News 5 november 2009
2 genes cooperate to cause
aggressive leukemia
Two genes, each one of which is known to cause cancer on its own, together can lead to
aggressive leukaemia. This is the conclusion from new research carried out on
gene-modified mice at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The
discovery has surprised scientists, and may lead to new treatments. The two genes are
often present in mutated form in acute leukaemias, but the mutations rarely occur
together. Scientists have previously believed that the two mutated genes have exactly the
same function: each one alone will lead to increased activity of a carcinogenic protein
known as "RAS". This protein, in turn, causes blood cells to proliferate more
rapidly. "This is a surprising discovery that suggests that there is a mechanism
behind the development of cancer that has not yet been recognised. It opens the way for
new methods of fighting blood cancer cells with NF1 mutations", says Associate
professor Martin Bergö, who leads the research at the Wallenberg Laboratory at the
Sahlgrenska Academy.
Link
A 'spoonful of sugar' makes the
worms' life span go down
If worms are any indication, all the sugar in your diet could spell much more than obesity
and type 2 diabetes. Researchers reporting in the November issue of Cell Metabolism, a
Cell Press publication, say it might also be taking years off your life. By adding just a
small amount of glucose to C. elegans usual fare of straight bacteria, they found the
worms lose about 20 percent of their usual life span. They trace the effect to insulin
signals, which can block other life-extending molecular players. Although the findings are
in worms, Cynthia Kenyon of the University of California, San Francisco, says there are
known to be many similarities between worms and people in the insulin signaling pathways.
(As an aside, Kenyon says she read up on low-carb diets and changed her eating habits
immediately – cutting out essentially all starches and desserts -- after making the
initial discovery in worms. The discovery was made several years ago, but had not been
reported in a peer-reviewed journal until now.) "In the early 90s, we discovered
mutations that could double the normal life span of worms," Kenyon said. Those
mutations effected insulin signals. Specifically, a mutation in a gene known as daf-2
slowed aging and doubled life span. That longer life depended on another "FOXO
transcription factor" called DAF-16 and the heat shock factor HSF-1. Now, the
researchers show that those same players are also involved in numbering the days of worms
who are fed on glucose. In fact, glucose makes no difference to the life span of worms
that lack DAF-16 or HSF-1, they show. Glucose also completely prevents the life-extending
benefits that would otherwise come with mutations in the daf-2 gene.
Link
AAP supports the IDF guideline on
oral health for people with diabetes
New clinical guidelines released by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) emphasize
the importance of periodontal health for people with diabetes. Diabetes affects
approximately 246 million people worldwide, and this number is only expected to increase.
The IDF is an organization of 200 national diabetes associations from 160 countries. The
new IDF oral health clinical guideline supports what research has already suggested: that
management of periodontal disease - which affects the gums and other supporting tissues
around the teeth - can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes; and can also help
people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels. Studies have suggested there is a
two-way relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease, and the IDF guideline
outlines helpful guidance for health professionals who treat people living with and at
risk for diabetes. The IDF guideline contains clinical recommendations on periodontal
care, written in collaboration with the World Dental Federation (FDI), that encourage
health professionals to conduct annual inquiries for symptoms of periodontal disease such
as swollen or red gums, or bleeding during tooth brushing; and to educate their patients
with diabetes about the implications of the condition on oral health, and especially
periodontal health.
Link
Aiming to avoid damage to
neurocognitive areas of the brain during cranial radiation
Radiation oncologists at Rush University Medical Center are intent on finding ways to
avoid damage to the critically important hippocampus and limbic circuit of the brain when
cranial radiation is required to treat existing or potential metastatic cancers. The goal
is to spare these areas, which are responsible for short-term memory, as well as emotions,
motivation, and a range of executive functions, such as planning and decision-making.
Cranial radiation is used to destroy tumors that have spread to the brain, which happens
in 20 to 25 percent of all cancer patients. It is also used prophylactically to prevent
the development of overt intracranial metastases in patients diagnosed with small-cell
lung carcinoma. But there is a downside to the treatment. Because the hippocampus and the
limbic area are irradiated along with the rest of the brain, the treatment often causes
memory lapses, difficulty with executive planning, and poor fine motor control. The
consequences can be devastating for patients, whose quality of life is deeply affected. In
a review of records for 107 patients with 700 lesions, the team of radiation oncologists
at Rush found that metastases had occurred in the hippocampus in only 0.8 percent of the
cases, and in the limbic circuit in fewer than 3 percent of cases. That finding emboldened
them to determine whether it might be possible to deliver cranial radiation to the brain,
but not to these particular areas – eliminating metastases or potential metastases
with radiation but sparing the hippocampus and the limbic areas, where metastases were
unlikely to occur.
