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ANTHROPOLOGY News
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| New technique reduces tobacco smoke damage to lungs in mice Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Researchers in Australia have demonstrated that blocking a certain protein can reduce or prevent cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation in mice. Inflammation underlies the disease process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and many other smoking-related ailments. |
| Stress during pregnancy may increase offspring's risk of asthma Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Stress during pregnancy may raise the risk of asthma in offspring, according to researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. The researchers investigated differences in immune function markers in cord blood between infants born to mothers in high stress environments and those born to mothers with lower stress and found marked differences in patterns that may be associated with asthma risk later in life. |
| Deep brain stimulation reduces epileptic seizures in patients with refractory partial and secondarily generalized seizures Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A recent study organized by Stanford University researchers found patients with refractory partial and secondarily generalized seizures had a reduction in seizures after deep brain stimulation. This multi-center clinical trial determined that the benefits of stimulation of the anterior nuclei of thalamus for epilepsy persisted and by 2 years there was a 56 percent reduction in seizure frequency. Full findings of this study are available early online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy. |
| France's national program to reduce HAIs reports important successes; uses mandatory reporting Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Researchers evaluating France's national infection control program for health-care facilities found significant decreases in the rates of health-care-associated infections (HAIs) since 2004. The drop in HAIs, including MRSA and surgical site infections, could be attributed to important changes in the national infection control system. France's national, regional and local coordinating centers have been reorganized to help facilities throughout the country comply and conform with mandatory public reporting requirements and key program objectives. |
| Prescribed burns may help reduce US carbon footprint Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The use of prescribed burns to manage western forests may help the United States reduce its carbon footprint.Results of a new study find that such burns, often used by forest managers to reduce underbrush and protect bigger trees, release substantially less carbon dioxide emissions than wildfires of the same size. |
| Researchers find new chemotherapy combination shows promise in endometrial cancer Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report that in a small study of women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, gemcitabine and cisplatin, when used in combination, produced a response rate in fifty percent of patients. |
| Chemists influence stem-cell development with geometry Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
University of Chicago scientists have successfully used geometrically patterned surfaces to influence the development of stem cells. The new approach is a departure from that of many stem-cell biologists, who focus instead on uncovering the role of proteins in controlling the fate of stem cells. |
| Targeting blood vessels, immune system may offer way to stop infection-caused inflammation Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Treating virulent influenza, sepsis, and other potentially deadly infections long has focused on looking for ways to kill viruses and bacteria. But new research from the University of Utah and Utah State University shows that modulating the body's own overeager inflammatory response to infection may help save more lives. |
| First parasitic nematodes reported in biofuel crops Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of Illinois have discovered widespread occurrence of plant-parasitic nematodes in the first reported nematode survey of Miscanthus and switchgrass plants used for biofuels. |
| Getting turned on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Scientists have identified a mechanism that switches on an extremely important process for the proper functioning and survival of our body's cells. Specifically, the fast-track transportation pathway of "cargo" to and from the surface of the cell |
| DNA nanotechnology breakthrough offers promising applications in medicine Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A team of McGill Chemistry Department researchers led by Dr. Hanadi Sleiman has achieved a major breakthrough in the development of nanotubes. |
| Duke technique is turning proteins into glass Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Duke University researchers have devised a method to dry and preserve proteins in a glassified form that seems to retain the molecules' properties as workhorses of biology. |
| Layered graphene sheets could solve hydrogen storage issues Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Stacked sheets of graphene may be a promising material for capturing and storing hydrogen for future fuel-cell systems according to recent research at NIST and the University of Pennsylvania. |
| International team of scientists reports discovery of a new planet Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
An international team of scientists, including several who are affiliated with UC Santa Barbara, has discovered a new planet the size of Jupiter. The finding is published in the March 18 issue of the journal Nature. |
| Modified home video game shows promise for improving hand function in teens with cerebral palsy Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Rutgers engineers have modified a popular home video game system to help teenagers with cerebral palsy improve their hand functions. In a pilot trial conducted by the Indiana University School of Medicine, the system improved the teens' abilities to perform a range of daily personal and household activities. The modified system with custom-developed software and games provided exercise routines aimed at improving hand speed and range of finger motion. |
