News 6 november 2009
A Breathing Technique Offers Help
for People With Asthma
Dr. Buteyko concluded that hyperventilation — breathing too fast and too deeply
— could be the underlying cause of asthma, making it worse by lowering the level of
carbon dioxide in the blood so much that the airways constrict to conserve it.
Link
A Test for Brain Injury Creates Its
Own Risks in Children
A new study shows that many receive unnecessary radiation because of the overuse of CT
scans after head injuries.
Link
A third of Americans die in
hospitals, study finds
Nearly a third of Americans who die are in the hospital at the time and their last
treatments cost the U.S. economy $20 billion, according to a report released on Wednesday.
Link
Almost half of Americans reject
swine flu vaccine
Just 52 percent of Americans say they're likely to get the vaccine: 33 percent who say
they're very likely to get it and 19 percent who say they're somewhat likely.
Link
Birds lose color vision in twilight
Research at the Lund University Vision Group can now show that the color vision of birds
stops working considerably earlier in the course of the day than was previously believed,
in fact, in the twilight. Birds need between 5 and 20 times as much light as humans to see
colors. It has long been known that birds have highly developed color vision that vastly
surpasses that of humans. Birds see both more colors and ultraviolet light. However, it
was not known what amount of light is necessary for birds to see colors, which has limited
the validity of all research on this color vision to bright sunlight only. “Using
behavioral experiments we can now demonstrate that birds lose their color vision in the
twilight and show just how much light is needed for birds to be able to interpret color
signals,” says Olle Lind, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Cell and Organism
Biology.
Link
Bishops ask banana growers to stop
aerial spraying
Four members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have
challenged the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) to exercise
corporate responsibility by stopping the aerial spraying of chemicals in banana
plantations in Mindanao.
Link
Chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer
linked to new virus
A newly identified virus has been found to be linked to chronic fatigue syndrome and might
also provide clues about how to prevent prostate cancer, according to a report this month
in the journal Science. Called XMRV, the virus is transmitted in blood and body fluids and
might be a significant public health threat.
Link
Clean algae biofuel project leads
world in productivity
Australian scientists are achieving the world's best production rates of oil from algae
grown in open saline ponds, taking them a step closer to creating commercial quantities of
clean biofuel for the future. A joint $3.3 million project led by Murdoch University in
Perth, Western Australia, and involving the University of Adelaide in South Australia, now
leads world algae biofuel research after more than 12 months of consistent results at both
universities. "It was previously believed impossible to grow large quantities of
algae for biofuel in open ponds consistently and without contamination, but we've proven
it can be done," says Project Leader Professor Michael Borowitzka from Murdoch
University. The project has received $1.89 million funding from the Australian Government
as part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. "This is
the only biofuel project in Australia working simultaneously on all steps in the process
of microalgal biofuels production, from microalgae culture, harvesting of the algae and
extraction of oil suitable for biofuels production," Professor Borowitzka says.
Link
Cultural Beliefs About Pesticides
Put Mexican Farmworkers at Risk
Chemical pesticides are among the tools farmers often use in managing insects dedicated to
dining on our nation’s harvest. Pesticides, unfortunately, are not without risk to
those who labor in the fields and orchards, planting, tending and harvesting crops. This
risk increases for Mexican farmworkers, according to a study appearing online in a
supplemental issue of the American Journal of Public Health. “For one thing, Mexican
immigrant farmworkers’ knowledge of, and beliefs about, pesticides differ from
traditional occupational health definitions, such as those of the Environmental Protection
Agency,” said lead author Shedra Amy Snipes, Ph.D. The EPA, for example, defines
pesticides as any substance intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating
any pest. Yet Snipes says that immigrant farmworkers tell her that pesticides are
substances “that smell badly and are very strong.”
Link
Does Vitamin D Improve Brain
Function?
We also know vitamin D activates and deactivates enzymes in the brain and the
cerebrospinal fluid that are involved in neurotransmitter synthesis and nerve growth.
Link
Don't worry, be unhappy!
Want to think more clearly, be less gullible and make better decisions? Then wipe that
smile off your face, according to new research highlighted by Reuters.
