milligrams per
deciliter, whereas the ezetimibe group dropped an average 3 milligrams per deciliter.
Citing the apparent benefits of niacin therapy when combined with a statin, the
researchers halted the study last month.
Viagra for women? Drug developed as
antidepressant effective in treating low libido
The drug flibanserin, which was originally created as an antidepressant, is effective in
treating women with low libido, pooled results from three separate clinical trials have
found. These trials were the first ever to test a therapy that works at the level of the
brain to enhance libido in women reporting low sexual desire, said John M. Thorp Jr.,
M.D., McAllister distinguished professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the principal investigator for North
America in the studies. “Flibanserin was a poor antidepressant,” Thorp said.
“However, astute observers noted that it increased libido in laboratory animals and
human subjects. So, we conducted multiple clinical trials and the women in our studies who
took it for hypoactive sexual desire disorder reported significant improvements in sexual
desire and satisfactory sexual experiences. “It’s essentially a Viagra-like drug
for women in that diminished desire or libido is the most common feminine sexual problem,
like erectile dysfunction is in men,” Thorp said.
Pilot study relates phthalate
exposure to less-masculine play by boys
A study of 145 preschool children reports, for the first time, that when the
concentrations of two common phthalates in mothers' prenatal urine are elevated their sons
are less likely to play with male-typical toys and games, such as trucks and play
fighting. The University of Rochester Medical Center-led study is published in the
International Journal of Andrology. Because testosterone produces the masculine brain,
researchers are concerned that fetal exposure to anti-androgens such as phthalates –
which are pervasive in the environment – has the potential to alter masculine brain
development, said lead author Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., professor of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, director of the URMC Center for Reproductive Epidemiology, and an expert in
phthalates. "Our results need to be confirmed, but are intriguing on several
fronts," Swan said. "Not only are they consistent with our prior findings that
link phthalates to altered male genital development, but they also are compatible with
current knowledge about how hormones mold sex differences in the brain, and thus behavior.
We have more work to do, but the implications are potentially profound." Phthalates
are chemicals used to soften plastics. Recent studies have shown that the major source of
human exposure to the two phthalates of most concern (DEHP and DBP) is through food. These
phthalates are used primarily in polyvinyl chloride (PVC), so any steps in the processing,
packaging, storage, or heating of food that use PVC-containing products can introduce them
into the food chain. Phthalates are also found in vinyl and plastic tubing, household
products, and many personal care products such as soaps and lotions. Phthalates are
becoming more controversial as scientific research increasingly associates them with
genital defects, metabolic abnormalities, and reduced testosterone in babies and adults. A
federal law passed in 2008 banned six phthalates from use in toys such as teethers, play
bath items, soft books, dolls and plastic figures. In Swan's study, higher concentrations
of metabolites of two phthalates, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and dibutyl phthalate
(DBP), were associated with less male-typical behavior in boys on a standard play
questionnaire. No other phthalate metabolites measured in-utero was linked to the
less-masculine behavior. Girls' play behavior was not associated with phthalate levels in
their mothers, the study concluded.
Early cooling in cardiac arrest may
improve survival
Rapidly cooling a person in cardiac arrest may improve their chance of survival without
brain damage, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s
Scientific Sessions 2009. “We now have a method that is safe and can be started
within minutes of cardiac arrest to minimize damage during this very critical
period,” said Maaret Castrén, M.D., lead author of the study and professor of
emergency medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. For years, people
hospitalized after cardiac arrest have been cooled to reduce injury to the brain and other
tissues that occurs when the blood supply returns after being temporarily halted.
Postmortem genetic tests after
sudden death may provide less expensive way to identify risk to surviving relatives
Targeted postmortem testing to identify genetic mutations associated with sudden
unexplained death (SUD) is an effective and less expensive way to determine risk to
relatives than comprehensive cardiac testing of first degree relatives, according to
research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2009.
Postmortem genetic testing can identify mutations that cause cellular dysfunctions leading
to heart rhythm disturbances that can cause sudden cardiac death. Such inherited genetic
defects occur in 25 to 30 percent of SUD victims, according to lead researcher Michael J.
Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric cardiologist and director of the Long QT Syndrome Clinic
and the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn.
‘SCAFFOLDING’ PROTEIN
CHANGES IN HEART STRENGTHEN LINK BETWEEN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND CHRONIC HEART
FAILURE
A team of U.S., Canadian and Italian scientists led by researchers at Johns Hopkins report
evidence from studies in animals and humans supporting a link between Alzheimer’s
disease and chronic heart failure, two of the 10 leading causes of death in the United
States. The international team of biochemists and cardiologists say they have identified
three changes in the chemical make-up of a key structural protein, called desmin, in heart
muscle cells in dogs. The changes led to the formation of debris-like protein clusters, or
amyloid-like oligomers containing desmin, in heart muscle, similar to the amyloid plaques
seen in the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients. The protein alterations, which were
reversed by surgically repairing the heart, occurred at the onset of heart failure.
Further experiments by the Hopkins scientists found the same chemical modifications to
desmin in the heart muscle in four people already diagnosed with the disease. Misshaped
desmin proteins and amyloid-like debris had been previously reported in 2005 in mice
genetically altered to develop chronic heart failure, providing the first biological link
between the two chronic diseases. Studies since have also reported desmin changes in
failing animal hearts, but none detailed what the chemical changes were or how they might
affect organ function.
HEART AND BONE DAMAGE FROM LOW
VITAMIN D TIED TO DECLINES IN SEX HORMONES
Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive
evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by
lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone. In a national study in
1010 men, to be presented Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual
Scientific Sessions in Orlando, researchers say the new findings build on previous studies
showing that deficiencies in vitamin D and low levels of estrogen, found naturally in
differing amounts in men and women, were independent risk factors for hardened and
narrowed arteries and weakened bones. Vitamin D is an essential part to keeping the body
healthy, and can be obtained from fortified foods, such as milk and cereals, and by
exposure to sunlight.“Our results confirm a long-suspected link and suggest that
vitamin D supplements, which are already prescribed to treat osteoporosis, may also be
useful in preventing heart disease,” says lead study investigator and cardiologist
Erin Michos, M.D., M.H.S.
YOUNG ATHLETES NEED DUAL SCREENING
TESTS FOR HEART DEFECTS, STUDY SUGGESTS
To best detect early signs of life-threatening heart defects in young athletes, screening
programs should include both popular diagnostic tests, not just one of them, according to
new research from heart experts at Johns Hopkins. Sudden cardiac death due to heart rhythm
disturbances is blamed for more than 3,000 deaths a year in young people, especially
athletes who have inherited tendencies to develop overly enlarged and thickened hearts,
says Theodore Abraham, M.D., an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School
of Medicine and its Heart and Vascular Institute. In some instances, top athletes have
died from heart conditions while seemingly in peak physical form, something that can hide
warning signs and allow many cases to go undiagnosed.In a study to be presented Nov. 15 at
the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Abraham
and colleagues analyzed data from 134 top Maryland high school athletes that they screened
at the 2008 track and field state championships. The researchers were looking for
life-threatening cardiac abnormalities, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. Doctors
took a medical history, took weight and blood pressure measurements and listened for
unusual heartbeats or murmurs. They also conducted an echocardiogram — a cardiac
ultrasound, or ECHO — to measure heart size and pumping function and to check for
faulty heart valves; and an electrocardiogram, or EKG, to assess the heart’s
electrical rhythms.
Heart and bone damage from low
vitamin D tied to declines in sex hormones
Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive
evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by
lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone. In a national study in
1010 men, to be presented Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association's (AHA) annual
Scientific Sessions in Orlando, researchers say the new findings build on previous studies
showing that deficiencies in vitamin D and low levels of estrogen, found naturally in
differing amounts in men and women, were independent risk factors for hardened and
narrowed arteries and weakened bones. Vitamin D is an essential part to keeping the body
healthy, and can be obtained from fortified foods, such as milk and cereals, and by
exposure to sunlight. "Our results confirm a long-suspected link and suggest that
vitamin D supplements, which are already prescribed to treat osteoporosis, may also be
useful in preventing heart disease," says lead study investigator and cardiologist
Erin Michos, M.D., M.H.S. "All three steroid hormones – vitamin D, estrogen and
testosterone – are produced from cholesterol, whose blood levels are known to
influence arterial and bone health," says Michos, an assistant professor at the Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Heart and Vascular Institute. "Our
study gives us a much better understanding of how the three work in concert to affect
cardiovascular and bone health." Michos says the overall biological relationship
continues to puzzle scientists because studies of the long-term effects of adding estrogen
in the form of hormone replacement therapy in women failed to show fewer deaths from heart
disease. Indeed, results showed that in some women, an actual increase in heart disease
and stroke rates occurred, although, bone fractures declined. The Hopkins team's latest
data were provided by analyzing blood samples from a subset of men participating in a
study on cancer. That study was part of a larger, ongoing national health survey involving
both men and women and was designed to compare the risk of diseases between those with the
lowest blood levels of vitamin D to those with higher amounts. An unhealthy deficiency,
experts say, is considered blood levels of 20 nanograms per milliliter or lower. The men
in the study had their hormone levels measured for both chemical forms of testosterone and
estrogen found in blood, when each is either unattached or circulating freely, and when
each is attached to a separate protein, known as sex hormone binding globulin, or SHBG for
short.
New study links vitamin D
deficiency to cardiovascular disease and death
While mothers have known that feeding their kids milk builds strong bones, a new study by
researchers at the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City
suggests that Vitamin D contributes to a strong and healthy heart as well – and that
inadequate levels of the vitamin may significantly increase a person's risk of stroke,
heart disease, and death, even among people who've never had heart disease. For more than
a year, the Intermountain Medical Center research team followed 27,686 patients who were
50 years of age or older with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. The participants
had their blood Vitamin D levels tested during routine clinical care. The patients were
divided into three groups based on their Vitamin D levels – normal (over 30 nanograms
per milliliter), low (15-30 ng/ml), or very low (less than 15 ng/ml). The patients were
then followed to see if they developed some form of heart disease. Researchers found that
patients with very low levels of Vitamin D were 77 percent more likely to die, 45 percent
more likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 78 percent were more likely to have a
stroke than patients with normal levels. Patients with very low levels of Vitamin D were
also twice as likely to develop heart failure than those with normal Vitamin D levels.
Researchers find potential
treatment for Huntington's disease
Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham), the University of
British Columbia's Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics and the University of
California, San Diego have found that normal synaptic activity in nerve cells (the
electrical activity in the brain that allows nerve cells to communicate with one another)
protects the brain from the misfolded proteins associated with Huntington's disease. In
contrast, excessive extrasynaptic activity (aberrant electrical activity in the brain,
usually not associated with communication between nerve cells) enhances the misfolded
proteins' deadly effects. Researchers also found that the drug Memantine, which is
approved to treat Alzheimer's disease, successfully treated Huntington's disease in a
mouse model by preserving normal synaptic electrical activity and suppressing excessive
extrasynaptic electrical activity. The research was published in the journal Nature
Medicine on November 15. Huntington's disease is a hereditary condition caused by a
mutated huntingtin gene that creates a misfolded, and therefore dysfunctional, protein.
