News 21 juli 2009
Secrets of a life-giving amino acid
revealed by Yale researchers
Selenium is a trace element crucial to life - too little or too much of it is fatal. In
the July 17 issue of the journal Science, researchers at Yale University and University of
Illinois at Chicago detail the molecular mechanisms that govern its metabolism in the
human body. "It must require an intricately regulated uptake system," said
Dieter Söll, co-senior author of the paper, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics
and Biochemistry at Yale. "There are 25 human selenoproteins, and most of them are
probably essential for life." Selenium is thought to offer protection from diverse
human ailments including adverse mood states, cardiovascular disease, viral infections and
cancer. Selenocysteine is the most active metabolite of selenium in humans. It is unique
among amino acids because it is the only one synthesized directly on a transfer RNA (tRNA)
molecule, which shuttles the amino acids to the protein-making machinery within cells.
Proteins that contain selenocysteine are responsible for recycling protective antioxidants
such as vitamin C and coenzyme Q10. Söll's team for the first time captured images of how
selenocysteine is created on a super-sized tRNA molecule, which seems to have a highly
specialized role in nature. The 20 other amino acids and their associated tRNAs use the
same protein vehicle, called an elongation factor, for transport to the ribosome. However,
nature has provided this large tRNA molecule with a specialized elongation factor that
chauffeurs only selenocysteine to the ribosome.
La Jolla Institute discovers
genetic trigger for disease-fighting antibodies
A research team led by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has identified
the specific gene which triggers the body to produce disease-fighting antibodies -- a
seminal finding that clarifies the exact molecular steps taken by the body to mount an
antibody defense against viruses and other pathogens. The finding, published online today
in the prestigious journal Science, has major implications for the development of new and
more effective vaccines. The La Jolla Institute's Shane Crotty, Ph.D., was the lead
scientist on the team, which also included researchers from Yale University. "The
finding is enormous in terms of its long-term benefit to science and society as a whole
because it illuminates a pivotal piece of the vaccine development puzzle -- that is, 'what
is the molecular switch that tells the body to create antibodies?' Dr. Crotty has
pinpointed the BCL6 gene and, in doing so, has answered a critical question that has long
been sought by the scientific community," said Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., president
& scientific director of the La Jolla Institute, a nonprofit biomedical research
institute. Dr. Kronenberg said this knowledge opens the door to developing ways to boost
antibody production, thereby creating stronger and more effective vaccines. Rafi Ahmed,
Ph.D., director of the Emory Vaccine Center, and a professor of microbiology and
immunology at the Emory University School of Medicine, called the finding an
"important breakthrough." "Dr. Crotty has defined the gene that regulates
the formation of certain CD4 T cells," said Dr. Ahmed. "Those cells are very
critical for antibody production, so describing what regulates the birth of those cells is
clearly an important discovery." Pamela L. Schwartzberg, M.D., Ph.D., a senior
investigator in the Cell Signaling Section of the National Human Genome Research
Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, called the discovery a major step
forward in the area of vaccine development. "This finding defines the master
regulator (gene) that triggers an elaborate cellular interaction necessary to get
effective long-term antibody responses, which are required for most successful
vaccines," she said. "In making this discovery, Dr. Crotty and his fellow
researchers at Yale have made a major contribution that will help provide critical insight
into the processes important for successful vaccination and effective immune
responses."
Genetic source of muscular
dystrophy neutralized
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have found a way to block the
genetic flaw at the heart of a common form of muscular dystrophy. The results of the
study, which were published today in the journal Science, could pave the way for new
therapies that essentially reverse the symptoms of the disease. The researchers used a
synthetic molecule to break up deposits of toxic genetic material and re-establish the
cellular activity that is disrupted by the disease. Because scientists believe that
potentially all of the symptoms of myotonic dystrophy – the most common form of
muscular dystrophy in adults – flow from this single genetic flaw, neutralizing it
could potentially restore muscle function in people with the disease. "This study
establishes a proof of concept that could be followed to develop a successful treatment
for myotonic dystrophy," said neurologist Charles Thornton, M.D., the senior author
of the study and co-director of the University of Rochester Medical Center's Wellstone
Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center. "It also demonstrates the potential
to reverse established symptoms of the disease after they have developed, as opposed to
simply preventing them from getting worse." Myotonic dystrophy is a degenerative
disease characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. People with myotonic
dystrophy have prolonged muscle tensing (myotonia) and are not able to relax certain
muscles after use. The condition is particularly severe in the hand muscles and can cause
a person's grip to lock making it difficult to perform rapid, repeated movements.