Link
Elderly depression lessened when
relatives keep them informed on family matters
The elderly are less likely to feel depressed if their relatives keep them updated about
important family matters, a new study indicates. Researchers at the University of Michigan
and Kyungpook National University looked at how stress and depression affected elders over
age 85. Changes in positive life events—such as a new baby in the family, a personal
achievement by a relative, or improvement in a family member's health—were
significantly associated with changes in depression. "It is important to examine the
issues of stress and depression among elders over the age of 85 as they are the fastest
growing age group," said Ruth Dunkle, a U-M professor of social work.
"Understanding mental health issues among the very old, allows us to design services
targeted to help this specific age group."Elders aged 85 and older are more
vulnerable to stress and depression than any other age groups, as they lose relationships
with family and friends.
Link
Energy gap useful tool for
successful weight loss maintenance strategy
Americans continue to get heavier. Most weight control methods short of bariatric surgery
are generally considered ineffective in preventing obesity or reducing weight. The term
energy gap was coined to estimate the change in energy balance (intake and expenditure)
behaviors required to achieve and sustain reduced body weight outcomes in individuals and
populations. In a commentary published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the
American Dietetic Association, researchers more precisely clarify the concept of the
energy gap (or energy gaps) and discuss how the concept can be properly used as a tool to
help understand and address obesity. Investigators from the University of Colorado Denver
and the Procter & Gamble Company, Mason, OH, discuss the two key factors related to
the energy gap concept: prevention of excess weight gain and maintenance of achieved
weight loss. It is estimated that the energy gap for prevention of weight gain among those
who have lost weight is about 100 kcal/day in adults and 100-150 kcal/day in children and
adolescents. Any combination of increased energy expenditure and decreased energy intake
of 100 kcal per day in adults and 100-150 kcal/day for children and adolescents could
theoretically prevent weight regain in 90% of the US population. This suggests that this
small changes approach could be very effective for preventing excessive weight gain in
adults and children. The energy gap to maintain weight loss is generally much larger,
amounting to 200 kcal/day for a 100 kg person losing 10% of body weight or 300 kcal/day
for the same person losing 15% of body weight.
Link
Estrogen therapy likely must be
given soon after menopause to provide stroke protection
For estrogen replacement to provide stroke protection, it likely must be given soon after
levels drop because of menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, scientists report in
the Journal of Neuroscience. Animal studies indicate a "critical period" for
estrogen replacement and that when therapy is delayed, estrogen receptors on brain cells
are significantly diminished along with the neuroprotection estrogen typically conveys,
according to scientists from the Medical College of Georgia, North China Coal Medical
University and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. "We
looked at the controversy over whether estrogen is going to be beneficial after long
periods without it and found the answer appears to be 'no,'" says Dr. Darrell W.
Brann, chief of MCG's Developmental Neurobiology Program and the study's corresponding
author.
Link
European Union GM-Labeling Judged
insufficient
France is poised to become the latest in a growing trend of European countries to
introduce GMO-free labels for food in a bid to counter weaker EU standards and to
compensate for a loophole in European labelling laws [1]. Currently, EU labelling laws
mean meat, dairy and eggs from animals fed with genetically modified animal feed do not
have to be labelled.
Link
Fair Trade labels no solution for
poor farmers
Fair Trade labeling can work on a small scale, as a niche market. On the other hand, Fair
Trade labels are not the right way to change the situation for the great majority of poor
farmers. This is shown in the report What Does Fair Trade Labeling Achieve? from AgriFood
Economics Centre, Lund University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
(SLU). Fair Trade labeling is based on farmers receiving a guaranteed minimum price for
their production. The problem is that there are no resources to finance, on a large scale,
a minimum price that is higher than the world market price – the number of poor
farmers is simply too great in relation to the number of well-heeled consumers who can and
want to pay more for the food proucts.There are 880 million poor farmers in the rural
parts of developing countries, and 1.5 million of them are associated with Fair Trade.
This means that this labeling has no chance of truly combating poverty and improving the
living conditions of the great majority of farmers in developing countries.
Link
FDA aims to fight avoidable harm
from medicines
- U.S. health officials unveiled plans to fight avoidable injuries from medication errors
or misuse, a problem that harms hundreds of thousands of people each year and can be
deadly.
Link
Fish reveals secret of regeneration
A tiny fish has taken scientists a step closer to unlocking the secrets of body part
regeneration, a power possessed by some animals but not humans.
Link
Flu vaccine video uses humor to ask
a serious question
Why are we still using eggs to make flu vaccine?