The new research shows that normal synaptic receptor activity makes nerve cells more
resistant to the mutant proteins. However, excessive extrasynaptic activity contributed to
increased nerve cell death. The research team found that low doses of Memantine reduce
extrasynaptic activity without impairing protective synaptic activity. The work was led by
Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Del E. Webb Center for Neuroscience, Aging
and Stem Cell Research at Burnham and professor in the department of Neurosciences and
attending neurologist at the University of California, San Diego and Michael R. Hayden,
M.D., Ph.D., University Killam professor in the department of Medical Genetics at UBC and
director of the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the Child & Family
Research Institute. "Chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's,
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are all related to protein misfolding," said Dr. Lipton.
"We show here, for the first time, that electrical activity controls protein folding,
and if you have a drug that can adjust the electrical activity to the correct levels, you
can protect against misfolding. Also, this verifies that appropriate electrical activity
is protective, supporting the 'use it or lose it theory' of brain activity at the
molecular level. For example, this finding may explain why epidemiologists have found that
'using' your brain by performing crossword puzzles and other games can stave off cognitive
decline in diseases like Alzheimer's."
MIT scientists pinpoint origin of
dissolved arsenic in Bangladesh drinking water
Researchers in MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering believe they have
pinpointed a pathway by which arsenic may be contaminating the drinking water in
Bangladesh, a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists, world health agencies and the
Bangladeshi government for nearly 30 years. The research suggests that human alteration to
the landscape, the construction of villages with ponds, and the adoption of irrigated
agriculture are responsible for the current pattern of arsenic concentration underground.
The pervasive incidence of arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh and its link to drinking water
were first identified in the scientific literature in the early 1980s, not long after the
population began switching from surface water sources like rivers and ponds to groundwater
from newly installed tube wells. That national effort to decrease the incidence of
bacterial illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water led almost immediately to severe
and widespread arsenic poisoning, which manifests as sores on the skin and often leads to
cancers of the skin, lung, liver, bladder and pancreas. Since then, scientists have
struggled to understand how the arsenic, which is naturally occurring in the underground
sediment of the Ganges Delta, is being mobilized in the groundwater. By 2002, a research
team led by Charles Harvey, the Doherty Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental
Engineering at MIT, had determined that microbial metabolism of organic carbon was
mobilizing the arsenic off the soils and sediments, and that crop irrigation was almost
certainly playing a role in the process. But the exact sources of the contaminated water
have remained elusive, until now.
Tiny particles can deliver
antioxidant enzyme to injured heart cells
Researchers at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed
microscopic polymer beads that can deliver an antioxidant enzyme made naturally by the
body into the heart. Injecting the enzyme-containing particles into rats' hearts after a
simulated heart attack reduced the number of dying cells and resulted in improved heart
function days later. Michael Davis, PhD, is presenting the results Sunday evening at the
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando. Davis is assistant professor in
the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory
University. The enzyme in the particles, called superoxide dismutase (SOD), soaks up toxic
free radicals produced when cells are deprived of blood during a heart attack. Previously
scientists have tried injecting SOD by itself into injured animals, but it doesn't seem to
last long enough in the body to have any beneficial effects. "Our goal is to have a
therapy to blunt the permanent damage of a heart attack and reduce the probability of
heart failure later in life," Davis says. "This is a way to get extra amounts of
a beneficial antioxidant protein to the cells that need it."
Largest gene study of childhood IBD
identifies 5 new genes
In the largest, most comprehensive genetic analysis of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel
disease (IBD), an international research team has identified five new gene regions,
including one involved in a biological pathway that helps drive the painful inflammation
of the digestive tract that characterizes the disease. A research team led by Hakon
Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia, says that the findings advance the scientific understanding of
how IBD develops. "This is an evolving story of discovering what genes tell us about
the disease," said Robert N. Baldassano, M.D., a co-first author of the study and
director of the Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Children's Hospital.
"Pinpointing how specific genes act on biological pathways provides a basis for
ultimately personalizing medicine to an individual's genetic profile."
Skin color gives clues to health
Researchers from the universities of Bristol and St. Andrews in the UK have found that the
color of a person's skin affects how healthy and therefore attractive they appear, and
have found that diet may be crucial to achieving the most desirable complexion. The work
will be published in the December issue of Springer's International Journal of
Primatology. Using specialist computer software, a total of 54 Caucasian participants of
both sexes were asked to manipulate the skin color of male and female Caucasian faces to
make them look as healthy as possible. They chose to increase the rosiness, yellowness and
brightness of the skin. "Most previous work on faces has focused on the shape of the
face or the texture of the skin, but one of the most variable characteristics of the face
is skin color," said Dr. Ian Stephen who is now at the University of Bristol.
"We knew from our previous work that people who have more blood and more oxygen color
in their skins looked healthy, and so we decided to see what other colors affect health
perceptions. This has given us some clues as to what other skin pigments may relate to a
healthy appearance."
Study Shows Link between Influenza
Virus and Fever
Viruses are microscopically sized parasites. They plant their genes in the cells of their
victim in order to 'reprogram' them. The infected cells then no longer produce what they
need to live, making lots of new viruses instead. Luckily, in most cases this hostile
takeover does not go unnoticed. This is ensured by the cells' own sensors that recognise
alien genetic material. One of them is RIG-I. When RIG-I encounters virus genes, it
ensures that the body releases interferon. The interferon then in turn puts killer cells
on combat standby, which then destroy the infected cells. Yet this is only part of the
truth. 'According to our results RIG-I appears to play a far more prominent role in the
defence against viruses than was previously thought,' Dr. Jürgen Ruland from the
University Hospital Rechts der Isar at the Technical University of Munich explains. As a
result, many virus infections are accompanied by a high temperature. That is also what
happens with influenza, for example. This symptom cannot be explained by interferon
release alone.
The indefinite self-renewal of
specialized cells without the need for stem cell intermediates
Is the indefinite expansion of adult cells possible without recourse to stem cell
intermediates? The team led by Michael Sieweke at the Centre d'immunologie de Marseille
Luminy (Université Aix-Marseille 2 / CNRS / INSERM) has proved that this is the case by
achieving the ex vivo regeneration for several months of macrophages, specialized cells in
the immune system. Published in Science on November 6, 2009, this discovery could be
applied to other cell types. This research enables a clearer understanding of the
mechanisms underlying cell differentiation, but above all raises many hopes for potential
therapeutic applications.The regenerative medicine of the future will be based on
replacing damaged cells and repairing deficient organs, notably through the use of stem
cells. Indeed, these cells are able not only to proliferate indefinitely but, in theory,
to supply all types of cells to the human body. However, the processes that allow the
passage from adult (rather than embryonic) cells to stem cells ("reprogramming")
are complex and full of risk, as are the processes necessary for the
"retransformation" of stem cells into adult cells. The question then arises:
might it not be more simple to generate the cells required without passing through the
stem cell stage?
Slowing evolution to stop drug
resistance
Infectious organisms that become resistant to antibiotics are a serious threat to human
society. They are also a natural part of evolution. In a new project, researchers at the
University of Gothenburg are attempting to find substances that can slow the pace of
evolution, in order to ensure that the drugs of today remain effective into the future.
The resistance of infectious organisms to antibiotics is particularly serious in drugs
against fungi. Fungal cells are similar to human cells, which means that it is difficult
to develop effective drugs that can destroy them without also damaging human cells, i.e.
without causing side effects. We must therefore safeguard the effectiveness of the few
antifungal drugs that are available today. Resistance to these would leave many diseases
without effective treatment.
Major schizophrenia study finds
striking similarities across 37 countries in six regions
An international study of more than 17,000 people with schizophrenia has found striking
similarities in symptoms, medication, employment and sexual problems, despite the fact
that it covered a diverse range of patients and healthcare systems in 37 different
countries. The research, published in the November issue of IJCP, provides a valuable
international profile of the mental health disorder, which is estimated to affect as many
as one in every 250 people at some point in their lives. Schizophrenia is the fifth
leading cause of years lost through disability in men and the sixth leading cause in
women. “The Worldwide-Schizophrenia Outpatient Health Outcomes study (W-SOHO) was a
three-year observational study designed to assess costs and outcomes in outpatients using
antipsychotics” says lead author Dr Jamie Karagianis from Eli Lilly Canada Inc.
The Benefits of Exercise
Physical exercise is one of the most effective methods of preventing disease. The current
issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106[40]:
713–27) is devoted to this important topic. The first article (see
http://www.aerzteblatt.de/v4/archiv/pdf.asp?id=66574), by Carl D. Reimers and coauthors,
deals with the remarkable potential of physical exercise to prevent stroke. In men,
exercise lowers the risk of cerebral hemorrhage by 40%, and that of cerebral infarction by
27%. Rapid walking or cycling suffices to achieve this effect. In women, a statistically
significant effect has not been demonstrated. In the second article (see
http://www.aerzteblatt.de/v4/archiv/pdf.asp?id=66575), sports physician Martin Halle and
his collaborators present the finding that regular walking lowers the risk of colorectal
carcinoma, the most common type of cancer in Germany, by 40%. Patients with colorectal
carcinoma can also improve their prognosis by exercising.
Zahnimplantate - Die Explantation
ist ein Drama
Muss ein Zahnimplantat, das bereits fest mit dem umgebenden Knochengewebe verwachsen ist,
wieder explantiert werden, geht dies nicht so einfach wie Zähne ziehen. »Weil
Knochengewebe dabei verloren geht und wieder aufgebaut werden muss, ist die Explantation
nur die ultima ratio«, erklärt Dr. Dr. Martin Bonsmann, Düsseldorf, auf der 26.
Jahrestagung des Berufsverbandes Deutscher Oralchirurgen am 13. und 14. November in
Berlin. Studien zufolge sind im Schnitt 95 Prozent aller Zahnimplantate nach zehn Jahren
noch voll funktionstüchtig und an ihrem Platz. Gehen die Titanwurzeln für künstlichen
Zahnersatz verloren, geschieht dies zumeist in der frühen Phase nach einer Implantation.
Das Implantat heilt nicht ein oder das umgebende Gewebe entzündet sich. „Muss ein
Implantat explantiert werden, wenn es bereits eingeheilt und fest mit dem umgebenden
Knochengewebe verwachsen ist, ist dies jedoch ein Drama“, erklärt Dr. Dr. Martin
Bonsmann, Düsseldorf, auf der 26. Jahrestagung des Berufsverbandes Deutscher
Oralchirurgen. Eine nicht beherrschbare Periimplantitis (Entzündung des umgebenden
Gewebes) oder Fehlpositionierungen des Implantates, die eine prothetische Versorgung
erschweren oder – in seltenen Fällen – sogar unmöglich machen, sind
Indikationen für eine Explantation.
Missing out on brain food puts kids
at risk
AN OVERWHELMING majority of children do not eat enough fish, placing them at risk of heart
disease, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and retarded brain development,
new research says.
Health Min. to examine risks of
chemical in baby bottles
A dispute is currently raging as to the health risk posed by what is commonly called BPA,
which is apparently able to leak into the human body.
Chevron's lobbying campaign
backfires
Facing the possibility of a $27 billion pollution judgment against it in an Ecuadorean
court, Chevron launched an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign to try to
prevent the judgment as well as reverse a deeply damaging story line.