Link
Aiming to Avoid Damage to
Neurocognitive Areas of the Brain During Cranial Radiation
Radiation oncologists at Rush University Medical Center are intent on finding ways to
avoid damage to the critically important hippocampus and limbic circuit of the brain when
cranial radiation is required to treat existing or potential metastatic cancers. The goal
is to spare these areas, which are responsible for short-term memory, as well as emotions,
motivation, and a range of executive functions, such as planning and decision-making.
Cranial radiation is used to destroy tumors that have spread to the brain, which happens
in 20 to 25 percent of all cancer patients. It is also used prophylactically to prevent
the development of overt intracranial metastases in patients diagnosed with small-cell
lung carcinoma.
Link
America's Most Toxic Cities
Poor air quality, lack of clean water and a high rate of superfund sites make these metros
most contaminated.
Link
American Dietetic Association
Releases Updated Position Paper Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding
The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on breastfeeding
that details health benefits for both infants and mothers and encourages promotion of
breastfeeding whenever possible. ADA's position paper, published in the November issue of
the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, represents the Association's official
stance on breastfeeding - It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that
exclusive breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and health protection for the first 6
months of life and breastfeeding with complementary foods from 6 months until at least 12
months of age is the ideal feeding pattern for infants. Breastfeeding is an important
public health strategy for improving infant and child morbidity and mortality and
improving maternal morbidity and helping to control health care costs.
Link
As new evidence links mobile phones
to a greater risk of tumours, could using one cost your child their life?
Mobile phones, just how did we live without them? At about 80 million, there are now more
mobiles than people in the UK.
Link
Autism Spikes, Toxins Suspected
As the national focus on the H1N1 pandemic rages, additional evidence of a more insidious
epidemic has emerged, with an all-too-expected shrug from the mainstream media.
Link
Blood vessels might predict
prostate cancer behavior
A diagnosis of prostate cancer raises the question for patients and their physicians as to
how the tumor will behave. Will it grow quickly and aggressively and require continuous
treatment, or slowly, allowing therapy and its risks to be safely delayed? The answer may
lie in the size and shape of the blood vessels that are visible within the cancer,
according to research led by investigators at The Ohio State University Comprehensive
Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in
collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health. The study of 572 men with
localized prostate cancer indicates that aggressive or lethal prostate cancers tend to
have blood vessels that are small, irregular and primitive in cross-section, while
slow-growing or indolent tumors have blood vessels that look more normal. The findings
were published Oct. 26 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Link
Charcoal may help heart of kidney
patients
Charcoal may provide a new approach to managing the high rate of heart disease in patients
with advanced kidney disease, U.S. researchers said.
Link
Children who often drink full-fat
milk weigh less
Eight-year-old children who drink full-fat milk every day have a lower BMI than those who
seldom drink milk. This is not the case for children who often drink medium-fat or low-fat
milk. This is one conclusion of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy. The study
showed that children who drink full-fat milk every day weigh on average just over 4 kg
less. "This is an interesting observation, but we don't know why it is so. It may be
the case that children who drink full-fat milk tend also to eat other things that affect
their weight. Another possible explanation is that children who do not drink full-fat milk
drink more soft drinks instead", says dietician Susanne Eriksson, author of the
thesis.
Link
Cholesterol and cancer
A pair of studies in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, lay to rest the
decades-long concern that lower total cholesterol may lead to cancer, and in fact lower
cholesterol may reduce the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. Demetrius Albanes, M.D., a
senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, said early studies suggested that
low cholesterol could increase the risk of certain types of cancer. "Our study
affirms that lower total cholesterol may be caused by undiagnosed cancer. In terms of
public health message, we found that higher levels of 'good cholesterol' (HDL) seem to be
protective for all cancers, which is in line with recommendations for cardiovascular
health," said Albanes. The researchers observed 29,093 men from the Alpha-Tocopheral,
Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study cohort for 18 years, making it the largest and
longest study of its kind. In that follow-up period, they noted 7,545 cancer cases. Low
total cholesterol blood levels were associated with an 18 percent higher risk of cancer
overall, similar to the increases seen in previous studies, but this risk disappeared when
the researchers excluded cases that occurred in the early years after the original blood
draw.