Currently there is no medication to halt the progression of the disease.
Children with FASD have more severe
behavioral problems than children with ADHD
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have a high risk of psychiatric
problems, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder,
or both. Often children with FASD are initially diagnosed with ADHD. A new study is the
first to examine a range of cognitive factors and social behavior in children with FASD
and ADHD, finding that those with FASD have significantly weaker social cognition and
facial emotion-processing abilities. Results will be published in the October issue of
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early
View. "Behaviorally, FASD and ADHD can look quite similar, particularly with respect
to problems with very limited attention, physical restlessness, and extreme
impulsivity," explained Rachel Greenbaum, a clinical psychologist with the Children's
Mental Health Team at Surrey Place Centre in Toronto, who conducted the study as part of
her doctoral dissertation. "However, social deficits in children with
neurodevelopmental disorders may have different underlying mechanisms," noted
Piyadasa W. Kodituwakku, associate professor of pediatrics and neurosciences at the
University of New Mexico School of Medicine. "For example, children with ADHD
experience social problems because of poor self-regulation rather than deficient knowledge
of appropriate social behavior. In other words, a child with ADHD may accurately recite
social rules, but fail to apply them. In contrast, social difficulties in a child with
autism may result from a fundamental deficit in social sense, referred to as
mind-blindness. Thus, when delineating qualitative differences in social phenotypes of
neurodevelopmental disorders, it is important to assess not only observable behaviors, but
also their underlying cognitive mechanisms." This study looked specifically at
social-cognition and emotion-processing abilities, said Joanne Rovet, a professor at the
University of Toronto and senior scientist in neurosciences and mental health at the
Hospital for Sick Children, and supervisor of the fetal alcohol research program.
Baking soda - For cooking,
cleaning, and kidney health?
A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate—baking soda, already used for baking, cleaning,
acid indigestion, sunburn, and more—slows the decline of kidney function in some
patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), reports an upcoming study in the
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "This cheap and simple strategy
also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into
significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits," comments Magdi
Yaqoob, MD (Royal London Hospital). The study included 134 patients with advanced CKD and
low bicarbonate levels, also called metabolic acidosis. One group received a small daily
dose of sodium bicarbonate in tablet form, in addition to their usual care. For this
group, the rate of decline in kidney function was greatly reduced—about two-thirds
slower than in patients. "In fact, in patients taking sodium bicarbonate, the rate of
decline in kidney function was similar to the normal age-related decline," says
Yaqoob. Rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in just nine percent of patients
taking sodium bicarbonate, compared to 45 percent of the other group. Patients taking
sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
requiring dialysis. Patients taking sodium bicarbonate also had improvement in several
measures of nutrition. Although their sodium levels went up, this didn't lead to any
problems with increased blood pressure. Low bicarbonate levels are common in patients with
CKD and can lead to a wide range of other problems. "This is the first randomized
controlled study of its kind," says Yaqoob. "A simple remedy like sodium
bicarbonate (baking soda), when used appropriately, can be very effective." The
researchers note some important limitations of their study—there was no placebo group
and the researchers were aware of which patients were receiving sodium bicarbonate.
"Our results will need validation in a multicenter study," says Yaqoob.
Study to assess hip exercises as
treatment for osteoarthritis in the knee joints
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are testing a novel regimen of hip-muscle
exercises to decrease the load on the knee joints in patients with osteoarthritis. The
goal is not only to relieve pain but also, possibly, to halt progression of the disease.