| Spider silk reveals a paradox of super-strength Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Since its development in China thousands of years ago, silk from silkworms, spiders and other insects has been used for high-end, luxury fabrics as well as for parachutes and medical sutures. Now, National Science Foundation-supported researchers are untangling some of its most closely guarded secrets, and explaining why silk is so super strong. |
| Tomas moving away from Fiji Islands after causing damages Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Cyclone Tomas hit the north and east areas of Fiji as a Category 4 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, and has now moved south of them. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite captured an image of the heavy rains that were falling in Tomas during his swath of destruction in the Fiji Islands. |
| Feeling lonely adds to rate of blood pressure increase in people 50 years old and older Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Chronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years. A new study shows, for the first time, a direct relation between loneliness and larger increases in blood pressure four years later -- a link that is independent of age and other factors that could cause blood pressure to rise, including body-mass index, smoking, alcohol use and demographic differences such as race and income. |
| Difficulty trusting and reaching out to others may shorten diabetes patients' lives Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Being overly cautious or dismissive in relating to others, including health-care providers, may shorten the lives of people with diabetes. In a five-year study, diabetes patients who had a lower propensity to reach out to others had a higher mortality rate than those who felt comfortable seeking support. There are approaches that health-care professionals might try to improve collaboration with patients who have an independent relationship style. |
| High levels of mercury found in Cataraqui River: Queen's study Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The Inner Harbour on the Cataraqui River in Kingston, Ont., has mercury levels in sediment more than two times the Canadian government's most severe effect limits, according to a Queen's University study. |
| A blue mystery Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
As one of the "generic geologists" on a dig called the Dakhleh Oasis Project, associate professor Jennifer Smith was asked to sample the alum from ancient mines and to determine whether it could be the source of the blue in the "blue painted pottery" found at sites dating from the New Kingdom. It was a small question but an intriguing one. |
| Prescribed burns may help reduce US carbon footprint Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The use of prescribed burns to manage Western forests may help the United States reduce its carbon footprint. A new study finds that such burns, often used by forest managers to reduce underbrush and protect bigger trees, release substantially less carbon dioxide emissions than wildfires of the same size. |
| Securities analysts' reports slow adoption of new technology, warns INFORMS journal study Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The reluctance of securities analysts to recommend investment in veteran companies using new techniques to grapple with radical technological change may be harming these companies as they struggle to compete, according to a new study in the current issue of Organization Science, a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. |
| When mom has an eating problem Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Norwegian research reveal the nature of emotional problems experienced by mothers with eating difficulties. Guilt and shame are key factors. Health workers need better training in order to be able to spot and alleviate such problems. |
| Light twists rigid structures in unexpected nanotech finding Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
In findings that took the experimenters three years to believe, University of Michigan engineers and their collaborators have demonstrated that light itself can twist ribbons of nanoparticles. |
| LSUHSC research increases understanding of drug metabolism Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Research led by Wayne L. Backes, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Associate Dean for Research at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has found that drug metabolism depends not only upon which enzymes are present in an individual, but also how they interact, and that can be the difference in whether a drug is safely eliminated from the body or is converted into a toxic or carcinogenic byproduct. |
| Study: Low levels of vitamin D linked to higher rates of asthma in African-American kids Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Researchers at Children's National Medical Center have discovered that African American children with asthma in metropolitan Washington, DC, are significantly more likely to have low levels of vitamin D than healthy African-American children. This study supports recent research that suggests vitamin D plays a greater role in the body than just keeping bones healthy. Vitamin D deficiency has been recently linked to a variety of non-bone related diseases including depression, autoimmune disorders, and now asthma. |
| Could regulating intestinal inflammation prevent colon cancer? Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Every day, our gut comes in contact with bacteria, inducing an inflammatory response that is tolerated and controlled. Sometimes the control of inflammation is lost and this can lead to inflammatory bowel disease that may predispose to colon cancer. Caspase-1, an important protein involved in the mechanism of inflammation, has long been believed to be one of the culprits behind excessive inflammation in the colon. Dr. Saleh's team suggests the opposite in a new study. |
| Nurses' research settles a common cancer concern: Skin care Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Given the complexity of cancer treatment, skin care may seem like a small matter. However, a nurse at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center knew that skin issues were a constant source of anxiety for many patients receiving radiation therapy, and through research she discovered that routine advice was rooted in myth instead of scientific evidence. |