Link
Genes may be important in back,
neck pain
A person's genetic makeup may play an important role in the odds of suffering neck or back
pain, new research suggests.
Link
Great white sharks 'hang out'
together
Great white sharks, previously thought to be solitary hunters scouring the seas for prey,
may also have a sociable side.
Link
Guzzling food makes you fat
Eating quickly makes you put on weight because your stomach does not have time to tell
your brain it is full, scientists find.
Link
Hormone that affects finger length
key to social behavior
The hormones, called androgens, are important in the development of masculine
characteristics such as aggression and strength. It is also thought that prenatal
androgens affect finger length during development in the womb. High levels of androgens,
such as testosterone, increase the length of the fourth finger in comparison to the second
finger. Scientists used finger ratios as an indicator of the levels of exposure to the
hormone and compared this data with social behaviour in primate groups. The team found
that Old World monkeys, such as baboons and rhesus macaques, have a longer fourth finger
in comparison to the second finger, which suggests that they have been exposed to high
levels of prenatal androgens. These species tend to be highly competitive and promiscuous,
which suggests that exposure to a lot of androgens before birth could be linked to the
expression of this behaviour. Other species, such as gibbons and many New World species,
have digit ratios that suggest low levels of prenatal androgen exposure. These species
were monogamous and less competitive than Old World monkeys.
Link
Humans, pets may pass MRSA to each
other
New studies have found that humans can pass MRSA -- methicillin-resistant staphylococcus
aureus -- along to animals, including their pets.
Link
Hybrid composite for root canal
treatment
Unrelenting toothache means a visit to the dentist is inevitable, and if the tooth decay
is really bad root canal treatment is often the only option. The dentist first removes the
nerve completely and then closes the ensuing canal with a filler. This must be airtight to
prevent bacteria from entering and causing renewed inflammation. On the other hand, the
material must also be removable. If the natural crown is severely damaged, the dentist
will anchor a root post in the previously filled canal using dental cement. The post
provides an anchor for the composite material used to rebuild the remaining part of the
tooth, the core, which serves as the base for the core build-up material and the
prosthetik treatment e.g. a crown. In root canal procedures, therefore, various materials
are combined, each fulfilling different requirements. The problem is that the materials
are not always compatible with each other or do not bond properly with the hard dental
tissue. As a result, the post may break, the core and the crown may not adhere to the post
properly, and the expensive crown may need replacing. Such faults are not rare and
generally occur in the single-digit percent range. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute
for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg working in collaboration with their research
partners at VOCO GmbH have now developed a material that can be used for all the
components used in root canal treatment. "The basis of this material is provided by
ORMOCER®s," explains Dr. Herbert Wolter, group manager at the ISC. "We have
combined these ORMOCER®s with various nano- and microparticles to achieve the highly
diverse properties needed." Materials used in filling the root canal, for instance,
should not shrink as they harden, should form an airtight bond with the dental material
and be visible in x-rays. The material used to rebuild the tooth, on the other hand,
should have the same properties as the tooth itself. "Hybrid materials are well
suited to these requirements. For instance, they only shrink by about 1.3 percent as they
harden, while standard materials generally shrink by 2 to 4 percent. ORMOCER®s can also
be adapted to adhere to the different parts of the tooth," says Wolter. VOCO GmbH is
already producing dental preparations and product development is making good progress.
Market launch could therefore be just a few years away.
Link
Hybrid molecules show promise for
exploring, treating Alzheimer's
One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called
amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell
death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental
difficulties.In order to answer that key question and develop new approaches to preventing
the damage, scientists must first understand how amyloid-beta forms the telltale clumps.
University of Michigan researchers have developed new molecular tools that can be used to
investigate the process. The molecules also hold promise in Alzheimer's disease treatment.