CDC study shouldn't rule out
antibiotics for pregnant women, doctor says
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study on the association between
antibiotics and certain birth defects may be a bit unsettling to pregnant women.
Air pollution at schools
The US Environmental Protection Agency is wrapping up a 60-day initiative looking at toxic
air pollution around schools.
Migraine Raises Risk of Most Common
Form of Stroke
Pooling results from 21 studies, involving 622,381 men and women, researchers at Johns
Hopkins have affirmed that migraine headaches are associated with more than twofold higher
chances of the most common kind of stroke: those occurring when blood supply to the brain
is suddenly cut off by the buildup of plaque or a blood clot. The risk for those with
migraines is 2.3 times those without, according to calculations from the Johns Hopkins
team, to be presented Nov. 16 at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual
Scientific Sessions in Orlando. For those who experience aura, the sighting of flashing
lights, zigzag lines and blurred side vision along with migraines, the risk of so-called
ischemic stroke is 2.5 times higher, and in women, 2.9 times as high.
Zetia Fails to Show Benefit Over
Niacin for Heart Patients
Cheap Vitamin B Beats Pricier Cholesterol Drug in Clearing Arteries
FDA wants panel to probe Pfizer
vaccine efficacy
Pfizer Inc's next- generation Prevnar vaccine missed some key goals in a study of its
effectiveness, U.S. reviewers said in documents released on Monday.
'Golden glow' is healthiest look
A golden glow is the healthiest and most attractive look for Caucasian skin, researchers
have claimed.
Sleep Deprivation Negatively
Affects Split-Second Decision Making
Sleep deprivation adversely affects automatic, accurate responses and can lead to
potentially devastating errors, a finding of particular concern among firefighters, police
officers, soldiers and others who work in a sleep-deprived state, University of Texas at
Austin researchers say. Psychology professors Todd Maddox and David Schnyer found moderate
sleep deprivation causes some people to shift from a faster and more accurate process of
information categorization (information-integration) to a more controlled, explicit
process (rule-based), resulting in negative effects on performance.The researchers
examined sleep deprivation effects on information-integration, a cognitive operation that
relies heavily on implicit split-second, gut-feeling decisions.
Why Huge Bands of Iron Formed
Billions of Years Ago on Earth’s Surface
No one knows why massive formations of banded iron — some ultimately hundreds of
kilometers long, like a sleeping giant’s suspenders — mysteriously began
precipitating on Earth’s surface about 3.5 billion years ago. Or why, almost 2
billion years later, the precipitation ceased. Because these deposits carry information
about early Earth’s surface conditions and climate changes, as well as provide much
of modern industry’s iron resources, interested researchers have cast a wide net in
trying to explain why and how these bands formed. But attempts to explain their existence
based on seasonal variations, surface temperature changes and episodic seawater mixing all
have foundered on assumptions requiring the unexplained oscillations of external forces.
Thousands of Parkinson's disease
sufferers wrongly diagnosed, report claims
Around 6,300 people in the UK who believe they are suffering from Parkinson's disease
could have been wrongly diagnosed, a new study has claimed.
Scientists Guide Immune Cells with
Light and Microparticles
A team led by Yale University scientists has developed a new approach to studying how
immune cells chase down bacteria in our bodies. Their findings are described in the
November 15 issue of Nature Methods Advanced Online Publication.
K-STATE RESEARCHERS STUDYING LINK
BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND CATTLE NUTRITIONAL STRESS
Kansas State University's Joseph Craine, research assistant professor in the Division of
Biology, and KC Olson, associate professor in animal sciences and industry, have teamed up
with some other scientists from across the United States to look into the possible effects
of climate change on cattle nutrition. Comparing grasslands and pastureland in different
regions in the U.S., the study, published in Global Change Biology, discusses data from
more than 21,000 different fecal samples collected during a 14-year period and analyzed at
the Texas A&M University Grazingland Animal Nutrition Lab for nutritional content.
"Owing to the complex interactions among climate, plants, cattle grazing and land
management practices, the impacts of climate change on cattle have been hard to
predict," said Craine, principal investigator for the project. The lab measured the
amount of crude protein and digestible organic matter retained by cattle in the different
regions. The pattern of forage quality observed across regions suggests that a warmer
climate would limit protein availability to grazing animals, Craine said. "This study
assumes nothing about patterns of future climate change; it's just a what if," Olson
said. "What if there was significant atmosphere enrichment of carbon dioxide? What
would it likely do to plant phenology? If there is atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment,
the length of time between when a plant begins to grow and when it reaches physiological
maturity may be condensed."
How Cells Tolerate DNA Damage
– MDC Researchers Identify Start Signal for Cell Survival Program
Cancer researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch
have gained new insights into how cells react to DNA damage. Dr. Michael Stilmann, Dr.
Michael Hinz and Professor Claus Scheidereit have shown that the protein PARP-1, which
detects DNA damage within seconds, activates the transcription factor NF-kappaB, a
well-known regulator of gene expression. NF-kappaB triggers a survival program, which
blocks programmed cell death. The activation of NF-kappaB is thought to be one of the
potential causes for tumor cell resistance to chemo and radiation therapy. (Molecular
Cell, online, doi 10.1016/j.molcel.2009.09.032; Preview: doi
10.1016/j.molcel.2009.10.022)*.
An often overlooked protein
actually a potent regulator of cardiac hypertrophy
A protein long thought to be a secondary regulator in the heart's response to stressors
like hypertension actually appears to be a primary regulator according to researchers from
the Center for Translational Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. The data will be
presented in the Late Breaking Science session at the American Heart Associations
Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Fla.According to Thomas Force, M.D., the James C. Wilson
Professor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University,
glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) proteins include the isoforms GSK-3beta and GSK-3alpha.
GSK-3beta has always been thought to be the regulator of cardiac hypertrophy, and
GSK-3alpha has been largely ignored. But the ignored isoform is actually quite powerful.
"We found that knocking out GSK-3beta did not do much at all, but knocking out of
GSK-3alpha caused a huge increase in hypertrophy," said Dr. Force, who led the study.
"The standard theory was that beta is more potent than alpha, but alpha was far more
important at regulating this process."
New combination therapy could
deliver powerful punch to breast cancer
A powerful new breast cancer treatment could result from packaging one of the newer drugs
that inhibits cancer's hallmark wild growth with another that blocks a primordial survival
technique in which the cancer cell eats part of itself, researchers say. While they are
powerful killers of some breast cancer cells, new drugs called histone deacetylase
inhibitors, or HDAC inhibitors, also increase self-digestion, or autophagy, in surviving,
mega-stressed cells, Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center researchers reported during
the Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics International Conference this week in
Boston. The conference is sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, the
National Cancer Institute and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of
Cancer. "To meet the energy demands of growth and survival, cancer cells start eating
up their own organelles, so that surviving cells become dependent on this autophagy,"
says Dr. Kapil Bhalla, director of the MCG Cancer Center. "By also using autophagy
inhibitors, we pull the rug out from under them. The only way out is death," he says.
Finding a protective mechanism for
retinal cells could save sight
Determining what triggers the death of retinal cells, called photoreceptors, could hold
the key to stopping blinding disorders caused by a wide range of eye diseases, Yale School
of Medicine researchers report in the November journal Investigative Ophthalmology &
Visual Science. Several blinding disorders are known to cause the breakdown of
photoreceptors. Caroline Zeiss, associate professor of comparative medicine and
ophthalmology at Yale School of Medicine, and her colleagues sought to identify a
mechanism in photoreceptors that could be targeted to prolong their survival. Using
preserved animal and human retinal tissue, they studied different diseases with a range of
genetic muations that caused photoreceptor death, such as age-related macular degeneration
and retinal pigmentosa. In the diseases Zeiss and her team studied, photoreceptors died
from a variety of causes, but the team found that all of the diseases had one common
element—activation of a family of molecules called CREB1/ATF1. It was unclear,
however, whether CREB1/ATF1 contributed to photoreceptor loss, or was an attempt by
photoreceptors to delay their death. To differentiate between these two possibilities, the
team examined CREB1/ATF1 in retinas treated with a drug known to preserve photoreceptors.
Protected photoreceptors expressed much higher amounts than unprotected retinas,
suggesting that CREB1/ATF1 was part of the protective mechanism. "Not only did we
find that the drug activated the novel CREB1/ATF1 photoreceptor pathway, but we found that
this activation was caused by stress," said Zeiss. "This suggests that CREB/ATF1
may be an innate protective response that could be used to achieve broad spectrum
preservation of the retina."
Foodborne illness - An acute and
long-term health challenge for the 21st century
The Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention (CFI) released a report on
November 12, 2009, that documents what is currently known about the long-term health
outcomes associated with several foodborne illnesses. The report also discusses how
under-reporting, inadequate follow-up and a lack of research make it difficult to assess
the impact that foodborne illness is having on Americans. CFI's report, The Long-Term
Health Outcomes of Selected Foodborne Pathogens, calls for a new approach to foodborne
illness research and surveillance and provides expert reviews about some of the long-term
health outcomes for five foodborne pathogens. The outcomes range from hypertension and
diabetes to kidney failure and mental retardation. "Foodborne illness is a serious
public health issue in the 21st century," says Dr. Tanya Roberts, Chair of CFI's
Board of Directors and an author of the report. "But the vast majority of these
illnesses are never reported to public health agencies, leaving us with many unanswered
questions about the impact that foodborne illness is having on different populations,
particularly young children and the elderly."
Potential for criminal behavior
evident at age 3
Children who don't show normal fear responses to loud, unpleasant sounds at the age of 3
may be more likely to commit crimes as adults, according to a new study.
What the Inventor of the Flu Shot
NOW Thinks of the Vaccine.
President Obama and his top health officials are engaging in a major public relations
effort to divert attention away from whether its swine flu vaccine is effective and safe
by focusing attention on whether there is enough of it to go around. And the media is
cooperating fully.
British scientists testing
Ukrainian 'super flu' that has killed 189 people
British scientists are examining the strain of swine flu behind a deadly Ukrainian
outbreak to see if the virus has mutated.
Five die after seasonal flu
vaccination
Five people have died after being vaccinated against seasonal influenza since the
nation’s health authority began providing free shots on the first day of this month.
Facebook crowdsourced investigation
exposes vaccine denials of SIGA Technologies
When you publish a hard-hitting story containing links to lots of little-known documents,
you never know what kind of bizarre blow-back you'll receive. The latest episode of
reactive strangeness occurred following our publication of the story about SIGA
Technologies and the conflicts of interest found in Dr. Mehmet Oz's holding of 150,000
option shares in that company.
Canadians Asking - Vitamin D, Where
are you?
Thousands of independent studies in the past three years have revealed a strong connection
between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk for a variety of serious illnesses
including as many as 22 forms of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and
multiple sclerosis, as well as common colds and flus.
The Next Vytorin Study - Why Is
Everybody So Worked Up?
The American Heart Association’s big scientific meeting starts Sunday, and
everybody’s buzzing about results that will be presented Monday from a comparison of
Abbott’s Niaspan against Merck’s Zetia.
Fat intake influences eye health
How much fat you eat and of what kind, may affect your risk of age-related vision loss.
Have You Ever Seen a Fat Amish
Person?
The Amish consume a high fat diet. They often cook their food in lard or bacon grease. And
they consume a fair amount of meat and dairy.