| Study shows strong interest in palliative care programs, services and integration vary across nation Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A study from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports that cancer centers in the United States provide patients and their families with palliative care, though the depth, range and integration of programs and services widely vary. |
| ASTRO publishes supplement on protecting cancer patients by reducing radiation doses, side effects Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic review has been published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology to update recommendations for the safe irradiation of 16 organs. For each organ, the relationship between dose/volume and clinical outcome is reviewed. These reviews replace initial recommendations published in 1991. |
| 40 percent of surface disinfectants ineffective in eliminating viruses that cause gastroenteritis Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Some 40 percent of commercial disinfectants used to clean surfaces are believed to be ineffective in eliminating noroviruses, a group of viruses responsible for more than half of all food-borne gastroenteritis outbreaks. According to a recent study published by Université Laval researchers in the Journal of Food Protection, only bleach-based disinfectants drastically reduce the concentration of these viruses. |
| Prior herbicide use -- not irrigation -- is critical to herbicide efficacy Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Crop and herbicide use history are more critical to herbicide efficacy and environmental safety than the timing and amount of irrigation water used, according to Agricultural Research Service scientists. |
| An organic approach to pest control -- releasing super-sexed (but sterile) male insects Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
An improved method for sustainable pest control using "super-sexed" but sterile male insects to copulate with female ones is being developed by agricultural researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The scientists thus hope to offer yet another efficient and promising avenue for supplying produce to the market by eliminating pests without damage to the environment. |
| Bees see super color at super speed Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Bees see the world almost five times faster than humans, according to new research from scientists at Queen Mary, University of London. |
| Profiting on the Internet Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
An expert in e-commerce reports in the International Journal of Technology Marketing that while unique use of the technology is not enough to generate competitive value, there are approaches that allow companies to improve their performance and so their bottom line. |
| High Arctic species on thin ice Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A new assessment of the Arctic's biodiversity reports a 26 percent decline in species populations in the high Arctic. |
| Planck sees tapestry of cold dust Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Giant filaments of cold dust stretching through our Galaxy are revealed in a new image from ESA's Planck satellite. Analyzing these structures could help to determine the forces that shape our Galaxy and trigger star formation. |
| Sharks from deep waters of Cantabrian Sea are opportunist hunters Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A team of Spanish researchers has studied the diet of three species of sharks living in the deep waters in the area of El Cachucho, the first Protected Marine Area in Spain, which is located in the Cantabrian Sea off the coast of Asturias. These animals feed on the resources available in their environment, according to changes taking place in the ocean depths. |
| Hypnotherapy eases irritable bowel syndrome symptoms Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Hypnotherapy seems to be very effective for easing the distressing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and in a goodly proportion of cases, clears up symptoms altogether, reveal experts during a wide ranging discussion of the condition in a Frontline Gastroenterology podcast. |
| Long neglected nutritional training for doctors at all levels needed now Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The profession must take advantage of changes in medical education to ensure that all health professionals, but especially gut specialists, are given adequate training in nutrition, urge Dr Penny Nield and colleagues, in the launch issue of Frontline Gastroenterology, the new quarterly companion journal to Gut. |
| Omega 3 curbs precancerous growths in those prone to bowel cancer Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A purified form of an omega 3 cuts the number and size of precancerous bowel growths (polyps) in people whose genetic makeup predisposes them to bowel cancer, finds research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. |
| Solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas or pancreatic endocrine tumor? Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A research team from China investigated differential points of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of the pancreas and pancreatic endocrine tumor. They found that characteristic morphological features and specific expressive patterns of beta-catenin and E-cadherin make it to be easy to differentiate SPN from other pancreatic tumors. |
| New analysis points to ivory enforcement failures in parts of Africa, Asia Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Urgent law enforcement action by governments in Central and West Africa and Southeast Asia is crucial to addressing the illicit ivory trade, according to a new analysis of elephant trade data released today.Detailed regional summaries of the data held in the Elephant Trade Information System, the world's largest database on ivory seizures, highlight the failure of law enforcement in key elephant range states. |
| Dogs likely originated in the Middle East, new genetic data indicate Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Dogs likely originated in the Middle East, a new genetic analysis by an international team of scientists, led by UCLA biologists, indicates. The research is published March 17 in the advance online edition of the journal Nature. |
| A marine Mr. Mom: Male pipefish gives birth, but some are deadbeat dads, study shows Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Male pipefishes and their seahorse cousins are the only males that actually become pregnant and give birth, but pipefishes likely will never win any "Father of The Year" awards -- their attitude towards their offspring can range from total love to total neglect, according to new findings from Texas A&M University researchers. |