Link
Colon cancer screening more
effective earlier in day, UCLA study finds
The effectiveness of a screening colonoscopy may depend on the time of day it is
performed. According to a new UCLA study, early-morning colonoscopies yielded more polyps
per patient than later screenings, and fewer polyps were found hour by hour as the day
progressed. The findings, published in the November issue of the journal Clinical
Gastroenterology and Hepatology, point to the need for more research in this area to
possibly improve outcomes for colonoscopy procedures. While the current study was done at
a single institution, the clinical setup is much the same in other practice settings, the
researchers said. "Our research was conducted at an academic-affiliated facility that
far exceeds published quality benchmarks for colonoscopy outcomes," said study author
Dr. Brennan M.R. Spiegel, director of the UCLA/Veterans Affairs Center for Outcomes
Research and Education. "So, if this is occurring at such a high-performing academic
center, it is probably happening at other facilities across the country." Spiegel
noted that although this is a new area of research, other studies have reached similar
conclusions, including recent research from the Cleveland Clinic published in the July
issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Link
Common Pain Relievers May Dilute
Power of Flu Shots
With flu vaccination season in full swing, research from the University of Rochester
Medical Center cautions that use of many common pain killers – Advil, Tylenol,
aspirin – at the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a
negative effect on the immune system. Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D., professor of Environmental
Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and of Pediatrics, has been studying this issue for
years and recently presented his latest findings to an international conference on
inflammatory diseases.
Link
Consumer group finds elevated BPA
levels in range of foods
Some of the products were labeled 'BPA free.' Finding boosts the case for banning the
chemical additive in materials that come in contact with food and beverages.
Link
Diet drinks 'could harm the
kidneys'
Research on 3,000 women found that two or more artificially sweetened drinks a day doubled
the risk of a faster-than-average decline in kidney function.
Link
Dogs Recruited To Fight War On
Allergies
For people with severe food allergies even the slightest exposure can mean a trip to the
hospital.
Link
Estrogen and stroke risk
Eighteen years ago this month the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it
would sponsor a landmark study to examine women and cardiovascular disease. Known as the
Women's Health Initiative (WHI), the study enrolled more than 161,000 women. By 2004
however, the government had ended two arms of the study involving estrogen after
researchers found it posed a small but detrimental risk for stroke to postmenopausal women
taking the hormone. The findings caught many members of the scientific community by
surprise as estrogen had previously been shown to protect the brain from stroke in animal
models. Stroke, also known as a brain attack, is America's third leading cause of death.
It typically occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, usually due to a clogged
artery. When a stroke occurs, brain damage can result, especially in the area known as the
hippocampus, thought to be the site for memory, memory loss, and learning. Despite the
possible link between estrogen and stroke many women continue to take the hormone to
manage their menopausal symptoms.
Link
Experimental agent reduces breast
cancer metastasis to bone
Researchers have reduced breast cancer metastasis to bone using an experimental agent to
inhibit ROCK, a protein that was found to be over-expressed in metastatic breast cancer.
In a study in mice, the team of researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine, the
Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts, and Tufts Medical Center report
that inhibiting ROCK, or Rho-associated kinase, in the earliest stages of breast cancer
decreased metastatic tumor mass in bone by 77 percent and overall frequency of metastasis
by 36 percent. The results suggest that ROCK may be a target for new drug therapies to
reduce breast cancer metastasis. "While the primary tumor causes significant illness
and requires treatment, metastasis accounts for over 90 percent of breast cancer-related
deaths. There are no treatments to eradicate metastasis. Establishing ROCK's role in the
spread of breast cancer and identifying agents to inhibit ROCK brings us one step closer
to an approach that might reduce metastasis in the future," said senior author
Michael Rosenblatt, MD, professor of physiology and medicine at Tufts University School of
Medicine and member of the cellular and molecular physiology program faculty at the
Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts. Rosenblatt is also dean of Tufts
University School of Medicine. "We also found that using shRNA – short hairpin
RNA – to knock down ROCK expression slowed metastasis. In order for cancer cells to
migrate, an extensive transportation apparatus is required. ROCK directs the formation of
this apparatus, but use of the ROCK inhibitor as well as shRNA rendered the cells'
transportation mechanism ineffective, significantly reducing breast cancer metastasis to
bone," said first author Sijin Liu, PhD, research instructor and member of the
Rosenblatt Laboratory at Tufts. "This study also revealed that a specific microRNA
cluster, 17 through 92, is associated with ROCK expression and breast cancer metastasis.
The microRNA cluster responded to ROCK inhibition, which provides insight into the
mechanism driving metastasis and is a finding that will be of particular interest to
researchers focused on the role of microRNAs in gene expression," continued Liu.