Menstrual Cycle Shows Effect on
Exhaled Nitric Oxide Levels
Study finds relationship between estrogen and progesterone, markers of atopy and asthma
Gum disease can affect memory
And if you are having trouble thinking, you might want to consider a trip to the dentist.
High fat diet increases
inflammation in the mouse colon
Now, a team of scientists led by researchers at Rockefeller University have shown what
happens to colon tissue when mice are fed such a diet - an inflammatory response that
could be the trigger for carcinogenic processes.
Herbalists bid to beat new 'quack'
rules
A new EU law in 2011 will ban the sale of herbal medicines except licensed
"traditional" remedies.
Antioxidant rich pecans are part of
a healthy diet
Just a handful of pecans to your diet each day may help inhibit unwanted oxidation of
blood lipids.
Bladder Cancer Risks Increase Over
Time for Smokers
Risk of bladder cancer for smokers has increased since the mid-1990s, with a risk
progressively increasing to a level five times higher among current smokers.
Big Pharma?s illegal marketing
practices
Collectively, Pfizer, Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. have spent approximately $3.7 billion
in settlements this year alone for illegal marketing practices.
How Safe are Pet Microchips?
Is microchipping your pet a good idea? Dr. Karen Becker discusses the benefits and risks.
Ten Worst Breakfast Cereals
New research confirms what consumers have long known -- most breakfast cereals advertised
to children are full of sugar.
Breast Cancer Gene May Boost Heart
Disease Risk, Study Shows
A gene linked to breast cancer in 1 in 10 Jewish women may raise the risk of heart
ailments, says a study in mice using gene therapy to improve cardiac function.
'Healthy' snacks loaded with sugar
or salt, says consumer group
Supposedly healthy snacks that are popular in children's lunchboxes, such as cereal bars
and fruit drinks, are laden with sugar, a consumer group has warned.
H1N1 Linked To Vitamin D Deficiency
According to a recent study, as many as 77 percent of all Americans may be deficient in
the vitamin essential for bone health and which may prevent H1N1 (Swine Flu) and seasonal
flu.
Fat deposits near the heart linked
to clogged arteries
Along with abdominal fat, fat deposits near the heart itself (pericardial fat), have been
associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic
syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors linked to overweight and obesity that
increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Researchers discovered that
pericardial fat alone was associated with clogged arteries (detected by magnetic resonance
imaging), independent of other known risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking.
The results suggest that pericardial fat may be involved in the development of
atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The study involved 94 male participants in
the ongoing Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study, a long-term
population-based study of ethnically diverse Americans in six urban U.S. regions. NHLBI
spokesperson: Diane Bild, M.D. Study investigator: Cuilian Miao, M.D., Johns Hopkins
University Medical Center.
A Second Skin
Despite advances in treatment regimens and the best efforts of nurses and doctors, about
70% of all people with severe burns die from related infections. But a revolutionary new
wound dressing developed at Tel Aviv University could cut that number dramatically.
Bigger not necessarily better, when
it comes to brains
Tiny insects could be as intelligent as much bigger animals, despite only having a brain
the size of a pinhead, say scientists at Queen Mary, University of London.
Nutrigenomics Researchers Replicate
Gene Interaction With Saturated Fat
Tufts University researchers have identified a gene-diet interaction that appears to
influence body weight and have replicated their findings in three independent studies. Men
and women carrying the CC genotype demonstrated higher body mass index (BMI) scores and a
higher incidence of obesity, but only if they consumed a diet high in saturated fat. These
associations were seen in the apolipoprotein A-II gene (APOA2) promoter.
Are Teenagers Wired Differently
Than Adults?
Parents have long suspected that the brains of their teenagers function differently than
those of adults. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, we have begun to
appreciate how the brain continues to develop structurally through adolescence and on into
adulthood. High emotionality is a characteristic of adolescents and researchers are trying
to understand how ‘emotional areas’ of the brain differ between adults and
adolescents.
Cross-country runabouts - immune
cells on the move
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich,
Germany, have now deciphered the mechanism that illustrates how these mobile cells move on
diverse surfaces. "Similar to a car, these cells have an engine, a clutch and wheels
which provide the necessary friction," explains Michael Sixt, a research group leader
at the MPI of Biochemistry. The results, which were developed in cooperation with
colleagues from the MPI for Metals Research in Stuttgart, Germany, have now been published
in Nature Cell Biology.
Scientist begins to unravel what
makes pandemic H1N1 tick
As the number of deaths related to the pandemic H1N1 virus, commonly known as “swine
flu,” continues to rise, researchers have been scrambling to decipher its inner
workings and explain why the incidence is lower than expected in older adults.
Penn Study Finds that Antioxidant
Found in Vegetables has Implications for Treating Cystic Fibrosis
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that a dietary
antioxidant found in such vegetables as broccoli and cauliflower protects cells from
damage caused by chemicals generated during the body’s inflammatory response to
infection and injury. The finding has implications for such inflammation-based disorders
as cystic fibrosis (CF), diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegeneration.
MS Is More Aggressive in Children
but Slower to Cause Disability than in Adults
Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in childhood
show that pediatric onset multiple sclerosis is more aggressive, and causes more brain
lesions, than MS diagnosed in adulthood, researchers at the University at Buffalo have
reported.
Monetary gain and high-risk tactics
stimulate activity in the brain
Monetary gain stimulates activity in the brain. Even the mere possibility of receiving a
reward is known to activate an area of the brain called the striatum. A team of Japanese
researchers report in the January 2010 issue of External link Cortex, published by
Elsevier, the results of a study in which they measured striatum activation in volunteers
performing a monetary task and found high-risk/high-gain options to cause higher levels of
activation than more conservative options. They also found levels of activation to
increase with the amount of money owned.
Inhibition of GRK2 is protective
against acute cardiac stress injuries
Inhibition of a protein known to contribute to heart failure also appears to be protective
of the heart in more acute cardiac stress injury, namely ischemia reperfusion, according
to two studies conducted at the Center for Translational Medicine at Thomas Jefferson
University. The studies will be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific
Sessions 2009 in Orlando, Fla.
Some prescription meds can harm
fetus
More than six percent of expectant mothers in Quebec consume prescription drugs that are
known to be harmful to their fetuses, according to a Université de Montréal
investigation published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Half these
women will voluntarily terminate their pregnancy fearing congenital malformations, which
means the abortion rate among these women is 11 percent higher than in the rest of the
population. "I never expected such results and I was extremely surprised," says
senior author Anick Bérard, a professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of
Pharmacy and director of the Research Unit on Medications and Pregnancy of the
Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center. Dr. Bérard examined data from the Quebec
Pregnancy Registry on 109,344 women, aged 15 to 45, who were pregnant between 1998 and
2002. Her research team found that 6,871 pregnant women consumed one of 11 prescription
drugs that are known to be harmful to fetuses through the first, second or third
trimester. Of those women, 3,229 aborted; 6 percent had a miscarriage; and 8.2 percent
gave birth to a child with major congenital malformations. By comparison, the rate of
fetal malformations in the general population in the province of Quebec is approximately
seven percent. "If there are 80,000 births in Quebec per year, a one percent
difference translates into an additional 800 children born with serious
malformations," says Bérard, who is currently a visiting professor at the
Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France. "At the very best, those babies will die.
In the worst case, they'll live with serious physical or psychological health problems
their entire lives." The study also examined the use of prescription drugs that are
known to be feto-toxic or increase in-utero problems or premature births. The researchers
found that 11,400 prescriptions – for dangerous medicines such as isotretinoin (for
the treatment of acne and rosacea), anxiolytic benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety treatment)
and antiepileptics (epileptic seizure treatment) – were used by pregnant women. Other
drugs that were harmful to fetuses – for hypertension, anticoagulation and infection
– were also widely used.
Newer heart devices significantly
improve survival, complication rate and quality of life
A new generation of implanted devices that help a failing heart function properly is
significantly more effective than the previous version, making these new devices an
appropriate permanent therapy for many of the more than 5 million Americans who suffer
from heart failure. A research team led by a University of Louisville cardiac surgeon
published data to support these conclusions in the November 17, 2009 Online First edition
of the New England Journal of Medicine. The results were simultaneously presented in a
press briefing at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla.
"This study shows astounding improvements in survival, quality of life, reduced
complications and device durability in patients who had the new device implanted,"
said Mark Slaughter, M.D., chief of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the University
of Louisville and director of the heart transplant and mechanical assist device program at
Jewish Hospital, lead enroller in the trial and lead author on the journal article.
"This device should be considered for use in all patients who are eligible for this
kind of treatment either while they await heart transplant or as a permanent
therapy." Two hundred patients at 38 centers nationwide were randomly assigned to
receive either the newer, smaller continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD),
or a larger, pulsatile-flow LVAD. The newer device creates a continuous flow of blood in
and out of the failing heart, while the older device mimics the heart's function using a
pulse action with blood alternately sucked into the pump from the left ventricle then
forced out into the aorta.
NC State researchers advance
understanding of stem cells
Researchers from North Carolina State University have identified a gene that tells
embryonic stem cells in the brain when to stop producing nerve cells called neurons. The
research is a significant advance in understanding the development of the nervous system,
which is essential to addressing conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's
disease and other neurological disorders. The bulk of neuron production in the central
nervous system takes place before birth, and comes to a halt by birth. But scientists have
identified specific regions in the core of the brain that retain stem cells into adulthood
and continue to produce new neurons. NC State researchers, investigating the
subventricular zone, one of the regions that retains stem cells, have identified a gene
that acts as a switch – transforming some embryonic stem cells into adult cells that
can no longer produce new neurons. The research was done using mice. These cells form a
layer of cells that support adult stem cells. The gene, called FoxJ1, increases its
activity near the time of birth, when neural development slows down. However, the FoxJ1
gene is not activated in most of the stem cells in the subventricular zone – where
new neurons continue to be produced into adulthood.
Depression as deadly as smoking,
but anxiety may be good for you
A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of
Psychiatry (IoP) at King's College London has found that depression is as much of a risk
factor for mortality as smoking. Utilising a unique link between a survey of over 60,000
people and a comprehensive mortality database, the researchers found that over the four
years following the survey, the mortality risk was increased to a similar extent in people
who were depressed as in people who were smokers. Dr Robert Stewart, who led the research
team at the IoP, explains the possible reasons that may underlie these surprising
findings: 'Unlike smoking, we don't know how causal the association with depression is but
it does suggest that more attention should be paid to this link because the association
persisted after adjusting for many other factors.' The study also shows that patients with
depression face an overall increased risk of mortality, while a combination of depression
and anxiety in patients lowers mortality compared with depression alone. Dr Stewart
explains: 'One of the main messages from this research is that 'a little anxiety may be
good for you'. 'It appears that we're talking about two risk groups here. People with very
high levels of anxiety symptoms may be naturally more vulnerable due to stress, for
example through the effects stress has on cardiovascular outcomes. On the other hand,
people who score very low on anxiety measures, i.e. those who deny any symptoms at all,
may be people who also tend not to seek help for physical conditions, or they may be
people who tend to take risks. This would explain the higher mortality.' In terms of the
relationship between mortality and anxiety with depression as a risk factor, the research
suggests that help-seeking behaviour may explain the pattern of outcomes. People with
depression may not seek help or may fail to receive help when they do seek it, whereas the
opposite may be true for people with anxiety.