The research, led by assistant professor Mi Hee Lim, was published online this week in the
Journal of the American Chemical Society. Though the exact mechanism for amyloid-beta
clump formation isn't known, scientists do know that copper and zinc ions are somehow
involved, not only in the aggregation process, but apparently also in the resulting
injury. Copper, in particular, has been implicated in generating reactive oxygen species,
which can cause cell damage. One way of studying the role of metals in the process is by
sopping up the metal ions with molecules called chelators and then seeing what happens
when the metal ions are out of the picture. When other scientists have done this they've
found that chelators, by removing metals, hamper both amyloid beta clumping and the
production of those harmful reactive oxygen species, suggesting that chelators could be
useful in treating Alzheimer's disease. However, most known chelators can't cross the
blood-brain barrier, the barricade of cells that separates brain tissue from circulating
blood, protecting the brain from harmful substances in the bloodstream. What's more, most
chelators aren't precise enough to target only the metal ions in amyloid-beta; they're
just as likely to grab and disable metals performing vital roles in other biological
systems. Lim and coworkers used a new strategy to develop "bi-functional" small
molecules that not only grab metal ions, but also interact with amyloid-beta.
Link
Impact Monitoring of the National
Scale Up of Zinc Treatment for Childhood Diarrhea in Bangladesh
Zinc treatment of childhood diarrhea has the potential to save 400,000 under-five lives
per year in lesser developed countries. In 2004 the World Health Organization (WHO)/UNICEF
revised their clinical management of childhood diarrhea guidelines to include zinc. The
aim of this study was to monitor the impact of the first national campaign to scale up
zinc treatment of childhood diarrhea in Bangladesh.
Link
Journalists have problems matching
practice with ideals
Fierce competition forces journalists to deliver attention-grabbing news and articles. But
this increased focus on the audience sometimes clashes with journalistic ideals, according
to a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The ambition to please the audience
requires that the journalist knows what the audience wants. 'Journalists generally feel it
is important to respond to what the audience wants, but at the same time they often don't
really know what this is,' says Ulrika Andersson, doctoral student at the Department of
Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Gothenburg and author of the thesis
'Journalister och deras publik. Förhållningssätt bland svenska journalister'.
Link
Kellogg's Immunity Claims Draw Fire
Boxes of Krispies Cereals Say They Help Boost Kids' Immune Systems, but Critics Challenge
Assertion
Link
Letting the Science, Not the
Politicians, Decide About Marijuana
The federal govt. is still blocking the process that would allow the marijuana plant to be
brought to market as a prescription medicine.
Link
Mandatory Disclosure of
Pharmaceutical Industry-Funded Events for Health Professionals
There are moves internationally to ensure greater disclosure of gifts and educational
events for doctors paid for by pharmaceutical manufacturers. However, there is no
agreement on appropriate standards of disclosure. In Australia, since mid-2007, there has
been mandatory reporting of details of every industry-sponsored event, including the costs
of any hospitality provided. Examination of the Australian data shows that although
expenditure at individual events is often modest, cumulative expenditure is high,
particularly in the case of medical specialists prescribing high cost
drugs—oncologists, endocrinologists, and cardiologists. Although a significant
advance, the new Australian reporting standards do not allow assessment of the educational
value of sponsored events, and do not include details of speakers or educational content
for most events. However, doctors in training are often present at these events. At
present, the standards of disclosure are inadequate and should not be tied to an arbitrary
monetary value of gifts or sponsorship. Reporting standards should require the names of
the speakers presenting, whether sponsors played a role in suggestion or selection of
speakers or the development of the content of presentations, and the nature of any direct
or indirect financial ties between the speakers and the sponsors.
Link
Monash study suggests rainwater is
safe to drink
A world first study by Monash University researchers into the health of families who drink
rainwater has found that it is safe to drink. The research was led by Associate Professor
Karin Leder from the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine in conjunction
with Water Quality Research Australia (previously the Cooperative Research Centre for
Water Quality and Treatment). "This is the first study of its kind. Until now, there
has been no prospective randomised study to investigate the health effects of rainwater
consumption, either in Australia or internationally," Associate Professor Leder said.
The study involved three hundred volunteer households in Adelaide that were given a filter
to treat their rainwater. Only half of the filters were real while the rest were 'sham'
filters that looked real but did not contain filters. The householders did not know
whether they had a real filter. Families recorded their health over a 12-month period,
after which time the health outcomes of the two groups were compared. "The results
showed that rates of gastroenteritis between both groups were very similar. People who
drank untreated rainwater displayed no measurable increase in illness compared to those
that consumed the filtered rainwater," Associate Professor Leder said. Adelaide was
the location chosen for the study as it the city with the highest use of rainwater tanks
in Australia.
Link
MRSA Strain has High Death Rate
Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital have identified a strain of MRSA five times more deadly
than other known strains.
