| Breaking News (Life Sciences) | updated Tuesday February 9, 2010 |
Will earlier springs throw nature out of step?
The recent trend towards earlier UK springs and summers has been accelerating, according to a study published today in the scientific journal Global Change Biology. The collaborative study, involving scientists from 12 UK research institutions, universities and conservation organisations, is the most comprehensive and rigorous assessment so far of long-term changes in the seasonal timing of biological events across marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments in the UK.
February 8, 2010
Drug shows promise for Huntington's disease
An early stage clinical trial of the experimental drug dimebon (latrepirdine) in people with Huntington's disease appears to be safe and may improve cognition. That is the conclusion of a study published today in the Archives of Neurology.
February 8, 2010
Study reveals new details on the dangers of third-hand smoke
Nicotine in third-hand smoke, the residue from tobacco smoke that clings to virtually all surfaces long after a cigarette has been extinguished, reacts with the common indoor air pollutant nitrous acid to produce dangerous carcinogens. This new potential health hazard was revealed in a multi-institutional study led by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
February 8, 2010
Gadgets not related to teenagers' brain pain
Use of most electronic media is not associated with headaches, at least not in adolescents. A study of 1,025 13- to 17-year-olds, published in the open-access journal BMC Neurology, found no association between the use of computer games, mobile phones or television and the occurrence of headaches or migraines. However, listening to one or two hours of music every day was associated with a pounding head.
February 8, 2010
Depressed people feel more gray than blue
People with anxiety and depression are most likely to use a shade of gray to represent their mental state. Researchers writing in the open-access journal BMC Medical Research Methodology describe the development of a color chart, the Manchester Color Wheel, which can be used to study people's preferred pigment in relation to their state of mind.
February 8, 2010
High-altitude climbs may cause corneal swelling, but do not appear to affect vision
Swelling commonly occurs in the corneas of mountain climbers, but does not appear to affect vision at altitudes of up to 6,300 meters (about 20,670 feet), according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
February 8, 2010
Glaucoma medications may be associated with reduced risk of death over 4-year period
Glaucoma patients who take medication for the condition appear to have a reduced likelihood of death, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
February 8, 2010
Marijuana ineffective as an Alzheimer's treatment: UBC-Vancouver Coastal Health research
The benefits of marijuana in tempering or reversing the effects of Alzheimer's disease have been challenged in a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
February 8, 2010
Medication appears well-tolerated, beneficial in Huntington's disease patients
A medication previously studied in patients with Alzheimer's disease (latrepirdine) appears well tolerated and may improve thinking, learning and memory skills among individuals with Huntington's disease, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
February 8, 2010
Hypertension may predict dementia in older adults with certain cognitive deficits
High blood pressure appears to predict the progression to dementia in older adults with impaired executive functions (ability to organize thoughts and make decisions) but not in those with memory dysfunction, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
February 8, 2010
Lower detection of prostate cancer with PSA screening in US than in a European randomized trial
Fewer prostate cancers were detected by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in the US than in a European randomized trial because of lower screening sensitivity, according to a new brief communication published online February 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
February 8, 2010
Usual care often not consistent with clinical guidelines for low back pain
Australian general practitioners often treat patients with low back pain in a manner that does not appear to match the care endorsed by international clinical guidelines, according to a report in the Feb. 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
February 8, 2010
Study examines course and treatment of unexplained chest pain
Fewer than half of individuals who have "non-specific" chest pain (not explained by a well-known condition) experience relief from symptoms following standard medical care, according to a report in the Feb. 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, one-tenth of those with persistent chest pain undergo potentially unnecessary diagnostic testing.
February 8, 2010
Brown biologist solves mystery of tropical grasses' origin
Brown University biologist Erika Edwards and a colleague have found that rainfall, not temperature, was the primary trigger for the evolutionary beginnings of C4 tropical grasses. Their results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
February 8, 2010
Caltech neuroscientists discover brain area responsible for fear of losing money
Neuroscientists at the California Institute of Technology and their colleagues have tied the human aversion to losing money to a specific structure in the brain -- the amygdala.
February 8, 2010
Patients 'unafraid' to gamble highlight role of amygdala in decision-making
Two patients with rare lesions to the brain have provided direct of evidence of how we make decisions -- and what makes us dislike the thought of losing money.
February 8, 2010
JCI online early table of contents: Feb. 8, 2010
This release contains summaries, links to PDFs, and contact information for the following newsworthy papers to be published online, Feb. 8, 2010, in the JCI: Marker of Ewing sarcoma: potential new drug target?; Enhancing arrest of cell growth to treat cancer in mice; New approach to treating the kidney disease Alport syndrome?; Role for the protein HIF-2-alpha in Chuvash polycythemia; Rab25: a suppressor of tumor formation in intestines?; and Complete chemokine profile of a cell.
February 8, 2010
New CATCH rule to determine need for CT scans in children with minor head injury
A new tool may help standardize the use of computed tomography (CT scans) in children with minor head injury and help reduce the number of scans, according to a new study in CMAJ.
February 8, 2010
Marker of Ewing sarcoma: Potential new drug target?
Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is a bone tumor that affects children and young adults. The protein CD99 is highly expressed in most cases of EWS, but its function in the disease is unknown. Now, researchers have identified a crucial role for CD99 in the development of EWS and suggest that targeting CD99 or its downstream molecular pathway may be a new therapeutic approach for EWS.
February 8, 2010
Nicotine replacement therapy is over-promoted since most ex-smokers quit unassisted
Health authorities should emphasize the positive message that the most successful method used by most ex-smokers is unassisted cessation, despite the promotion of cessation drugs by pharmaceutical companies and many tobacco control advocates.
February 8, 2010
Enhancing arrest of cell growth to treat cancer in mice
New research, to be published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, has identified a new type of cellular senescence (i.e., irreversible arrest of cell growth) and determined a way to enhance it to suppress prostate tumor development and growth in mice. These data suggest that enhancing this process might provide a new approach for cancer prevention and therapy.
February 8, 2010
Method of the future uses single-cell imaging to identify gene interactions
Cellular imaging offers a wealth of data about how cells respond to stimuli, but harnessing this technique to study biological systems is a daunting challenge. In a study published online in Genome Research, researchers have developed a novel method of interpreting data from single-cell images to identify genetic interactions within biological networks, offering a glimpse into the future of high-throughput cell imaging analysis.
February 8, 2010
Antiretroviral therapy associated with increase in pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa
In PLoS Medicine this week a study conducted in a multi-country HIV treatment program in sub-Saharan Africa has found that pregnancy rates increase in HIV-infected women after they start antiretroviral therapy.
February 8, 2010
Soft drink consumption may increase risk of pancreatic cancer
Increased sugar intake may stimulate tumor growth through effects of insulin.Pancreatic cancer rates increased nearly twofold over the past several decades.Drinking two or more soft drinks a week led to an 87 percent increased risk.
February 8, 2010
Research reveals link between beer and bone health
A new study suggests that beer is a significant source of dietary silicon, a key ingredient for increasing bone mineral density. Details of this study are available in the February issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Society of Chemical Industry.
February 8, 2010