Scientists discover cells that
control inflammation in chronic disease
A new type of immune cell that can be out of control in certain chronic inflammatory
diseases, worsening the symptoms of conditions like psoriasis and asthma, is described for
the first time this week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The authors of the
study, from Imperial College London, the Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata in Rome and
the Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM) in Munich, hope their discovery could lead to
new treatments for these diseases that would bring the cells under control. The new cell
described in the study, called a Th22 cell, is a kind of T-helper cell. These cells are
white blood cells that help to activate other immune cells when the body is infected by a
pathogen, such as a virus or bacterium. They also control inflammation in the body to help
fight off infection. According to the new study, Th22 cells play a special role in
overseeing and coordinating immune cells that cause inflammation. In chronic and allergic
inflammatory diseases like psoriasis and allergic eczema, Th22 cells appear to be
malfunctioning, leading to excessive inflammation, which can worsen symptoms.
HIV vaccine failure probably caused
by virus used, says new research
The recent failure of an HIV vaccine was probably caused by the immune system reacting to
the virus 'shell' used to transmit the therapy around the body, according to research
published today (16 November 2009) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The trial, called 'STEP', was halted in September 2007 because preliminary results
suggested that people who had been given the vaccine were more likely to be infected with
HIV than people who had been given a placebo.
Nanoparticles used in common
household items caused genetic damage in mice
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, found in everything from cosmetics to sunscreen to
paint to vitamins, caused systemic genetic damage in mice, according to a comprehensive
study conducted by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The TiO2
nanoparticles induced single- and double-strand DNA breaks and also caused chromosomal
damage as well as inflammation, all of which increase the risk for cancer. The UCLA study
is the first to show that the nanoparticles had such an effect, said Robert Schiestl, a
professor of pathology, radiation oncology and environmental health sciences, a Jonsson
Cancer Center scientist and the study's senior author. Once in the system, the TiO2
nanoparticles accumulate in different organs because the body has no way to eliminate
them. And because they are so small, they can go everywhere in the body, even through
cells, and may interfere with sub-cellular mechanisms. The study appears this week in the
journal Cancer Research. In the past, these TiO2 nanoparticles have been considered
non-toxic in that they do not incite a chemical reaction. Instead, it is surface
interactions that the nanoparticles have within their environment- in this case inside a
mouse - that is causing the genetic damage, Schiestl said. They wander throughout the body
causing oxidative stress, which can lead to cell death. It is a novel mechanism of
toxicity, a physicochemical reaction, these particles cause in comparison to regular
chemical toxins, which are the usual subjects of toxicological research, Schiestl said.
"The novel principle is that titanium by itself is chemically inert. However, when
the particles become progressively smaller, their surface, in turn, becomes progressively
bigger and in the interaction of this surface with the environment oxidative stress is
induced," he said. "This is the first comprehensive study of titanium dioxide
nanoparticle-induced genotoxicity, possibly caused by a secondary mechanism associated
with inflammation and/or oxidative stress. Given the growing use of these nanoparticles,
these findings raise concern about potential health hazards associated with
exposure."
Analyzing structural brain changes
in Alzheimer's disease
In a study that promises to improve diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease,
scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a fast and accurate
method for quantifying subtle, sub-regional brain volume loss using magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI). The study will be published the week of November 16 in the Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). By applying the techniques to the newly completed
dataset of the multi-institution Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), the
scientists demonstrated that such sub-regional brain volume measurements outperform
available measures for tracking severity of Alzheimer's disease, including widely used
cognitive testing and measures of global brain-volume loss. The general pattern of brain
atrophy resulting from Alzheimer's disease has long been known through autopsy studies,
but exploiting this knowledge toward accurate diagnosis and monitoring of the disease has
only recently been made possible by improvements in computational algorithms that automate
identification of brain structures with MRI. The new methods described in the study
provide rapid identification of brain sub-regions combined with measures of change in
these regions across time. The methods require at least two brain scans to be performed on
the same MRI scanner over a period of several months. The new research shows that changes
in the brain's memory regions, in particular a region of the temporal lobe called the
entorhinal cortex, offer sensitive measures of the early stages of the disease.
Smoking may now be considered an
established risk factor for ALS
While previous studies have indicated a "probable" connection between smoking
and ALS, a new study published in the Nov. 17, 2009 issue of Neurology®, the medical
journal of the American Academy of Neurology, states that smoking may now be considered an
"established" risk factor for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as
Lou Gehrig's disease. The findings come from Baystate Medical Center neurologist Dr.
Carmel Armon, an ALS researcher and neuroepidemiologist, who came to this conclusion using
evidence-based methods to perform a rigorous analysis of studies examining the link
between smoking and developing ALS -- a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting the
motor nerves and the voluntary muscles. "Application of evidence-based methods
separates better-designed studies from studies with limitations that may not be relied on.
The better-designed studies show consistently that smoking increases the risk of
developing ALS, with some findings suggesting that smoking may be implicated directly in
causing the disease," said Dr. Armon, a professor of neurology at Tufts University
School of Medicine and chief of neurology at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. He is
also a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. According to Dr. Armon, identifying
smoking as an established risk factor for ALS has three implications.
Immune system of healthy adults may
be better prepared than expected to fight 2009 H1N1 influenza
A new study shows that molecular similarities exist between the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus
and other strains of seasonal H1N1 virus that have been circulating in the population
since 1988. These results suggest that healthy adults may have a level of protective
immune memory that can blunt the severity of infection caused by the 2009 H1N1 influenza
virus. The study team was led by Bjoern Peters, Ph.D., and Alessandro Sette, Ph.D., of La
Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, Calif., grantees of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The
investigators looked at molecular structures known to be recognized by the immune
system—called epitopes—on 2009 H1N1 influenza and seasonal H1N1 viruses. Viral
epitopes are recognized by immune cells called B and T cells: B cells make antibodies that
can bind to viruses, blocking infection, and T cells help to eliminate virus-infected
cells. Using data gathered and reviewed from the scientific literature and deposited into
the NIAID-supported Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (www.iedb.org), the
investigators found that some viral epitopes are identical in both the 2009 and seasonal
H1N1 viral strains. Those epitopes that could be recognized by two subsets of T cells,
called CD4 and CD8 T cells, are 41 percent and 69 percent identical, respectively.
Subsequent experiments using blood samples taken from healthy adults demonstrated that
this level of T-cell epitope conservation may provide some protection and lessen flu
severity in healthy adults infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Africa heading for 'smoking
epidemic'
At Jeevanjee gardens in Nairobi, smokers gather during their lunch hour to read, chat and
light up.
Biotech crops cause big jump in
pesticide use-report
The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has
promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more
chemical residues in foods, according to a report issued Tuesday by health and
environmental protection groups.
Cancer Screening is Essentially
Useless
Cancer experts are expressing increasing concern over the explosion of campaigns urging
people to get regularly screened for a wide variety of cancers, warning that such programs
may do more harm than good.
Wistar Researchers Show Targeting
'Normal' Cells in Tumors Slows Growth
Targeting the normal cells that surround cancer cells within and around a tumor is a
strategy that could greatly increase the effectiveness of traditional anti-cancer
treatments, say researchers at The Wistar Institute.
Caught Between Competing Interests
in Brazil
Plentiful Oil, Politics, and Fast Growth Make It Tough To Reduce Carbon Emissions
Hypnosis effect on brain 'real',
study finds
Considering the growing popularity of hypnosis in treating various health conditions, a
new study finds the "very real" effect of the procedure on the brain.
Mass vaccinations to fight yellow
fever in Africa
Nearly 12 million Africans deemed at highest risk from yellow fever will be vaccinated
next week against the virus, which can cause explosive epidemics in cities, the World
Health Organization said on Tuesday.
Monsanto Pulls GM Corn Amid Serious
Food Safety Concerns
For the first time, a GM multinational has pulled two GM corn varieties from the
regulatory and assessment process at the last minute.
Novartis says lower H1N1 vaccine
dose may suffice
A U.S. clinical study suggests that just half a dose of the Novartis AG H1N1 vaccine may
be enough to generate a protective immune response, the Swiss drugmaker said on Tuesday.
Schools in the dark about tainted
lunches
In 2006, Del Rey recalled tens of thousands of tortillas after health officials linked
them to illnesses at schools in Massachusetts and Illinois.
Titanium dioxide may raise cancer
risk
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles found in many household goods caused systemic genetic
damage in mice, according to a new study in the journal Cancer Research.
Yearly Mammograms Undergo Scrutiny
Just a few weeks ago the American Cancer Society (ACS) issued a press release reminding us
that the Cancer Society may have overstated the benefits of screening and underemphasized
the potential harm when it came to testing for early breast and prostate cancer.
Biotech Lobbyists Ghost-Write
Health-Care Reform Speeches for 42 House Members
Robert Pear, reporting for the New York Times, discovered that the impassioned rhetoric
aired by a fairly large number of law-makers during the health-care debate was drafted by
corporate lobbyists.
Targeting “Normal” Cells
in Tumors Slows Growth
Targeting the normal cells that surround cancer cells within and around a tumor is a
strategy that could greatly increase the effectiveness of traditional anti-cancer
treatments, say researchers at The Wistar Institute.
Environment key in baby 'flat-head'
syndrome
When it comes to infants' risk of developing a flat spot on the head, environment appears
more important than genes, a new study finds.
Engineering Researcher Part of Team
That Discovers How to Capture Tumor Cells in Bloodstream
Jin-Woo Kim, a biomedical engineering researcher at the University of Arkansas, is part of
a cutting-edge nanotechnology research group that has discovered a way to capture tumor
cells in the bloodstream. The work could dramatically improve early cancer diagnosis and
prevent deadly metastasis.
The Link between Dengue Incidence
and El Niño Southern Oscillation
The current H1N1 influenza pandemic has highlighted the practical usefulness of knowing
ahead of time about an impending large outbreak. Specifically, as the flu season in the
northern hemisphere gets into full swing, public health decision makers have been using
information gleaned from epidemics in Mexico and the US earlier this spring to prepare
proactive mitigation and control strategies.
The Unintended Consequences of
Clinical Trials Regulations
The experience of clinical researchers worldwide indicates that a major obstacle to
undertaking academic research is the ever-increasing bureaucracy attached to the process.
Recent changes in research governance were intended to ensure that clinical trials are
safe and informative. However, the regulatory burden is now obstructing high quality
science and has become the biggest single threat to research carried out in academia.
Chocolate milk in school - a
necessary evil?
Administrators debate whether the necessary vitamins are worth the added sugar content. In
Illinois, students organize to overturn a ban.
Niacin is still the best natural
way to lower LDL and raise HDL cholesterol, new studies report
Latest studies have reviewed the data and the effects, and found that the simplest
solution, natural niacin is still the best way to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol that
signifies calcification, and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol that removes the (bad)
cholesterol before it calcifies your arteries and organs.
Is BPA, a Chemical Commonly Found
in Food Containers, Ruining Your Sex Life?
Erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems were two side effects in a recent study of
men exposed to high levels of bisphenol A, or BPA.