Link
New Remarkable Numbers Released -
Water Use in the US Has Dropped Per Person by 30 Percent Since 1975
It is possible to improve the efficiency of water use and such improvements eliminate the
need for expensive and environmentally damaging new supply.
Link
New scientific study indicates that
eating quickly is associated with overeating
According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of
Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), eating a meal quickly, as compared to
slowly, curtails the release of hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full.
The decreased release of these hormones, can often lead to overeating. "Most of us
have heard that eating fast can lead to food overconsumption and obesity, and in fact some
observational studies have supported this notion," said Alexander Kokkinos, MD, PhD,
of Laiko General Hospital in Athens Greece and lead author of the study. "Our study
provides a possible explanation for the relationship between speed eating and overeating
by showing that the rate at which someone eats may impact the release of gut hormones that
signal the brain to stop eating." In the last few years, research regarding gut
hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), has shown that their
release after a meal acts on the brain and induces satiety and meal termination. Until
now, concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones have not been examined in the context
of different rates of eating. In this study, subjects consumed the same test meal, 300ml
of ice-cream, at different rates. Researchers took blood samples for the measurement of
glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and gut hormones before the meal and at 30 minute
intervals after the beginning of eating, until the end of the session, 210 minutes later.
Researchers found that subjects who took the full 30 minutes to finish the ice cream had
higher concentrations of PYY and GLP-1 and also tended to have a higher fullness rating.
Link
NIST quantifies low levels of
'heart attack risk' protein
Searching for a needle in a haystack may seem futile, but it's worth it if the needle is a
hard-to-detect protein that may identify a person at high risk of a heart attack
circulating within a haystack of human serum (liquid component of blood). C-reactive
protein (CRP), a molecule produced by the liver in response to inflammation, normally
accounts for less than 1/60,000 of a person's total serum protein, or about 1 milligram
per liter (mg/L) of serum. Recent evidence suggests that a CRP level between 1 and 3 mg/L
indicates a moderate risk of cardiovascular disease while a level greater than 3 mg/L
predicts a high risk. A clinical diagnostic procedure known as the high-sensitivity CRP
(hsCRP) test has been used to detect higher-than-normal levels of the protein and warn a
patient about elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. However, there is no certified
reference material—in this case, a sample of human serum with accurately determined
amounts of the CRP for various risk levels—against which the accuracy of methods for
measuring CRP can be evaluated. The problem: normal, low-risk of cardiovascular disease
CRP levels are so low that even mass spectrometry (a very sensitive technique for
separating and identifying molecules based on mass) cannot easily quantify them. In a
recent paper in Analytical Chemistry,* NIST researchers Eric Kilpatrick and David Bunk
describe the first steps toward development of a certified reference material that can be
used to assess the accuracy of routine clinical laboratory tests for CRP. The researchers
accomplished this by isolating the minute amounts (less than 1 mg/L) of CRP circulating at
normal levels in serum prior to measurement. Using a protein isolation technique called
affinity purification, Kilpatrick and Bunk added polystyrene beads coated with anti-CRP
antibodies to normal human serum. The antibodies bind tightly to any circulating CRP,
allowing it to be easily removed from solution. The researchers then cleave the purified
protein they isolated into its component parts, known as peptides, using enzyme digestion.
The peptides are more readily measured by the mass spectrometer, resulting in a very
precise determination of the total CRP.
Link
Paleoecologists offer new insight
into how climate change will affect organisms
An article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science written by a team of
ecologists, including Robert Booth, assistant professor of earth and environmental science
at Lehigh University, examines some of the potential problems with current prediction
methods and calls for the use of a range of approaches when predicting the impact of
climate change on organisms. According to Booth and his colleagues, one of the biggest
challenges facing ecologists today is trying to predict how climate change will impact the
distribution of organisms in the future. Combining the environmental conditions that allow
a particular species to exist with the output from climate models is a commonly used
approach to determining where these conditions will exist in the future. However,
according to the authors, there some potential problems with the correlational approach
that ecologists have traditionally used. "This traditional prediction approach on its
own is insufficient," said Booth. "It needs to be integrated with mechanistic
and dynamic ecological modeling and systematic observations of past and present patterns
and dynamics." The paper uses examples from recent paleoecological studies to
highlight how climate variability of the past has affected the distributions of tree
species, and even how events that occurred many centuries ago still shape present-day
distributions patterns. For example, the authors note that some populations of a Western
US tree species owe their existence to brief periods of favorable climatic conditions
allowing colonization in the past, such as a particularly wet interval during the 14th
century.