Link
First impressions count when making
personality judgments, new research shows
First impressions do matter when it comes to communicating personality through appearance,
according to new research by psychologists Laura Naumann of Sonoma State University and
Sam Gosling of The University of Texas at Austin. Despite the crucial role of physical
appearance in creating first impressions, until now little research has examined the
accuracy of personality impressions based on appearance alone. These findings will be
published in the December 2009 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
co-written with Simine Vazire (Washington University in St. Louis) and Peter J. Rentfrow
(University of Cambridge). "In an age dominated by social media where personal
photographs are ubiquitous, it becomes important to understand the ways personality is
communicated via our appearance," says Naumann. "The appearance one portrays in
his or her photographs has important implications for their professional and social
life." In the study, observers viewed full-body photographs of 123 people they had
never met before. The targets were viewed either in a controlled pose with a neutral
facial expression or in a naturally expressed pose. The accuracy of the judgments was
gauged by comparing them to the aggregate of self-ratings and that of three informants who
knew the targets well, a criterion now widely regarded as the gold standard in personality
research. Even when viewing the targets in the controlled pose, the observers could
accurately judge some major personality traits, including extraversion and self-esteem.
But most traits were hard to detect under these conditions. When observers saw naturally
expressive behavior (such as a smiling expression or energetic stance), their judgments
were accurate for nine of the 10 personality traits. The 10 traits were extraversion,
agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness, likability, self-esteem,
loneliness, religiosity and political orientation.
Link
Food Industry Dictates Nutrition
Policy
It is amazing that CNN is covering this topic. It is clearly a signal that the industrial
farming system has gotten completely out of hand and dangerous when mainstream media
outlets like CNN and the Washington Post are suddenly hiring young, attractive food
writers to tell us to cut back on our meat consumption.
Link
For African violets, 'hands off'
means healthier
African violets have a mixed reputation. Their delicate, colorful flowers and furry, soft
leaves make them a favorite among home gardeners and growers. But the striking plants are
often regarded as temperamental: a precise recipe of light, moisture, warm temperatures,
high humidity, and fertilizer is required to encourage african violets to grow and flower.
A recently published study by scientists Julia C. Brotton and Janet C. Cole from the
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University (in a
recent issue of HortTechnology) could provide african violet enthusiasts with important
care information about the finicky flower. Because of their brightly colored flowers and
hairy leaves, people are attracted to african violets and often want to touch the leaves
and flowers. But how does all this attention affect the plants? The research team set out
to determine the effect of "brushing" african violet leaves on plant growth and
quality. Cole explained, "Because (african violet) growers work in conditions that
can contribute to the development of dry, irritated skin, many growers use body lotions to
help soothe and moisturize their dry skin. Many consumers also use these products. Our
study researched whether touching or "brushing" african violet leaves causes
damage, particularly when body lotion or other skin care products have been applied to
hands before touching the plants."
Link
Gene therapy repairs injured human
donor lungs for the first time
For the first time, scientists in the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University
Health Network have successfully used gene therapy to repair injured human donor lungs,
making them potentially suitable for transplantation into patients. This technique could
significantly expand the number of donor lungs by using organs that are currently
discarded, and improve outcomes after transplantation.In their pioneering work, a team of
researchers led by Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, Senior Scientist at the McEwen Centre for
Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network and Director of the Lung Transplant
Program, University Health Network developed a technique of ex vivo gene delivery to donor
lungs, before they are implanted into a recipient’s body. The technique was shown to
be simple and effective in improving lung function.
Link
High fiber intake may interfere
with ovulation
Women who get the recommended amount of fiber in their diets may have lower estrogen
levels and ovulate less often than women who eat less fiber, a new study suggests.
Link
How saturated fatty acids 'anger'
the immune system
Researchers have new evidence to explain how saturated fatty acids, which soar in those
who are obese, can lead the immune system to respond in ways that add up to chronic,
low-grade inflammation. The new results could lead to treatments designed to curb that
inflammatory state, and the insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes that come with it. One
key, according to the report in the November Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, is
an immune receptor (called Toll-like receptor 4 or Tlr4) at the surface of blood cells,
including a particularly "angry" class of macrophages known to pump out toxic
molecules and spur inflammation. It now appears that fatty acids may in essence
"hijack" those immune cells via Tlr4. "Tlr4 is out there to sense bacterial
products, but one of those looks a lot like fatty acids," said the study's senior
author Jerrold Olefsky of the University of California, San Diego. "They don't know
it's not bacteria." That bacterial product is something called lipopolysaccharide
(LPS) found in bacterial membranes. Olefsky notes, however, that they have not yet fully
demonstrated that fatty acids bind Tlr4 directly. Scientists had suspected that Tlrs might
be the "sensors" linking obesity to inflammation. Indeed, earlier studies had
supported that notion. In the new study, the researchers show that this interaction is
particularly important in the bloodstream. Mice lacking Tlr4 only in blood cells grew
obese when they were fed a high-fat diet, but they were largely spared the metabolic
consequences of their obesity. The mice were fat, but metabolically they continued to
"look pretty normal," Olefsky said.