High Acrylamide Levels in Espresso
The level of acrylamide?a naturally occurring chemical that may cause a human health
risk?in espresso coffee might be influenced by species, roast degree and brew length,
according to Portuguese research to be published in Food Chemistry.
Thousands of birth defects that hit
Canadian babies avoidable
Serious birth defects that strike as many as 2,000 babies each year in Quebec could be
avoided, the author of a new study said Tuesday.
Pregnant women taking harmful drugs
At least six per cent of pregnant women in Quebec take prescription medications that are
known to harm the fetus.
New Deadly Flu Viruses Reemerge
from Melting Ice
An international team found flu viruses in the ice of Siberian lakes, fact that warns
about the possibility that global warming may release germs locked in glaciers for decades
or even centuries.
“Ukraine swine flu
‘burns’ lungs”– source
British scientists suspect that swine flu virus has mutated in Ukraine. Some doctors say
that flu in the country has shown unprecedented symptoms, creating the effect of
“burnt” lungs, the Daily Mail reports.
Berkeley Lab Lends Expertise to
India to Promote Energy Efficiency
India may rank only a distant fourth in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, behind China,
the United States and Russia, but its rapid economic growth rate coupled with aging and
inefficient energy infrastructure suggest dire environmental consequences if
“business as usual” continues. That’s why experts from the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory have been working to expand collaborations with India on
energy efficiency. A combination of various energy efficiency measures—including
greener buildings, a smarter electric grid, more efficient home appliances and more
advanced industrial and manufacturing processes—have the potential to eliminate
India’s electricity shortage, reduce pollution and decrease its emissions of
greenhouse gases, while boosting the country’s economic output by as much as $500
billion over the next eight years, according to a theme paper that was presented this week
in New Delhi at the Second U.S.-India Energy Efficiency Technology Cooperation Conference.
The paper was co-written by researchers from Berkeley Lab, the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and ECO III.
When good companies do bad things -
Examining illegal corporate behavior
The more prominent and financially successful a corporation becomes, the more likely it is
to break the law, according to a new study led by a Michigan State University scholar that
challenges previous research. MSU’s Yuri Mishina and colleagues argue that
unrealistically high pressure on thriving companies increases the likelihood of illegal
behavior, as the firms are faced with continuously maintaining or improving their
performance. Previous research suggested high-performing firms are less likely to feel the
strains that can trigger illegal activities such as fraud, false claims and environmental
and anticompetitive violations. The MSU-led study, which will appear in a forthcoming
issue of the Academy of Management Journal, analyzed 194 large public manufacturing firms
in the United States between 1990 and 1999.
Cancers' Sweet Tooth May Be
Weakness
The pedal-to-the-metal signals driving the growth of several types of cancer cells lead to
a common switch governing the use of glucose, researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of
Emory University have discovered. Scientists who study cancer have known for decades that
cancer cells tend to consume more glucose, or blood sugar, than healthy cells. This
tendency is known as the "Warburg effect," honoring discoverer Otto Warburg, a
German biochemist who won the 1931 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Now a Winship-led team has
identified a way to possibly exploit cancer cells' taste for glucose.The results were
published this week in the journal Science Signaling. Normally cells have two modes of
burning glucose, comparable to sprinting and long-distance running: glycolysis, which
doesn't require oxygen and doesn't consume all of the glucose molecule, and oxidative
phosphorylation, which requires oxygen and is more thorough. Cancer cells often outgrow
their blood supply, leading to a lack of oxygen in a tumor, says Jing Chen, PhD, assistant
professor of hematology and medical oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and
Winship Cancer Institute. They also benefit from glycolysis because leftovers from the
inefficient consumption of glucose can be used as building blocks for growing cells.
"Even if they have oxygen, cancer cells still prefer glycolysis," Chen says.
"They depend on it to grow quickly."
Immune system activated in
schizophrenia
Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered that
patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have higher levels of inflammatory substances in
their brains. Their findings offer hope of being able to treat schizophrenia with drugs
that affect the immune system. The causes of schizophrenia are largely unknown, and this
hinders the development of effective treatments. One theory is that infections caught
early on in life might increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, but to date any
direct evidence of this has not been forthcoming. Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have
now been able to analyse inflammatory substances in the spinal fluid of patients with
schizophrenia, instead of, as in previous studies, in the blood. The results show that
patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have raised levels of a signal substance called
interleukin-1beta, which can be released in the presence of inflammation. In the healthy
control patients, this substance was barely measurable.
The Protein Srebp2 Drives
Cholesterol Formation in Prion-Infected Neuronal Cells Which May Promote Prion-Dependent
Diseases
The regulating protein Srebp2 drives cholesterol formation, which prions need for their
propagation, in prion-infected neuronal cells. With these findings, published in the
current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum
München and Technische Universität München anticipate new approaches in drug
development to combat prion infection. Prions are causing fatal and infectious diseases of
the nervous system, such as the mad cow disease (BSE), scrapie in sheep or
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München and
Technische Universität München have now succeeded in elucidating another disease
mechanism of prion diseases: The prion-infected cell changes its gene expression and
produces increased quantities of cholesterol. Prions need this for their propagation.
Prions are infectious and transform the brains of humans and animals into sponge-like
structures. Unlike a virus, a prion only consists of protein - called prion-protein in its
pathological form (PrPSc). Until now, little was known about the processes that take place
inside the infected neuronal cell. This made it difficult to develop effective drugs
against prion diseases.
Findings that should speed the
development of drugs for Parkinson’s Disease
Australian scientists have significantly advanced our understanding of dopamine release
from nerve cells, findings that should speed the development of more effective drugs for
treating Parkinson’s Disease. People with Parkinson's Disease suffer from muscle
rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement and, in extreme cases, a loss of physical
movement. These primary symptoms are caused by the loss of dopamine producing nerve cells
in the brain. Medicines used for treating Parkinson's either provide extra dopamine or
attach to the remaining nerve cells that release dopamine and regulate its release. In the
latter case, no-one understands the mechanisms involved, or how to control them. When an
electrical impulse reaches the end of a dopamine nerve cell, called a synapse, it
sometimes stimulates the release of dopamine. Yet more often it doesn’t. Only about 1
in 5 impulses cause dopamine release, and the release rhythm is irregular. So the cell
might release dopamine 5 times in a row, then not release twice, then release once, and so
on.
Five Exercises Can Reduce Neck,
Shoulder Pain Of Women Office Workers
Strength training exercises using dumbbells can reduce pain and improve function in the
trapezius muscle, the large muscle which extends from the back of the head, down the neck
and into the upper back. The exercises also improve the muscle’s ability to respond
quickly and forcefully among women suffering trapezius myalgia, a tenderness and tightness
in the upper trapezius muscle. The results are the latest findings from an ongoing Danish
study aimed at reducing repetitive strain injury caused by office work. Repetitive strain
injury has become increasingly common. The authors cited two recent Danish surveys, one of
which found that more than half of female office workers reported frequent neck pain. The
other found that more than two-thirds of female office workers who reported neck pain
suffered from trapezius myalgia.
Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart
Disease
The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that
transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with
severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant
subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells. In the
12-month Phase II, double-blind trial, subjects' own purified stem cells, called CD34+
cells, were injected into their hearts in an effort to spur the growth of small blood
vessels that make up the microcirculation of the heart muscle. Researchers believe the
loss of these blood vessels contributes to the pain of chronic, severe angina. "This
is the first study to show significant benefit in pain reduction and improved exercise
capacity in this population with very advanced heart disease," said principal
investigator Douglas Losordo, M.D., the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research at the
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a cardiologist and director of the
program in cardiovascular regenerative medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the
lead site of the study.
Secondhand smoke exposure worse for
toddlers, obese children
Toddlers and obese children suffer more than other youth when exposed to secondhand smoke,
according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific
Sessions 2009. “Secondhand smoke in children is not just bad for respiratory issues,
as has been previously described by other researchers,” said John Anthony Bauer,
Ph.D., the study’s senior co-author and principal investigator at Nationwide
Children’s Hospital & Research Institute at Ohio State University in Columbus.
“Our data support the view that cardiovascular effects of secondhand smoke in
children are important, particularly for the very young and those who are obese. We had
not investigated the impact of obesity in previous studies.”
Study raises concerns about outdoor
second-hand smoke
Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a
new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health
hazard. The study, thought to be the first to assess levels of a nicotine byproduct known
as cotinine in nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors, found levels up to 162
percent greater than in the control group. The results appear in the November issue of the
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. "Indoor smoking bans have helped
to create more of these outdoor environments where people are exposed to secondhand
smoke," said study co-author Luke Naeher, associate professor in the UGA College of
Public Health. "We know from our previous study that there are measurable airborne
levels of secondhand smoke in these environments, and we know from this study that we can
measure internal exposure. "Secondhand smoke contains several known carcinogens and
the current thinking is that there is no safe level of exposure," he added. "So
the levels that we are seeing are a potential public health issue."
UCLA study shows brain's ability to
reorganize
Visually impaired people appear to be fearless, navigating busy sidewalks and crosswalks,
safely finding their way using nothing more than a cane as a guide. The reason they can do
this, researchers suggest, is that in at least some circumstances, blindness can heighten
other senses, helping individuals adapt. Now scientists from the UCLA Department of
Neurology have confirmed that blindness causes structural changes in the brain, indicating
that the brain may reorganize itself functionally in order to adapt to a loss in sensory
input. Reporting in the January issue of the journal NeuroImage (currently online),
Natasha Leporé, a postgraduate researcher at UCLA's Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and
colleagues found that visual regions of the brain were smaller in volume in blind
individuals than in sighted ones. However, for non-visual areas, the trend was reversed
— they grew larger in the blind. This, the researchers say, suggests that the brains
of blind individuals are compensating for the reduced volume in areas normally devoted to
vision. "This study shows the exceptional plasticity of the brain and its ability to
reorganize itself after a major input — in this case, vision — is lost,"
said Leporé. "In other words, it appears the brain will attempt to compensate for
the fact that a person can no longer see, and this is particularly true for those who are
blind since early infancy, a developmental period in which the brain is much more plastic
and modifiable than it is in adulthood."
UCLA researchers create 'fly paper'
to capture circulating cancer cells
Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features
developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have
broken off from a tumor. These cells, known as circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, can
provide critical information for examining and diagnosing cancer metastasis, determining
patient prognosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of therapies. Metastasis — the
most common cause of cancer-related death in patients with solid tumors — is caused
by marauding tumor cells that leave the primary tumor site and ride in the bloodstream to
set up colonies in other parts of the body. The current gold standard for examining the
disease status of tumors is an analysis of metastatic solid biopsy samples, but in the
early stages of metastasis, it is often difficult to identify a biopsy site. By capturing
CTCs, doctors can essentially perform a "liquid" biopsy, allowing for early
detection and diagnosis, as well as improved treatment monitoring. To date, several
methods have been developed to track these cells, but the UCLA team's novel "fly
paper" approach may be faster and cheaper than others — and it appears to
capture far more CTCs.