"Each time you take a step, a load, or force, is placed on the knee joints. How much
load depends not just on your weight, but also on the way you walk and the alignment of
your leg," said Laura Thorp, PhD, assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology at
Rush Medical College and principal investigator for the study. "If we can
appropriately alter the gait patterns of patients with osteoarthritis, we can minimize the
load and relieve pain. "Ultimately, we're hoping we can prevent the disease from
advancing. No treatment currently exists that can stop osteoarthritis from progressing in
the knees, other than joint replacement surgery." Osteoarthritis is the most common
form of arthritis and a significant source of disability and impaired quality of life. A
higher-than-normal load on the knees during walking is a hallmark of the disease,
associated with both the severity of the osteoarthritis and its progression, according to
Thorp. Thorp is enrolling patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis in their knees in
a research study to determine the effectiveness of certain hip exercises in treating the
disease. Study participants have their knees x-rayed and undergo an initial assessment in
Rush's Human Motion Laboratory to measure the load on their knee joints while walking.
Participants then follow a specific regimen of hip exercises for four weeks under the
direction of Charles Cranny, clinical manager of outpatient physical therapy.
Childhood adversity may affect
processing in the brain's reward pathways
New research shows that childhood adversity is associated with diminished neural activity
in brain regions implicated in the anticipation of possible rewards. Scientists at Harvard
University used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor brain activity as
participants played a game involving cues that predicted monetary rewards and penalties.
"We found that, in comparison to community controls, young adults who had experienced
childhood adversity showed weaker responses to reward-predicting cues in left hemisphere
regions of the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that is important for orchestrating
goal-directed actions," says Diego Pizzagalli, the John and Ruth Hazel Associate
Professor of the Social Sciences in the Department of Psychology at Harvard. The research
is published in the current issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry, and was conducted
by Pizzagalli and Karlen Lyons-Ruth, associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical
School. The lead author is Daniel Dillon, a postdoctoral researcher working with
Pizzagalli, and co-authors were Avram Holmes, Jeffrey Birk, and Nancy Brooks, all in the
Department of Psychology in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "In the group
that had childhood adversity, two structures in the left basal ganglia were not responsive
to reward cues, which differed from what we saw in the control group," says Dillon.
"There weren't any differences between the controls and maltreated participants in
response to cues that predicted either penalties or no incentive outcomes. In other words,
the group that had experienced childhood adversity only showed a weaker response to the
reward cues." Participants also rated their experiences of positive and negative
arousal in response to the cues while in the MRI scanner. Relative to controls, the
participants who had experienced childhood adversity rated the reward cues as less
positive, consistent with the weaker brain response to these cues.
Trojan horse for ovarian cancer --
nanoparticles turn immune system soldiers against tumor cells
In a feat of trickery, Dartmouth Medical School immunologists have devised a Trojan horse
to help overcome ovarian cancer, unleashing a surprise killer in the surroundings of a
hard-to-treat tumor. Using nanoparticles--ultra small bits-- the team has reprogrammed a
protective cell that ovarian cancers have corrupted to feed their growth, turning the
cells back from tumor friend to foe. Their research, published online July 13 for the
August Journal of Clinical Investigation, offers a promising approach to orchestrate an
attack against a cancer whose survival rates have barely budged over the last three
decades. "We have modulated elements of the tumor microenvironment that are not
cancer cells, reversing their role as accomplices in tumor growth to attackers that boost
responses against the tumor," said Dr. Jose Conejo-Garcia, assistant professor of
microbiology and immunology and of medicine, and a researcher at Dartmouth-Hitchcock's
Norris Cotton Cancer Center, who led the research. "The cooperating cells hit by the
particles return to fighters that immediately kill tumor cells." The study, in mice
with established ovarian tumors, involves a polymer now in clinical trials for other
tumors. The polymer interacts with a receptor that senses danger to activate cells that
trigger an inflammatory immune response. The Dartmouth work focuses on dendritic cells--an
immune cell particularly abundant in the ovarian cancer environment. It does take direct
aim at tumor cells, so it could be an amenable adjunct to other current therapies.
"That's the beautiful part of story--people usually inject these nanoparticles to
target tumor cells. But we found that these dendritic cells that are commonly present in
ovarian cancer were preferentially and avidly engulfing the nanoparticles. We couldn't
find any tumor cells taking up the nanoparticles, only the dendritic cells residing in the
tumor," explained Juan R. Cubillos-Ruiz, graduate student and first author. Dendritic
cells are phagocytes--the soldiers of the immune system that gobble up bacteria and other
pathogens, but ovarian cancer has co-opted them for its own use, he continued. "So we
were trying to restore the attributes of these dendritic cells--the good guys; they become
Trojan horses."