Link
Hydrogen Peroxide’s Link to
Living Cells
If a circadian rhythm is like an orchestra - the united expression of the rhythms of
millions of cells - a common chemical may serve as the conductor, or at least as the
baton. The chemical is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the active ingredient in color safe
bleach. Produced in all animal cells, hydrogen peroxide may act as a signal for the active
and resting phases of living things, new research by USC biologists suggests. A study
published in the journal PLoS ONE shows that hydrogen peroxide given to fruit flies has
dramatic effects on their daily rhythms and activity levels. “H2O2 might be
functioning as a systemic signal by which rhythms are regulated within cells and between
cells,” said lead author John Tower, associate professor in molecular and
computational biology at USC College.
Link
Is Big Pharma Choosing Patients
over Patents?
When pipelines have weakened, companies have developed new formulations or delivery
methods to extend patent protection for their established drugs.
Link
Java and nighttime jobs don't mix
Night-shift workers should avoid drinking coffee if they wish to improve their sleep,
according to research published in the journal Sleep Medicine. A new study led by Julie
Carrier, a Université de Montréal psychology professor and a researcher at the
affiliated Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur Sleep Disorders Centre, has found the main
byproduct of coffee, caffeine, interferes with sleep and this side-effect worsens as
people age. "Caffeine is the most widely used stimulant to counteract sleepiness, yet
it has detrimental effects on the sleep of night-shift workers who must slumber during the
day, just as their biological clock sends a strong wake-up signal," says Carrier.
"The older you get, the more affected your sleep will be by coffee. "
Twenty-four men and women participated in the study: one group was aged 20 to 30, while a
second group was aged 45 to 60. Everyone spent two sleepless nights in lab rooms before
being allowed to sleep. "We all know someone who claims to sleep like a baby after
drinking an espresso. Although they may not notice it, their sleep will not be as deep and
will likely be more perturbed," says Professor Carrier. Both participant groups had
to take a pill three hours before sleeping; either 200 milligrams of caffeine or a
lactose-based placebo. All subjects who consumed caffeine pills had their sleep affected,
especially older participants who slept 50 percent less than usual. In both age groups,
caffeine decreased sleep efficiency, sleep duration, slow-wave sleep (SWS) and REM sleep.
Link
Joseph Moshe (MOSSAD
Microbiologist) - “Swine flu vaccine is bioweapon”
Professor Moshe had called into a live radio show by Dr. A. True Ott, broadcast on
Republic Broadcasting claiming to be a microbiologist who wanted to supply evidence to a
States Attorney regarding tainted H1N1 Swine flu vaccines being produced by Baxter
BioPharma Solutions.
Link
Lack of GMO information for
processed syrup
Are consumers ready for this? Japan imports and makes corn syrup (HFCS) which could be
genetically modified.
Link
Link between childhood obesity,
hormone leptin investigated
In new cutting-edge research, scientists are looking into a possible link between
childhood obesity and the amount of an important hormone that babies have at birth.
Link
Low cholesterol may shrink risk for
high-grade prostate cancer
Men with lower cholesterol are less likely than those with higher levels to develop
high-grade prostate cancer - an aggressive form of the disease with a poorer prognosis,
according to results of a Johns Hopkins collaborative study. In a prospective study of
more than 5,000 U.S. men, epidemiologists say they now have evidence that having lower
levels of heart-clogging fat may cut a man's risk of this form of cancer by nearly 60
percent. "For many reasons, we know that it's good to have a cholesterol level within
the normal range," says Elizabeth Platz, Sc.D., M.P.H., associate professor at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-director of the cancer prevention
and control program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. "Now, we have more
evidence that among the benefits of low cholesterol may be a lower risk for potentially
deadly prostate cancers." Normal range is defined as less than 200 mg/dL (milligrams
per deciliter of blood) of total cholesterol.