Link
People with pensions sleep better
after retirement
Retirees have something else to look forward to besides playing golf -- much better sleep
-- particularly if they have decent retirement benefits and retire relatively early.
Link
Postmenopausal women with higher
testosterone levels
Postmenopausal women who have higher testosterone levels may be at greater risk of heart
disease, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome compared to women with lower
testosterone levels, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine
Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). This new information
is an important step, say researchers, in understanding the role that hormones play in
women's health. "For many years, androgens like testosterone were thought to play a
significant role in men only and to be largely irrelevant in women," said Anne
Cappola, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.
"It is now largely accepted that premenopausal women with polycystic ovary syndrome,
a condition in which androgens are elevated, have increased health risks. However, the
clinical relevance of testosterone in women over the age of 65 had remained uncertain
until this recent study." In this study, researchers measured levels of testosterone
in 344 women, aged 65-98 years. They found that women with the highest testosterone levels
— in the top 25 percent of this study group— were three times as likely to have
coronary heart disease compared to women with lower testosterone levels. These women were
also three times as likely to have a group of metabolic risk factors called the metabolic
syndrome compared to women with lower testosterone levels. The connection between higher
levels of testosterone and these health risks may be explained by the researcher's finding
of a greater degree of insulin resistance in women with the highest testosterone levels.
Insulin resistance is a metabolic disturbance in which the body does not use insulin
efficiently and is itself a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular
disease.
Link
Powerful pumpkins, super squash
Carotenoids, the family of yellow to red pigments responsible for the striking orange hues
of pumpkins and the familiar red color of vine-ripe tomatoes, play an important role in
human health by acting as sources of provitamin A or as protective antioxidants. Pumpkins
and squash, available in a wide range of white, yellow, and orange colors, are excellent
sources of dietary carotenoids, particularly lutein, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene.
The colors of these nutritional vegetables are determined by their genetic makeup—the
concentration and type of carotenoids they contain—which are influenced by both
genetic and environmental factors.The good news, this wide range of carotenoids in
pumpkins and squash provides fertile ground for genetic improvement. When breeders have
reliable information about carotenoid types and concentrations, they can work to improve
the vegetables' nutritional value and create new varieties of antioxidant-packed offerings
for consumers. But identifying and quantifying carotenoids hasn't been simple; scientists
traditionally use a method called "high-performance liquid chromatography", or
HPLC. HPLC is highly sensitive and reproducible, but can be expensive and time-consuming.
To determine if carotenoid content of pumpkin and squash could be accurately measured
using a less-expensive and simpler method, Rachel A. Itle and Eileen A. Kabelka from the
University of Florida's Horticultural Sciences Department designed a research study using
colorimetric analysis to correlate color space values with carotenoid content in pumpkins
and squash. The study appeared in a recent issue of HortScience. Pumpkins and squash with
white, yellow, and orange flesh color were grown at multiple locations for the study. The
flesh of each specimen was evaluated using both HPLC and colorimetric analysis. According
to the research, "strong correlations between colorimetric values and carotenoid
content were identified."
Link
Pregnant women risk early delivery
from psychiatric medication use
The odds triple for early child delivery among pregnant women with a history of depression
who used psychiatric medication, a new study showed. Researchers at the University of
Michigan, Michigan State University and University of Washington found that a combination
of medication use and depression—either before or during pregnancy—was strongly
linked to delivery before 35 weeks' gestation. "Medication use may be an indicator of
depressive symptom severity, which is a direct or indirect contributing factor to pre-term
delivery," said Kristine Siefert, the study's co-author and U-M professor of social
work. Most physicians initiated pre-term deliveries after the women suffered
complications, such as preeclampsia, poor fetal growth, or acute hemorrhage. The study
examined the associations among maternal depression, psychiatric medication use in
pregnancy and pre-term delivery among women in five Michigan communities who received
pre-natal care at one of 52 participating clinics. These women had to be at least 15 years
or older, with no history of diabetes, and were 15 to 27 weeks of pregnancy between
September 1998 and June 2004.