Mindblind eyes - an absence of
spontaneous Theory of Mind in Asperger Syndrome
Highly intelligent adults with Asperger Syndrome still have difficulties in day-to-day
social interaction. These difficulties may be explained by ‘mindblindness', the idea
that they are unable to predict what other people will do by thinking about their mental
states, that is, their knowledge and beliefs. If this is true then why do people with
Asperger syndrome pass all the standard tests of mental state attribution? Is the theory
wrong or are the tests insensitive? This study reports evidence from eye movements, that
adults with Asperger Syndrome do not spontaneously anticipate another person's behaviour
on the basis of that person's mental state. This is in stark contrast with typical adults,
and even young toddlers.
Cover of Journal shows cell
infected by virus first viewed by MSU scientists
The June cover of the Journal of Virology features a photograph of the unusual effects on
a cell infected by a virus. Montana State University researchers were the first to view
the virus, which they collected from a boiling, acidic spring in Yellowstone. The article
linked with the cover photograph describes the researchers' findings about the life cycle
of the virus Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus (STIV). No one has seen STIV replicate
within a host cell prior to the work done by MSU scientists.
The Fancier the Cortex, the Smarter
the Brain?
Why are some people smarter than others? In a new article in Current Directions in
Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Eduardo
Mercado III from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, describes
how certain aspects of brain structure and function help determine how easily we learn new
things, and how learning capacity contributes to individual differences in intelligence.
Cognitive plasticity is the capacity to learn and improve cognitive skills such as solving
problems and remembering events. Mercado argues that the structural basis of cognitive
plasticity is the cortical module. Cortical modules are vertical columns of interconnected
neuronal cells. Across different areas of the cerebral cortex, these columns vary in the
number and diversity of neurons they contain. Identifying how cortical modules help us
learn cognitive skills may help explain why variations in this capacity occur — that
is, why people learn skills at different rates and why our ability to learn new skills
changes as we age.
UAB/Southern Research Scientists
Discover How Flu Damages Lung Tissue
A protein in influenza virus that helps it multiply also damages lung epithelial cells,
causing fluid buildup in the lungs, according to new research from the University of
Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Southern Research Institute. Publishing online this week
in the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the
researchers say the findings give new insight into how flu attacks the lungs and provides
targets for new treatments. In severe cases of flu, fluid accumulates in the lungs, making
it difficult to breathe and preventing oxygen from reaching the blood stream. The
researchers report that M2, a protein in the flu virus, damages a protein responsible for
clearing fluid from the lungs by increasing the amount of oxidants, or free radicals,
within the cells. Oxidants are necessary for proper cell function, but can become toxic if
uncontrolled. "Under normal conditions, oxidants play an important role, as they
destroy pathogens in cells. But our findings suggest that lowering the number of oxidants,
or preventing their increase, would prevent damage to the lungs resulting from the M2
protein," said Sadis Matalon, Ph.D., vice chairman for research and professor of
anesthesiology at UAB and principal investigator of the study.
Scientists locate disease switches
A team of scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the Max Planck Institute in
Germany, using groundbreaking technology, has identified no less than 3,600 molecular
switches in the human body. These switches, which regulate protein functions, may prove to
be a crucial factor in human ageing and the onset and treatment of diseases such as
cancer, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The results of the team’s work
have been published in the current edition of the journal Science.
New information about DNA repair
mechanism could lead to better cancer drugs
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shed new light
on a process that fixes breaks in the genetic material of the body's cells. Their findings
could lead to ways of enhancing chemotherapy drugs that destroy cancer cells by damaging
their DNA. Using yeast cells, the scientists studied protein molecules that have an
important role in homologous recombination, which is one way that cells repair breaks in
the DNA double helix. The process in yeast is similar to that in humans and other
organisms. Earlier research had established that a protein molecule named Srs2 regulates
homologous recombination by counteracting the work of another protein, Rad51. Reporting in
the July 10 issue of the journal Molecular Cell, the research team reveals the mechanism
of how Srs2 removes Rad51 from DNA and thereby prevents it from making repairs to broken
strands. "Our findings may make it possible to uncover ways to augment the effect of
DNA-damaging agents that are used for cancer chemotherapy," says senior author Tom
Ellenberger, D.V.M, Ph.D., the Raymond H. Wittcoff Professor and head of the Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. "Many chemotherapeutic agents work by causing
DNA damage in cancer cells, leading to their death, and tumors can become resistant to
chemotherapy by using DNA repair mechanisms to keep the cells alive. Drugs that inhibit
the DNA repair process could help increase the efficiency of chemotherapeutic
agents." Ellenberger is also co-director of the Pharmacology Core at Siteman Cancer
Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University. The facility aids in the
development of anti-cancer agents.