Link
Mapping nutrient distributions over
the Atlantic Ocean
Large-scale distributions of two important nutrient pools – dissolved organic
nitrogen and dissolved organic phosphorus (DON and DOP) have been systematically mapped
for the first time over the Atlantic Ocean in a study led by Dr Sinhue Torres-Valdes of
the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. The findings have important implications
for understanding nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles and the biological carbon
pump in the Atlantic Ocean. Tiny marine plants called phytoplankton living in the sunlit
surface waters of the oceans produce organic matter through the process of photosynthesis,
thereby drawing carbon dioxide down from the atmosphere. Much of this organic matter is
recycled, but some of it – the so-called export production – sinks as 'marine
snow' to the deep ocean. This is also known as the biological carbon pump, and it helps to
significantly reduce the CO2 released by the burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal),
that would otherwise accumulate in the atmosphere. In addition to light, phytoplankton
growth requires nutrients for growth. However, inorganic nutrients are in short supply in
vast areas of the oceans known as oligotrophic regions or oligotrophic oceans. This means
that phytoplankton must get the nutrients from somewhere else and therefore
"understanding the sources and distribution of nutrients is of major interest to
oceanographers," says Torres-Valdes. The new study involved scientists based at the
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the University of Liverpool. The scientists
studied the distributions of dissolved organic nutrients during eight research cruises in
the Atlantic between spring 2000 and autumn 2005. Six of these cruises sampled north-south
transects between 50 degrees N and 50 degrees S, while the other two sampled east-west
transects at 24 and 36 degrees N. In this way, they were able systematically to cover
large tracts of the Atlantic Ocean.
Link
Mobile microscopes illuminate the
brain
The majority of our life is spent moving around a static world and we generate our
impression of the world using visual and other senses simultaneously. It is the ability to
freely explore our environment that is essential for the view we form of our local
surroundings. When we walk down the street and enter a shop to buy fruit, the street, shop
and fruit are not moving, we are. What our brain is probably doing is constantly updating
our position based on the information received from our sensory inputs such as eyes, ears,
skin as well as our motor and vestibular systems, all in real time. The problem for
researchers trying to understand how this occurs has always been how to record meaningful
signals from the brain cells that do the calculations while we are in motion. To get
around this problem researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in
Tübingen have developed a way of actually watching the activity of many brain cells
simultaneously in an animal that is free to move around the environment. By developing a
small, light-weight laser-scanning microscope, researchers were able to, for the first
time, image activity from fluorescent neurons in animals that were awake and moving
around, while tracking the exact position of the animal in space. The microscope uses a
high-powered pulsing laser and fiber optics to scan cells below the surface of the brain,
eliminating the need to insert electrodes, which are traditionally used. Because of this,
the microscope is non-invasive to the brain tissue.
Link
Multivitamins may help cut allergy
risk
Health supplements do not prevent allergic illnesses in eight-year old children, a new
study in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found.
Link
New methods found useful for
diagnosing myocarditis
Myocarditis is an important, and often unrecognized cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Several new diagnostic methods, such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are
useful for diagnosing myocarditis, according to a study published in the November 2009
issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. "The use of MRI is particularly significant in the
diagnosis of patients with myocarditis because it is a standard, noninvasive method,"
says Leslie Cooper Jr., M.D., Mayo Clinic Division of Cardiovascular Diseases.
Endomyocardial biopsy may be used for patients with acute dilated cardiomyopathy
associated with hemodynamic compromise, those with life-threatening arrhythmia, and those
whose condition does not respond to conventional supportive therapy. "Recent
improvements in staining methods of biopsy samples have made it easier to read the slides
because the stain is more sensitive than previous methods," says Dr. Cooper.
Link
New Mount Sinai research finds 9/11
responders twice as likely to have asthma
First responders who were exposed to caustic dust and toxic pollutants following the 2001
World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate
of the general U.S. population, according to data presented today by Mount Sinai School of
Medicine researchers at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of
the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), in San Diego. As many as eight percent of
the workers and volunteers who engaged in rescue and recovery, essential service
restoration, and clean-up efforts in the wake of 9/11 reported experiencing post-9/11
asthma attacks or episodes. Asthma is typically seen in only four percent of the
population. "Although previous WTC studies have shown significant respiratory
problems, this is the first study to directly quantify the magnitude of asthma among WTC
responders," said Hyun Kim, ScD, Instructor of Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai
School of Medicine (MSSM) and lead author of the analysis. "Eight years after 9/11
the WTC Program is still observing responders affected by asthma episodes and attacks at
rates more than twice that of people not exposed to WTC dust." Researchers examined
the medical records of 20,843 WTC responders who received medical screenings from July
2002 to December 2007 as part of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine-coordinated WTC
Program. Results were compared with the U.S. National Health Survey Interviews adult
sample data for the years 2000 and 2002 to 2007. In the general population, the prevalence
of asthma episodes and/or attacks in the previous 12 months remained relatively constant
at slightly less than four percent from 2000 to 2007. In contrast, among WTC responders,
while fewer than one percent reported asthma episodes occurring during the year 2000,
eight percent reported asthma episodes in the years 2005 to 2007. In an age-adjusted
ratio, WTC responders were 2.3 times more likely to report asthma episodes/attacks that
had occurred during the previous 12 months when compared to the general population of the
United States.