Link
Reduction in glycotoxins from
heat-processing of foods reduces risk of chronic disease
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine report that cutting back on the
consumption of processed and fried foods, which are high in toxins called Advanced
Glycation End products (AGEs), can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the
body's natural defenses regardless of age or health status. These benefits are present
even without changing caloric or nutrient intake. The findings, published in the
October/November issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, provide a
simple dietary intervention that could result in weight loss and have significant impact
on several epidemic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. The
findings are the result of a clinical study involving over 350 people which was conducted
in collaboration with, and with support from, the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The
study builds on earlier research conducted in animal models that demonstrated the
effective prevention of these diseases and even the extension of lifespan by consuming a
reduced AGE diet. "What is noteworthy about our findings is that reduced AGE
consumption proved to be effective in all study participants, including healthy persons
and persons who have a chronic condition such as kidney disease," said the study's
lead author Helen Vlassara, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Experimental
Diabetes and Aging at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Link
Researchers find yoga may be
effective for chronic low back pain in minority populations
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center
found that yoga may be more effective than standard treatment for reducing chronic low
back pain in minority populations. This study appears in the November issue of Alternative
Therapies in Health and Medicine. Low back pain is common in the United States, resulting
in substantial disability and cost to society. Individuals from low-income, minority
backgrounds with chronic low back pain (CLBP) may be more affected due to disparities in
access to treatment. Although many CLBP patients seek relief from complementary therapies
such as yoga, use of these approaches are less common among minorities and individuals
with lower incomes or less education. BUSM researchers recruited adults with CLBP from two
community health centers that serve racially diverse, low-income neighborhoods of Boston.
They were randomly assigned to either a standardized 12-week series of hatha yoga classes
or standard treatment including doctor's visits and medications. As part of the trial, the
researchers asked participants to report their average pain intensity for the previous
week, how their function is limited due to back pain, and how much pain medication they
are taking. The yoga group participated in 12 weekly 75-minute classes that included
postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Classes were taught by a team of
registered yoga teachers and were limited to eight participants. Home practice for 30
minutes daily was strongly encouraged. Participants were provided with an audio CD of the
class, a handbook describing and depicting the exercises, a yoga mat, strap, and block.
Link
Restless legs more common than
previously thought
New research suggests that 23 percent of people have restless leg syndrome, or RLS, which
is much higher than previously reported rates of 3 percent to 10 percent.
Link
Scientists expose vitamin C's
pro-oxidant alter ego
The antioxidant vitamin C is well know for mopping up free radicals, but it can also
create them – with surprising results
Link
Scientists Reveal How Induced
Pluripotent Stem Cells Differ from Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissue of Derivation
The same genes that are chemically altered during normal cell differentiation, as well as
when normal cells become cancer cells, are also changed in stem cells that scientists
derive from adult cells, according to new research from Johns Hopkins and Harvard.
Although genetically identical to the mature body cells from which they are derived,
induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are notably special in their ability to self-renew
and differentiate into all kinds of cells. And now scientists have detected a remarkable
if subtle molecular disparity between the two: They have distinct “epigenetic”
signatures; that is, they differ in what gets copied when the cell divides, even though
these differences aren’t part of the DNA sequence. “Relatively little study has
been done on the epigenetic nature of stem cells,” says Andrew Feinberg, M.D.,
M.P.H., a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“To date, the bulk of what is known about stem cells is focused on how you create
them and grow them and so forth, but not on the essence of them, and what is fundamentally
different about these cells.”
Link
Students continue tanning despite
health warnings
Despite constant warnings from health care professionals, many students at ASU continue to
crave the bronzed look they get from tanning beds.
Link
Study links folic acid supplements
to asthma
A University of Adelaide study may have shed light on the rise in childhood asthma in
developed countries like Australia in recent decades. Researchers from the University's
Robinson Institute have identified a link between folic acid supplements taken in late
pregnancy and allergic asthma in children aged between 3 and 5 years, suggesting that the
timing of supplementation in pregnancy is important. Associate Professor Michael Davies
says that folic acid supplements – recommended for pregnant women to prevent birth
defects – appear to have "additional and unexpected" consequences in recent
studies in mice and infants. "In our study, supplemental folic acid in late pregnancy
was associated with an increased risk of asthma in children, but there was no evidence to
suggest any adverse effects if supplements were taken in early pregnancy." The
University of Adelaide findings have been published in the American Journal of
Epidemiology. The study involved more than 500 women whose maternal diet and supplements
were assessed twice during their pregnancy, with follow-up on their child's asthma status
at 3.5 years and 5.5 years. Asthma was reported in 11.6% of children at 3.5 years and
11.8% of children at 5.5 years. Nearly a third of these children reported persistent
asthma.