Gene regulates immune cells'
ability to harm the body
A recently identified gene allows immune cells to start the self-destructive processes
thought to underlie autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid
arthritis, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have found. Researchers
showed that mice without the Batf gene lacked a type of inflammatory immune cell and were
resistant to a procedure that normally induces an autoimmune condition similar to human
MS. They plan to look for other genes and proteins influenced by Batf that could be
targets for new treatments for autoimmune diseases. "Batf allows immune cells to head
down a pathway that's been a very hot topic in immunology because of its potential links
to autoimmune disease," says senior author Kenneth Murphy, M.D., Ph.D., professor of
pathology and immunology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "We
showed that Batf regulates the only other gene previously revealed to control this
pathway, so Batf may have quite a bit to teach us about autoimmunity."
Professor sheds light on DNA
mechanisms
By manipulating individual atoms in DNA and forming unique molecules, a Georgia State
University researcher hopes to open new avenues in research towards better understanding
the mechanisms of DNA replication and transcription, and perhaps leading to new treatments
for diseases. Chemistry and chemical biology Professor Zhen Huang and his lab were able
for the first time, to manipulate groups of molecules, called methyl and phosphate groups,
in DNA that has been altered to contain selenium in order to bring them close enough
together to form hydrogen bonds. Such interactions may reduce the energy needed for a
process called DNA duplex separation, thereby playing a role in the unwinding of DNA,
which must happen in order for the genetic code to be copied and transcribed during cell
replication and transcription. The research also helps to explain how energy is used in
the process, Huang said. "Assume that you want to do something, like to move an
object from downstairs to upstairs, or building a pyramid where heavy blocks have to be
transported," Huang said. "You need lots of energy for these processes. "If
you need lots of energy, it will be a slow process or become inhibited because it consumes
too much energy."
Healing power of aloe vera proves
beneficial for teeth and gums, too
The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and
cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it
that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft. The modern use of aloe vera was first
recognized the 1930s to heal radiation burns. Since then, it has been a common ingredient
in ointments that heal sunburn, minor cuts, skin irritation, and many other ailments.
Recently, aloe vera has gained some popularity as an active ingredient in tooth gel.
Similar to its use on skin, the aloe vera in tooth gels is used to cleanse and soothe
teeth and gums, and is as effective as toothpaste to fight cavities, according to the
May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD)
clinical, peer-reviewed journal. Aloe vera tooth gel is intended to perform the same
function as toothpaste, which is to eliminate pathogenic oral
microflora—disease-causing bacteria—in the mouth. The ability of aloe vera tooth
gel to successfully perform that function has been a point of contention for some dental
professionals. However, research presented in General Dentistry may alleviate that
concern. The study compared the germ-fighting ability of an aloe vera tooth gel to two
commercially popular toothpastes and revealed that the aloe vera tooth gel was just as
effective, and in some cases more effective, than the commercial brands at controlling
cavity-causing organisms.
How to manage erosion caused by
everyday beverages
Researchers have warned people to beware of the damage that acidic beverages have on
teeth. Yet, for some, the damage and problems associated with drinking sodas, citric
juices or certain tea may have already begun to take effect. The question remains: What
can be done to restore teeth already affected? In a recent study that appeared in the
May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the AGD's clinical, peer-reviewed journal, lead
author, Mohamed A. Bassiouny, DMD, MSc., PhD, outlined the acidic content of beverages,
such as soda; lemon, grapefruit and orange juice; green and black tea; and revealed three
steps to rehabilitate teeth that suffer from dental erosion as a result of the excessive
consumption of these products. Dr. Bassiouny instructs those who are experiencing tooth
erosion to first, identify the culprit source of erosion, possibly with the help of a
dental professional. Then, the individual should determine and understand how this source
affects the teeth in order to implement measures to control and prevent further damage.