Texas A&M Researchers Examine
How Viruses Destroy Bacteria
Viruses are well known for attacking humans and animals, but some viruses instead attack
bacteria. Texas A&M University researchers are exploring how hungry viruses, armed
with transformer-like weapons, attack bacteria, which may aid in the treatment of
bacterial infections. The Texas A&M researchers' work is published in the renowned
journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. The attackers are called phages, or
bacteriophages, meaning eaters of bacteria. The word bacteriophage is derived from the
Greek "phagein," meaning eater of bacteria. "The phages first attach to the
bacteria and then inject their DNA," says Sun Qingan, coauthor of the article and a
doctoral student at Texas A&M. "Then they reproduce inside the cell
cytoplasm." After more than 100 phage particles have been assembled, the next step is
to be released from the bacterial host, so that the progeny virions can find other hosts
and repeat the reproduction cycle, Sun adds. Besides the cell membrane, the phages have
another obstacle on their way out – a hard shell called cell wall that protects the
bacteria. Only by destroying the cell wall can the phages release their offspring.
Scientists find molecular trigger
that helps prevent aging and disease
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to address a question that has been
challenging scientists for years: How do dietary restriction—and the reverse,
overconsumption—produce protective effects against aging and disease? An answer lies
in a two-part study led by Charles Mobbs, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience and of Geriatrics
and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, published in the November 17
edition of the journal Public Library of Science Biology. The study, titled "Role of
CBP and SATB-1 in Aging, Dietary Restriction, and Insulin-Like Signaling," examines
how dietary restriction and a high-caloric diet influence biochemical responses. Dr. Mobbs
and his colleagues unraveled a molecular puzzle to determine that within certain
parameters, a lower-calorie diet slows the development of some age-related conditions such
as Alzheimer's disease, as well as the aging process. How the diet is
restricted—whether fats, proteins or carbohydrates are cut—does not appear to
matter. "It may not be about counting calories or cutting out specific
nutrients," said Dr. Mobbs, "but how a reduction in dietary intake impacts the
glucose metabolism, which contributes to oxidative stress." Meanwhile, a high calorie
diet may accelerate age-related disease by promoting oxidative stress. Dietary restriction
induces a transcription factor called CREB-binding protein (CBP), which controls the
activity of genes that regulate cellular function. By developing drugs that mimic the
protective effects of CBP – those usually caused by dietary restriction –
scientists may be able to extend lifespan and reduce vulnerability to age-related
illnesses. "We discovered that CBP predicts lifespan and accounts for 80 percent of
lifespan variation in mammals," said Dr. Mobbs. "Finding the right balance is
key; only a 10 percent restriction will produce a small increase in lifespan, whereas an
80 percent restriction will lead to a shorter life due to starvation." The team found
an optimal dietary restriction, estimated to be equivalent to a 30 percent caloric
reduction in mammals, increased lifespan over 50 percent while slowing the development of
an age-related pathology similar to Alzheimer's disease.
Saliva proteins change as women age
In a step toward using human saliva to tell whether those stiff joints, memory lapses, and
other telltale signs of aging are normal or red flags for disease, scientists are
describing how the protein content of women's saliva change with advancing age. The
discovery could lead to a simple, noninvasive test for better diagnosing and treating
certain age-related diseases in women, they suggest in a report in ACS' Journal of
Proteome Research, a monthly publication. These diseases include lupus, Sjögrens syndrome
(associated with dry mouth and dry eye), and other immune-related disorders that affect
millions of women worldwide, often at higher rates than in men. John Yates and colleagues
note that human saliva contains many different proteins involved in digestion, disease
fighting, and other functions. Scientists are seeking ways to use the proteins as
molecular "fingerprints" to develop quick diagnostic tests that provide an
alternative to the needle sticks currently needed for blood tests. To do that, they need
detailed information on how normal aging affects these proteins.
Toward explaining why hepatitis B
hits men harder than women
Scientists in China are reporting discovery of unusual liver proteins, found only in
males, that may help explain the long-standing mystery of why the hepatitis B virus (HBV)
sexually discriminates -- hitting men harder than women. Their study has been published
online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication. Shuhan Sun, Fang Wang
and colleagues note that chronic hepatitis B seems to progress and cause liver damage
faster in men, with men the main victims of the virus's most serious complications --
cirrhosis and liver cancer. Men infected with HBV also are 6 times more likely than women
to develop a chronic form of the disease. About 400 million people worldwide have chronic
hepatitis B, including a form that is highly infectious and can be transmitted through
blood, saliva, and sexual contact. In experiments with laboratory mice, the scientists
found abnormal forms of apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I), a protein involved in fighting
inflammation, in the livers of infected male mice but not infected females. They then
identified abnormal forms of these Apo A-I proteins in blood of men infected with HBV, but
not in women. In addition to explaining the gender differences, the proteins may provide
important markers for tracking the progression of hepatitis B, the scientists suggest.
Elevated pollution levels near
regional airports
Scientists are reporting evidence that air pollution — a well-recognized problem at
major airports — may pose an important but largely overlooked health concern for
people living near smaller regional airports. Those airports are becoming an increasingly
important component of global air transport systems. The study, one of only a handful to
examine airborne pollutants near regional airports, suggests that officials should pay
closer attention to these overlooked emissions, which could cause health problems for
local residents. It appears online in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a
semi-monthly journal. In the new study, Suzanne Paulson and colleagues note that
scientists have known for years that aircraft emissions from fuel burned during takeoffs
and landings can have a serious impact on air quality near major airports. Aircraft
exhaust includes pollutants linked to a variety of health problems. However, researchers
know little about the impact of such emissions at general aviation or regional airports,
which tend to be located closer to residential neighborhoods than major airports, the
article notes. The scientists measured a range of air pollutants near a general aviation
airport for private planes and corporate jets in Southern California (Santa Monica
Airport) in the spring and summer of 2008. They found that emissions of so-called
ultrafine particles, which are less than 1/500th width of a human hair, were significantly
elevated when compared to background pollution levels. Levels of these pollutants were up
to 10 times higher at a downwind distance from the airport equal to about one football
field and as much as 2.5 times higher at distance equal to about six football fields. The
study suggests that "current land-use practices of reduced buffer areas around local
airports may be insufficient."
Antifibrotic effects of green tea
Several studies have shown that lipid peroxidation stimulates collagen production in
fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells (HSC), and plays an important role in the
development of liver fibrosis. Hepatoprotective effects of green tea against carbon
tetrachloride, cholestasis and alcohol induced liver fibrosis were reported in many
studies. However, the hepatoprotective effect of green tea in dimethylnitrosamine
(DMN)-induced models has not been studied. A research article published on November 7,
2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team,
led by Prof. Hong-Yon Cho from Korea University examined the protective effect of green
tea extract (GT) on hepatic fibrosis in a rat HSC line and in a rat model of DMN-induced
hepatic fibrosis. he results showed GT administration prevented the development of hepatic
fibrosis in the rat model of DMN-induced liver fibrosis. These results were confirmed both
by liver histology and by quantitative measurement of hepatic hydroxyproline content, a
marker of liver collagen deposition. Accordingly, inhibition of proliferation, reduced
collagen deposition, and type 1 collagen expression were observed in activated HSC-T6
cells following GT treatment. These results imply that GT reduced the proliferation of
activated HSC and down regulated the collagen content and expression of collagen type 1,
thereby ameliorating hepatic fibrosis. The researchers drew a conclusion that green tea
may protect liver cells and reduce the deposition of collagen fibers in the liver. Green
tea provides a safe and effective strategy for improving hepatic fibrosis.
New culprit for viral infections
among elderly -- an overactive immune response
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune
system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger
people. Published in the November 19 Cell Host & Microbe, the study bucks the general
belief that declining immune responses are to blame for susceptibility to viral
infections. Illness and death caused by viral infections tend to increase with age,
indicating that aging impairs immunity, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. To
understand how aging modifies inflammatory response to viral infection, a research team
led by Daniel R. Goldstein, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and cardiology
at Yale School of Medicine, infected young (2-4 months), middle-aged (8-10 months), and
aged (18-20 months) mice with the herpes virus. This led to a rapid increase in
inflammatory mediators, or cytokines, called interleuken 17. When the team examined the
blood for inflammatory substances and examined the liver, they saw evidence of damage in
only the aged cohort. When Goldstein and his team inhibited interleuken 17 either before
or after infection, the mice in the aged group no longer showed signs of liver damage and
no longer died. Goldstein said the study's results demonstrate that aged individuals
succumb to viral infection due to exaggerated immune responses rather than declining
immunity. "This was a dramatic response to inhibiting a single cytokine," said
Goldstein. "Aged mice do have defective immune responses, but instead of trying to
boost their immune response, we should try to inhibit certain inflammatory pathways to
prevent susceptibility to viral infections."
Current cigarette smokers at
increased risk of seizures
A recent study determined there is a significant risk of seizure for individuals who
currently smoke cigarettes. Boston-based researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and
Harvard Medical School also found that long-term, moderate intake of caffeine or alcohol
does not increase the chance of having a seizure or developing epilepsy. This is the first
prospective study to examine the potential risks associated with cigarette smoking,
caffeine intake, and alcohol consumption as they independently relate to epilepsy. Full
findings of this study are currently available online and will appear in the February 2010
issue of Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International
League Against Epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by repeated
unprovoked seizures where electrical disturbances in the brain cause sudden, involuntary
changes in body movements (convulsions and muscle spasms) and sensory awareness.
Approximately 2.5 million Americans are affected by epilepsy with 150,000 new cases
diagnosed this year alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). The CDC further estimates that epilepsy accounts for $15.5 billion in medical costs
and lost earnings. Single seizures or those provoked by alcohol withdrawal or other cause
are even more common, occurring in up to 10% of the population.
Women at risk from vitamin A
deficiency
Almost half of UK women could be suffering from a lack of vitamin A due to a previously
undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found. The team,
led by Dr Georg Lietz, has shown that almost 50 per cent of women have a genetic variation
which reduces their ability to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin A from beta-carotene.
Vitamin A – also known as retinol – plays a vital role in strengthening our
immune system, protecting us against common infections such as flu and winter vomiting.
Vitamin A also helps to maintain healthy skin and mucus linings such as inside the nose
and the lungs. In 1987, an American study found that excessive use of vitamin A during
pregnancy was associated with certain birth defects. Beta-carotene, however, was deemed to
be safe and this led to the general advice that we should eat more of this nutrient,
allowing the body to convert what it needs into vitamin A. However, Dr Lietz' latest
research – published in the FASEB Journal and presented this month at the 2nd
Hohenheim Nutrition Conference in Stuttgart – shows that for many women,
beta-carotene is not an effective substitute for vitamin A. Dr Lietz explained:
"Vitamin A is incredibly important – particularly at this time of year when we
are all trying to fight off the winter colds and flu. "It boosts our immune system
and reduces the risk of inflammation such as that associated with chest infections.
"What our research shows is that many women are simply not getting enough of this
vital nutrient because their bodies are not able to convert the beta-carotene."
Common pain relief medication may
encourage cancer growth
Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic
cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based
painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. Two new studies advance
that argument and demonstrate how shielding lung cancer cells from opiates reduces cell
proliferation, invasion and migration in both cell-culture and mouse models. The
reports--to be presented November 18, 2009, at "Molecular Targets and Cancer
Therapeutics," a joint meeting in Boston of the American Association for Cancer
Research, the National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and
Treatment of Cancer--highlight the mu opiate receptor, where morphine works, as a
potential therapeutic target. "If confirmed clinically, this could change how we do
surgical anesthesia for our cancer patients," said Patrick A. Singleton, PhD,
assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center and principal
author of both studies. "It also suggests potential new applications for this novel
class of drugs which should be explored."