| Selenium protects men against diabetes Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The role of selenium in diabetes has been controversial, with some studies suggesting that it raises diabetes risk and others finding that it is protective. Now, research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition and Metabolism, has shown that, for men, high plasma selenium concentrations are associated with a lower occurrence of dysglycemia. |
| Disabling Skp2 gene helps shut down cancer growth Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Increased understanding of the Skp2 gene and its relation to cellular senescence may lead to the development of novel agents that can suppress tumor development in common types of cancer, researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center report in the journal Nature. |
| Brandeis scientists sniff out the evolution of chemical nociception Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Whenever you choke on acrid cigarette smoke, feel like you're burning up from a mouthful of wasabi-laced sushi, or cry while cutting raw onions and garlic, your response is being triggered by a primordial chemical sensor conserved across some 500 million years of animal evolution, report Brandeis University scientists in a study in Nature this week. |
| First temperate exoplanet sized up Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Combining observations from the CoRoT satellite and the ESO HARPS instrument, astronomers have discovered the first "normal" exoplanet that can be studied in great detail. Designated Corot-9b, the planet regularly passes in front of a star similar to the sun located 1,500 light-years away from Earth towards the constellation of Serpens (the Snake). |
| Astronomers observe fast growing primitive black holes Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The most distant quasars found in the early universe, a mere 800 million years after the Big Bang, have been observed by an international team of astronomers including members from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen. The findings have been published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature. |
| Fungi can change quickly, pass along infectious ability Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Fungi have significant potential for "horizontal" gene transfer, a new study has shown, similar to the mechanisms that allow bacteria to evolve so quickly, become resistant to antibiotics and cause other serious problems. |
| Efforts to steer patients to lower-cost physicians may be based on misleading rankings, study finds Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Insurance practices that encourage patients to receive care from physicians who keep medical costs low are based on unreliable estimates of doctor performance and may not achieve the intended savings, according to a new study. |
| Some clinical trials explicitly exclude gay and lesbian patients Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
All clinical trials have guidelines that clearly state who can and cannot participate, but according to the National Institutes of Health these guidelines are typically based on age, gender, previous treatment history, the type and stage of a disease, and other medically relevant factors. However, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have gathered evidence indicating that some trials explicitly exclude individuals based on their sexual orientation. |
| Strategies increase health-care worker vaccination rates -- protecting patients Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Health-care personnel influenza immunization rates have remained low, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other leading health-care organizations that all health-care personnel receive annual flu vaccines. Experts say these levels are perilous. Increasing vaccination rates substantially improves patient safety, lowering flu deaths by 40 percent. |
| Research team led by Cedars-Sinai identifies genes linked to ulcerative colitis Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
A study of the human genome led by Cedars-Sinai researchers has now identified genes linked to ulcerative colitis, offering clues as to what causes the condition and potential avenues for new therapies to treat the disease. |
| USC researchers identify key mechanism that guides cells to form heart tissue Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California have identified a key cellular mechanism that guides embryonic heart tissue formation -- a process which, if disrupted, can lead to a number of common congenital heart defects. |
| Researchers ID brain abnormalities in children exposed to methamphetamine in utero Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
UCLA researchers used structural magnetic resonance imaging to show for the first time that individuals whose mothers abused methamphetamine during pregnancy (with or without alcohol abuse) had brain structural abnormalities that were more severe than in children whose mothers abused alcohol alone. The researchers identified what brain structures are vulnerable, which may help predict particular learning and behavioral problems in meth-exposed children. |
| Mastery of rare-earth elements vital to America's security Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
Used in everything from batteries to electric motors, rare-earth elements are vital to America's security, Karl A. Gschneidner Jr., a senior metallurgist at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, told members of the Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Yet, the great majority of rare earth mining and production currently takes place in China. |
| Unprecedented AIUM training guidelines speak to future of musculoskeletal ultrasound Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT |
The AIUM is pleased to announce that four professional societies have collaborated with AIUM to endorse the recent AIUM Training Guidelines for the Performance of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Examinations. The guidelines allow for a several practitioners, including physicians, osteopathic physicians, podiatrists and sonographers, to perform musculoskeletal ultrasound examinations, marking significant promise for the future of this growing field. |
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