Lastly, the person should stop or reduce consumption of the suspected food or beverage to
the absolute minimum. He notes that information about the acid content of commonly
consumed foods or beverages is usually available online or on the product's label. It is
also recommended to seek professional dental advice in order to possibly restore the
damaged tissues. "Dental erosion," according to Dr. Bassiouny, "is a
demineralization process that affects hard dental tissues (such as enamel and
dentin)." This process causes tooth structure to wear away due to the effects that
acid has on teeth, which eventually leads to their breakdown. It can be triggered by
consumption of carbonated beverages or citric juices with a low potential of hydrogen
(pH), which measures the acidity of a substance. Excessive consumption of the acidic
beverages over a prolonged period of time may pose a risk factor for dental health.
Large epidemiologic study supports
brain power of fish in older people
xperts estimate that over 24 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, and many of
these people live in low- and middle-income countries. Recently, there has been growing
interest in whether dietary factors, particularly oily fish and meat, might influence the
onset and/or severity of dementia. Oily fish are rich in omega-3 long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids, which some studies suggest are positively related to
cognitive function in later life. Conversely, there is a suggestion from some studies that
increased meat consumption may be related to cognitive decline. To examine this, a group
of international researchers studied older people in 7 middle- to low-income countries.
You can read the results of their study in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition.Data from 14,960 participants (?65 y of age) living in China, India,
Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, and Peru were analyzed. Dietary habits
were assessed by using standard, culturally appropriate face-to-face interviews, and
dementia was diagnosed by using validated culturally and educationally fair criteria. In
each of the study countries, except India, there was an inverse association between fish
consumption and dementia prevalence. These data extend to low- and middle-income countries
previous conclusions from industrialized countries that increased fish consumption is
associated with lower dementia prevalence in later life. The authors propose that this
relation is not due to poor overall nutritional status in those with dementia, because
meat consumption tended to be higher in this group. The relation between meat consumption
and dementia remains unclear.
Baby bathwater contains fragrance
allergens
A group of chemists from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) has developed a
method to quantify the fragrance allergens found in baby bathwater. The researchers have
analysed real samples and detected up to 15 allergen compounds in cosmetics and personal
hygiene products. A team of scientists from the Department of Analytical Chemistry,
Nutrition and Bromatology at the USC has developed a method to detect and quantify the 15
most common fragrance allergens included in soap, gel, cologne and other personal hygiene
products. "Applying the method to eight real samples obtained from the daily baths of
a series of babies aged between six months and two years old, we discovered the presence
of all the compounds under study in at least one of the samples," co-author of the
study published this month in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, María Llompart,
explained to SINC. The scientists found at least six of the 15 compounds in all the
samples. In some cases, concentrations were "extremely high", exceeding 100ppm
(parts per million = nanograms/millilitre). Some of the substances that appeared were
benzyl salicylate, linalol, coumarin and hydroxycitronellal. "The presence and levels
of these chemical agents in bathwater should be cause for concern," Llompart said,
"bearing in mind that babies spend up to 15 minutes or more a day playing in the bath
and that they can absorb these and other chemicals not only through their skin, but also
by inhalation and often ingestion, intentional or not."
Infectious Diseases Remain a Burden
to Healthcare Systems Worldwide
Respiratory infectious diseases continue to be a huge and rising burden to health-care
systems and societies worldwide. Published by Wiley-Blackwell, the latest issue of
Respirology includes an invited review series focused on infectious pulmonary diseases.The
first paper entitled "Clinical Challenges in Managing Bronchiectasis" provides a
review of the characteristics and clinical features of Bronchiectasis. The article also
includes the often misdiagnosed and neglected treatment guidelines on how best to manage
this common disease.Lead author Kenneth Tsang from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The
University of Hong Kong said, "As symptoms of bronchiectasis are not specific, many
patients are misdiagnosed as suffering from other inflammatory airway diseases such as
asthma and COPD. Despite being prevalent in Asia-Pacific, bronchiectasis remains a
long-neglected illness which should receive more research attention for better
understanding of its aetiology, pathogenesis and treatment."
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