Link
Obesity significantly cuts odds of
successful pregnancy
Obese women are as much as 28 percent less likely to become pregnant and have a successful
pregnancy, according to research that earned a Michigan State University professor a
national award. The findings by Barbara Luke, a researcher in the MSU College of Human
Medicine's Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, focused on data
of nearly 50,000 women using assisted reproductive technology. Luke's findings, which also
can be applied to women not using assisted technology, showed women who are simply
overweight have a 14 percent less chance of a successful pregnancy. "The results are
not surprising; obesity is a state of inflammation and is not a good environment for
conception or fetal development," Luke said. "The key message is to lose weight,
prior to conception, and focus on pre-conception health issues.
Link
People with egg allergy face
vaccine dilemma
An H1N1 vaccine available in Britain for people suffering from severe egg allergies will
not be used in Canada because it has not received regulatory approval.
Link
PMH finding may help some tonsil
cancer patients avoid chemotherapy
Clinical researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) have confirmed that patients with
oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer ("tonsil cancer") harbour a common type of
human papilloma virus (HPV16), but also that such cancers are very sensitive to radiation.
For some patients, this may mean successful treatment with radiation alone and avoiding
the side effects of chemotherapy. "This represents the power of personalized
medicine. By using a relatively simple molecular test to evaluate the tumour, we can
customize the treatment plan, produce an excellent outcome, and maintain the patient's
quality of life," says principal investigator Dr. Fei-Fei Liu, PMH radiation
oncologist, Head of the Division of Applied Molecular Oncology, Ontario Cancer Institute,
and Dr. Mariano Elia Chair in Head & Neck Cancer Research, University Health Network.
Link
Radiation therapy technique
successfully treats pain in patients with advanced cancer
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a radiation therapy procedure pioneered at the University
of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) that precisely delivers a large dose of radiation to
tumors, effectively controls pain in patients with cancer that has spread to the spine,
according to researchers from UPCI. The results of the research will be presented this
week during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Chicago.
The study, led by Dwight E. Heron, M.D., associate professor and vice-chairman of the
Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
compared the effectiveness of single and multi-session treatments of SRS in controlling
patients' pain. According to Dr. Heron, cancers can frequently spread to the bone and the
spine is the site most commonly involved, which can be extremely painful.
"Conventional radiation therapy is not always effective in alleviating bone pain
resulting from spread of cancer to the spine. In patients who have previously received
radiation, few options for effective treatment exist," Dr. Heron said. The study
reviewed the outcomes of 228 patients treated with SRS at UPCI and Georgetown University
Medical Center (GUMC). Patients at UPCI received a single treatment of SRS while patients
at GUMC generally received three treatment sessions.
Link
Senate Bill Would Give President
Obama Authority to Pull the Plug on Your Internet
If the ‘Internet Takeover Bill’ passes, Barack Obama can silence his dissenters
directly -- by ordering a shutdown of all Americans’ access to the Internet. But
that’s not all. Even outside of periods of White House-declared
‘emergency,’ this bill mandates that private-sector networks only be managed by
government-licensed cybersecurity professionals.
Link
Sizing up palm oil
Palm oil is in everything from fuel to cosmetics. Is it a solution or a problem?
Link
Smoking while pregnant linked to
behavioural problems in children
Developing structure and function of the foetal brain at risk, research suggests.