Link
Study points to new uses,
unexpected side effects of already-existing drugs
Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the
University of California, San Francisco have developed and experimentally tested a
technique to predict new target diseases for existing drugs. The researchers developed a
computational method that compares how similar the structures of all known drugs are to
the naturally occurring binding partners -- known as ligands -- of disease targets within
the cell. In a study published this week in Nature, the scientists showed that the method
predicts potential new uses as well as unexpected side effects of approved drugs.
“This approach uncovered interactions between drugs and targets that we never could
have predicted simply by looking at the chemical structures,” said senior study
author Bryan Roth, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and director of the National
Institute of Mental Health Psychoactive Drug Screening Program at UNC. “We may now
have a way to predict what side effects are likely to occur from treatment before we even
put a drug into clinical testing.” Roth is also a member of the UNC Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center. Many of the most successful drugs on the market today are
being prescribed for ailments that are quite different from the ones they were originally
designed to treat. Viagra, for instance, was once intended for coronary heart disease but
now is used to combat erectile dysfunction. The discovery of surprising uses of developed
drugs can sometimes be the result of serendipity, as unforeseen side effects emerge from
clinical trials. In the past, researchers have tried to predict drug interactions by
looking for chemical similarities among the possible targets of pharmaceutical compounds.
Link
Study Suggests Handedness May
Effect Body Perception
There are areas in the brain devoted to our arms, legs, and various parts of our bodies.
The way these areas are distributed throughout the brain are known as “body
maps” and there are some significant differences in these maps between left- and
right-handed people. For example, in left-handed people, there is an equal amount of brain
area devoted to the left and right arms in both hemispheres. However, for right-handed
people, there is more cortical area associated with right arm than the left.
Link
The HCG diet - Effective but
controversial
the hormone, which helps ensure a developing baby gets enough calories in the womb, can
also work wonders on the waistlines of women who are not pregnant.
Link
Toxic Cleaner Fumes Could
Contaminate California Classrooms
Widely Used Cleaning Supplies Emit More Than 450 Contaminants into the Air, Including
Chemicals that Trigger Asthma
Link
Train less and be faster
In a recent scientific study just published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Bangsbo
and co-workers demonstrate that by reducing the volume of training by 25% and introducing
the so-called speed endurance training (6-12 30-s sprint runs 3-4 times a week), endurance
trained runners can improve not only short-term but also long-term performance.Thus, the
runners improved their 10-km time by 1 min from 37.3 to 36.3 min after just 6-9 weeks of
changed training. Six of the participating 12 runners obtained a new personal record on
the 10-km, despite having been training for more than 4 years. The most impressive
achievement was the one runner who lowered the time with more than 2 minutes from 37.5 til
35.4 min. In addition, performance in a 30-s sprint test and an intense exhaustive run
(about 2 minutes) was improved by 7% and 36%, respectively. In agreement, the authors have
previously shown that an 85% reduction in training volume can improve short-term
performance (see below).
Link
Use of cannabinoids (marijuana)
could help post-traumatic stress disorder patients
Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress
disorder patients. This is exposed in a new study carried out at the Learning and Memory
Lab in the University of Haifa's Department of Psychology. The study, carried out by
research student Eti Ganon-Elazar under the supervision of Dr. Irit Akirav, was published
in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience. In most cases, the result of experiencing a
traumatic event – a car accident or terror attack – is the appearance of medical
and psychological symptoms that affect various functions, but which pass. However, some
10%-30% of people who experience a traumatic event develop post-traumatic stress disorder,
in which the patient continues to suffer stress symptoms for months and even years after
the traumatic event. Symptoms include reawakened trauma, avoidance of anything that could
recall the trauma, and psychological and physiological disturbances. One of the problems
in the course of treating trauma patients is that a person is frequently exposed to
additional stress, which hinders the patient's overcoming the trauma.
Link
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