Unexplained liver hemorrhage after
metastasis radiofrequency ablation
Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in the world. Approximately one in
four of these patients have metastases at diagnosis, liver being the most common site
involved. Although historically it was considered that liver metastases meant a very poor
prognosis, today, due to improved systemic therapy, many patients will be candidates for
local hepatic treatments such as surgery or less aggressive radiofrequency ablation. Both
of these procedures have resulted in improvements in global and disease-free survival.
However ,a report of unexplained liver haemorrhage after metastasis radiofrequency
ablation has been published on October 28, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Radiofrequency ablation is increasing used in the field of oncology. Although some studies
have found low rates of complications, ranging from 2.4% to 8.9%, the rate of
intraperitoneal haemorrhage is low (0.46%-1.6%) but relevant because this technique is
increasingly used with few selection criteria for patients. The reported reasons for
haemorrhage are usually related to mechanical injuries to the liver blood vessels and
occur most often in patients with cirrhosis. Other cases have been attributed to serious
coughing or hiccups after the radiofrequency treatment which might cause increased
abdominal pressure and tumour rupture.
Small nanoparticles bring big
improvement to medical imaging
If you're watching the complex processes in a living cell, it is easy to miss something
important—especially if you are watching changes that take a long time to unfold and
require high-spatial-resolution imaging. But new research* makes it possible to scrutinize
activities that occur over hours or even days inside cells, potentially solving many of
the mysteries associated with molecular-scale events occurring in these tiny living
things. A joint research team, working at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
has discovered a method of using nanoparticles to illuminate the cellular interior to
reveal these slow processes. Nanoparticles, thousands of times smaller than a cell, have a
variety of applications. One type of nanoparticle called a quantum dot glows when exposed
to light. These semiconductor particles can be coated with organic materials, which are
tailored to be attracted to specific proteins within the part of a cell a scientist wishes
to examine. "Quantum dots last longer than many organic dyes and fluorescent proteins
that we previously used to illuminate the interiors of cells," says biophysicist
Jeeseong Hwang, who led the team on the NIST side. "They also have the advantage of
monitoring changes in cellular processes while most high-resolution techniques like
electron microscopy only provide images of cellular processes frozen at one moment. Using
quantum dots, we can now elucidate cellular processes involving the dynamic motions of
proteins." For their recent study, the team focused primarily on characterizing
quantum dot properties, contrasting them with other imaging techniques. In one example,
they employed quantum dots designed to target a specific type of human red blood cell
protein that forms part of a network structure in the cell's inner membrane. When these
proteins cluster together in a healthy cell, the network provides mechanical flexibility
to the cell so it can squeeze through narrow capillaries and other tight spaces. But when
the cell gets infected with the malaria parasite, the structure of the network protein
changes.
Why consumers turn to alternative
medicine
Alternative health remedies are increasingly important in the health care marketplace. A
new study in the Journal of Consumer Research explores how consumers choose among the many
available remedies. "Examples of the wide array of health remedy options available to
consumers include drugs, supplements, acupuncture, massage therapy, Ayurveda, and
Traditional Chinese Medicine (to name a few). Such medical pluralism is common in both
developed and developing countries and raises the questions: How do consumers choose among
health remedies, and what are the consequences for a healthy lifestyle?" write
authors Wenbo Wang (New York University), Hean Tat Keh (Beijing University), and Lisa E.
Bolton (Pennsylvania State University). The authors use "lay theories of
medicine" to explain how consumers choose between Western medicine and its Eastern
counterparts, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine. "Western
Medicine is primarily concerned with the material aspect of the body and views all medical
phenomena as cause-effect sequences, relying on rigorous scientific studies and research
that seeks empirical proof to all phenomena," write the authors. "On the other
hand, TCM and Ayurvedic Medicine favor a holistic approach, view the mind and body as a
whole system, and rely upon inductive tools and methods for treatment."
Pushing the brain to find new
pathways
Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six
months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for
the lost function by focusing on their remaining abilities. Although this belief has been
refuted, a University of Missouri occupational therapy professor believes that the current
health system is still not giving patients enough time to recover and underestimating what
the human brain can do given the right conditions. In a recent article for OT Practice
Magazine, Guy McCormack, clinical professor and chair of the occupational therapy and
occupational science department at the MU School of Health Professions, argues that health
practitioners believe their clients need more time and motivation to reclaim lost
functions, such as the use of an arm, hand or leg. With today's therapies, it is possible
for patients to regain more function than ever thought possible, McCormack said.
"Patients are able to regain function due to the principle of neuroplasticity, or the
brain's ability to change, especially when patients continue therapy long after their
injuries," McCormack said. "Therapists once believed the brain doesn't develop
new neurons; but, now they know neurons change their shape and create new branches to
connect with other neurons, rewiring the brain following an injury or trauma."
Neuroplasticity has been gaining more acceptance in the occupational therapy community,
McCormack said. Occupational therapists are forcing the nervous system into action by
working with the affected extremity, thereby building new pathways in the brain. Some
therapists are using virtual reality due to its ability to deliver feedback faster.
New neuroimaging analysis technique
identifies impact of Alzheimer's disease gene in healthy brains
Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD).
A study conducted at the University of Kansas School of Medicine demonstrated that genetic
risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry some risk for AD.
The results of this study are published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease. Investigators used automated neuroimaging analysis techniques to
characterize the impact of an AD-risk gene, apolipoprotein E (ApoE4), on gray and white
matter in the brains of cognitively healthy elderly from the KU Brain Aging Project. They
found that healthy elderly individuals carrying a risk-allele of the ApoE4 gene had
reduced cognitive performance, decreased brain volume in the hippocampus and amygdala
(regions important for memory processing), and decreased white matter integrity in limbic
regions. These type of brain changes are also found in people with AD. Therefore, brain
changes, usually found in AD patients, are also evident in nondemented individuals who
have a genetic risk of later developing AD.
Common cold may hold off swine flu
A VIRUS that causes the common cold may be saving people from swine flu.
Health group finds high lead levels
in toys
Children's toys carrying the Barbie and Disney logos have turned up with high levels of
lead in them, according to a California-based advocacy group — a finding that may
give consumers pause as they shop for the holiday season.
Medical Schools Quizzed on
Ghostwriting
Senator Charles E. Grassley wrote to 10 top medical schools Tuesday to ask what they are
doing about professors who put their names on ghostwritten articles in medical journals.
One in six youths eats daily
takeaways or ready meals
ONE in six young people eat a readymade meal or takeaway every day, according to a poll.
CBS hike blood pressure
No one would choose to eat polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs — yet we unwittingly
do. And a new study finds that the cost of their pervasive contamination of our food
supply can be high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease.
Sorry Monsanto, You're Wrong - more
GE Crops Mean More Pesticides
When do we get to officially call the "green revolution" an environmental
nightmare?
Study Shows Sweetener Marketing
Tactics May Mislead Consumers
Leading medical and nutrition groups, as well as some of the nation’s harshest food
industry critics agree that high fructose corn syrup, a natural sweetener made from corn,
is nutritionally the same as sugar. However, new research by the Corn Refiners Association
(CRA) shows that marketing tactics used by many food companies to promote their products
may confuse and mislead consumers.
The depressed are more apt to get
opioids for pain
People who suffer from depression are much more likely to be prescribed powerful opioid
painkillers like morphine and codeine and to stay on the drugs long-term, new research
shows.
Men are more predictable than women
'but it helps them find a mate'
Men are more predictable than women, but the trait helps them to find a partner,
scientists believe.
Nanosilver in Consumer Products -
No Silver Lining for Fish
Smaller than a virus and used in more than 200 consumer products, silver nanoparticles can
kill and mutate fish embryos, new research shows.
Nutritional status and functional
capacity of hospitalized elderly
Among the assessed elderly, 33.8% were classified as adequate regarding nutritional
status; 37.1% were classified as being at risk of malnutrition and 29.1% were classified
as malnourished. All the IADL and ADL variables assessed were significantly more
deteriorated among the malnourished individuals. Among the ADL variables, eating partial
(42.9%) or complete (12.9%) dependence was found in more than half of the malnourished
elderly, in 13.4% of those at risk of malnutrition and in 2.5% of those without
malnutrition.
China confronts global warming
dilemma
China, the world leader in both economic growth and carbon emissions, faces the dilemma of
how to respond to the challenges of global warming while not harming its robust economy.
Shock therapy on the rise in Sweden
Swedish hospitals are increasingly turning to electroshock therapy to treat depression,
but have failed to adequately warn patients about the risk for memory loss associated with
the treatment, a Sveriges Television (SVT) report reveals.
Cancer rates linked to industrial
activity
Several New Brunswick communities that have a history of industrial activity or
environmental contamination have high overall rates of cancer, according to a study by the
Conservation Council.
Impacts of Genetically Engineered
Crops on Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Thirteen Years
Genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybeans and cotton have increased use of weed-killing
herbicides — a type of pesticide — by 383 million pounds in the U.S. from 1996
to 2008, according to a new Organic Center report titled “Impacts of Genetically
Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Thirteen Years”
announced today by The Organic Center (TOC), the Union for Concerned Scientists (UCS) and
the Center for Food Safety (CFS). In addition, GE corn and cotton have reduced insecticide
use by 64 million pounds, resulting in an overall increase of 318 million pounds of
pesticides over the first 13 years of commercial use.
'Happy hormone' crucial in
preventing diabetes
Diabetes is growing into one the biggest health problems in the world and is now
responsible for nearly 4 million deaths a year. A team of researchers studied the role of
the hormone serotonin, which is stored in the pancreas along with insulin, to see if its
absence had any effect on insulin production. Their results showed that the absence of
serotonin in the pancreas of mice led to their rapidly developing diabetes. The results,
published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) Biology, offer a promising new
direction in diabetes research. Diabetes is the most widespread metabolic disease in the
developed world and pioneering research is crucial in addressing this worldwide health
emergency. Diabetes causes serious health problems including stroke, blindness and kidney
failure and is responsible for about 4 million deaths worldwide each year. It is also
causing a huge economic burden on health service resources worldwide. Now a breakthrough
has occurred. An international consortium of scientists has identified the role that
serotonin plays in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas and consequently in the
development of diabetes. The consortium, led by the Max Planck Institute for Molecular
Genetics in Berlin, Germany, included researchers from the University of Maribor,
Slovenia, and the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Free University Berlin,
Germany. The team carried out experiments on mice and found that the absence of serotonin
is a precursor for the development of diabetes.
Avocados offer remarkable benefits
for skin health
Avocados are Mother Nature's skin moisturizer. With their healthy fats and phytonutrients,
they offer remarkable benefits to human skin -- both when eaten and when used topically.
Genetically engineered hormones
used by dairy industry promote cancer
An industry report claiming that the genetically-engineered hormone Recombinant Bovine
Somatotropin (rBST) is safe has received criticism from the Cancer Prevention Coalition
(CPC) for its dubious findings. Funded by producers of rBST, the report was conducted
entirely by industry-paid consultants rather than by independent, credible scientists,
indicating it is fallacious.
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