Link
Soy Foods - Eating too much of a
good thing might be bad, scientists say
Americans consume over $4 billion of soy foods each year because of their many health
benefits. But new studies suggest that eating large amounts of soy's estrogen-mimicking
compounds might reduce fertility in women, trigger early puberty and disrupt development
of fetuses and children. 'We know that too much genistein is not a good thing for a
developing mouse; it may not be a good thing for a developing child,' said Retha Newbold
of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Link
Statins may worsen symptoms in some
cardiac patients
Although statins are widely used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other
cardiovascular disorders, new research shows that the class of drugs may actually have
negative effects on some cardiac patients. A new study presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th
annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians
(ACCP), found that statins have beneficial effects on patients with systolic heart failure
(SHF), but those with diastolic heart failure (DHF) experienced the opposite effect,
including increased dyspnea, fatigue, and decreased exercise tolerance. "Systolic
heart failure is most often due to coronary artery disease and appears to have more of an
inflammatory component than diastolic heart failure," said Lawrence P. Cahalin, PhD,
PT, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. "It is possible that statins would help
patients with systolic heart failure more than patients with diastolic heart failure due
to the cholesterol-lowering and antiinflammatory effects of statins." Researchers
from Northeastern University and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA,
retrospectively reviewed the charts of 136 patients with heart failure in order to examine
the effect of statins on pulmonary function (PF) and exercise tolerance (ET) in patients
with DHF vs. SHF. A non-statin group (82 percent of patients had DHF) of 75 patients was
compared with a statin group (72 percent of patients had DHF) of 61 patients. Atorvastatin
was prescribed in 75 percent of the patients on statins. Results of the analysis showed
that overall PF and ET of patients in the statin group were significantly lower than
patients in the non-statin group. Further subgroup analyses revealed that PF measures in
the DHF statin group were 12 percent lower than PF measures in the DHF non-statin group.
Furthermore, the amount of exercise performed by patients with DHF who were on a statin
was almost 50 percent less than patients with DHF not on a statin.
Link
Sustainably grown garlic
Consumer interest in new and diverse types of garlic is on the rise. Fueled by factors
including the growth of the "local foods" movement, interest in world cuisines,
and widespread reports touting its numerous health benefits, demand for high-quality,
locally grown garlic is increasing throughout the U.S. While most grocery stores in carry
the familiar white, "softneck" garlic (which is most often imported), varieties
of "hardneck" garlic in colorful hues of purple, magenta, pink, and white are
becoming more available at local vegetable stands and through direct-marketing programs.
The results of a recent study of 10 garlic cultivars can help farmers identify niche
regional markets and offer new, in-demand garlic varieties to consumers. Hundreds of
garlic (Allium sativum L.) cultivars are available from seed companies, retailers, and
germplasm collections. Increasingly, growers purchase bulbs from nonlocal sources and are
often disappointed by unpredictable yields. Garlic bulbs resulting from seed stock
purchased in other regions may not display the characteristics—such as bulb size,
shape, and color—featured in the catalogs.
Link
The City of Too Much Medicine Makes
News Again
McAllen, Texas, famous for overspending on health care, is now the allergy capital of
America. But is it due to illness or inefficiency?
Link
Vaccination - An Analysis of the
Health Risks
For more than a hundred years, two basic assumptions have been put forth by public health
officials. One is that vaccines are safe. The second is that vaccines are effective for
the conditions for which they're given. The public and our legislators have, by and large,
accepted these assumptions as true, and as a result it is now compulsory in many states
that children have as many as 33 separate inoculations before entering school. Some of
these are given as early as the first few weeks of life.
Link
Want to quit? Don't go to light
smokes, study finds
Smokers who switch to a low-tar, light or mild brand of cigarette will not find it easier
to quit and in fact may find it harder, researchers reported on Tuesday.
Link
Weight Training Boosts Breast
Cancer Survivors’ Body Image and Satisfaction with Intimate Relationships, Penn Study
Shows
In addition to building muscle, weightlifting is also a prescription for self-esteem among
breast cancer survivors, according to new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
research. Breast cancer survivors who lift weights regularly feel better about bodies and
their appearance and are more satisfied with their intimate relationships compared with
survivors who do not lift weights, according to a new study published in the journal
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. Survivors’ self-perceptions improved with
weight lifting regardless of how much strength they gained during the year-long study, or
whether they suffered from lymphedema, an incurable and sometimes debilitating side effect
of breast surgery. “It looks like weight training is not only safe and may make
lymphedema flare ups less frequent, but it also seems help women feel better about their
bodies,” says senior author Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of
Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a member of Penn's Abramson Cancer Center. “The
results suggest that the act of spending time with your body was the thing that was
important –– not the physical results of strength.”
Link
What Soft Drinks are Doing to Your
Body
Soda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages
that you could be drinking for your health.
Link
Why Do Pharmas Call Themselves
Biotechs?
There's a particularly annoying trend in the drug business whereby companies that aren't
in the biological manufacturing business refer to themselves as Biotechs.
Link
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