ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, November 3, 2008
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Simple Chemical Procedure Augments Therapeutic Potential Of Stem Cells (November 3, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a simple method for making a certain class of adult stem cells more therapeutically effective. By attaching a molecule called SLeX to the surface of human cells extracted from bone marrow, researchers have altered how the cells travel through vessels. This might enable the cells to more effectively reach sites of injury and replace damaged tissue. ... > full story
Diabetes Treatment Becomes More Complex, Costly (November 3, 2008) -- Because of the increased number of patients, growing reliance on multiple medications and the shift toward more expensive new medicines, the annual cost of diabetes drugs nearly doubled in only six years, rising from .7 billion in 2001 to .5 billion in 2007. The single greatest contributor was the use of newer, more expensive medications. ... > full story
NASA-enhanced Dust Storm Predictions To Aid Health Community (November 3, 2008) -- NASA satellite data can improve forecasts of dust storms in the American Southwest in ways that can benefit public health managers. ... > full story
Birth Control Pill Does Not Deserve Its Reputation For Causing Weight Gain (November 3, 2008) -- Research has not proven that the pill causes weight gain. But many women are put off using contraceptive pills because this has been listed as one of their adverse effects. Their concern may be narrowing their contraceptive choices without good reason, according to new research. ... > full story
Genetic Differences That Cause Childhood Eye Disease (November 3, 2008) -- Medical researchers have unlocked part of the mystery underlying a childhood eye disease. New research shows how children with some types of glaucoma end up with missing or extra pieces of DNA. ... > full story
African-American Canadians Who Receive Kidney Transplants Fare Better Than Those In US (November 3, 2008) -- African American kidney disease patients in both Canada and the United States are less likely than Caucasian Americans to have access to kidney transplants, but only African-Americans in the United States have worse health outcomes than Caucasians after a transplant is performed, according to a new study. The results could further open the debate about what has driven the disparities seen only in the United States. ... > full story
Systems Biology And Glycomics Applied To Study Of Human Inflammatory Diseases (November 3, 2008) -- An innovative systems biology approach to understanding the carbohydrate structures in cells is leading to new ways to understand how inflammatory illnesses and cardiovascular disease develop in humans. ... > full story
Patients Give Low Scores To Hospitals In First National Survey (November 3, 2008) -- Researchers analyzed the first national data on patients' experiences in hospital settings and found that though patients are generally satisfied with their care, there is substantial room for improvement in a number of key areas, including pain management and discharge instructions. ... > full story
Transplantation: 'Molecular Miscegenation' Blurs The Boundary Between Self And Non-self (November 2, 2008) -- A new discovery by London biologists may yield new ways of handling transplant rejection. Scientists confirm the two-way transfer of a molecule that instructs the immune system to tell "self" from "non-self." By disrupting the transfer of this molecule, newly transplanted organs should become "invisible" to the host's immune system. Such an advance would be considered a major medical breakthrough. ... > full story
Severe Gestational Hypertension May Protect Sons Against Testicular Cancer (November 2, 2008) -- Women who experience severe gestational hypertension may give birth to boys at lower risk for testicular cancer, although the exact reasons why are still unclear. ... > full story
Ultrasound Shown To Exert Remote Control Of Brain Circuits (November 2, 2008) -- In a twist on nontraditional uses of ultrasound, neuroscientists have developed pulsed ultrasound techniques that can remotely stimulate brain circuit activity. The findings provide insights into how low-power ultrasound can be harnessed for the noninvasive neurostimulation of brain circuits and offers the potential for new treatments of brain disorders and disease. ... > full story
Does Your Personality Influence Who You Vote For? (November 2, 2008) -- Does your personality influence who you vote for? The short answer is yes, according to one professor of psychology. As Americans go to the polls in record numbers to vote for the next U.S. president, some voters will crave social stability and others will crave social change. Liberals and conservatives divide according to these personality preferences. ... > full story
Simple Blood Test Predicts Obesity (November 2, 2008) -- According to new research, the degree of change in blood triglyceride levels following a fatty meal may indicate susceptibility to diet-induced obesity. The findings open doors to new methods of identifying people, including children, who are at risk for becoming obese. ... > full story
Friend Or Foe? How The Body's Clot-busting System Speeds Up Atherosclerosis (November 2, 2008) -- Scientists have been puzzled by the fact that high levels of plasmin in blood and high levels of urokinase in artery walls are linked to high risk for rapid progression of atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Are these naturally occurring clot busters contributors to disease or evidence of the body's attempt to fight it? Molecular biology research shows interactions between urokinase and plasminogen accelerate atherosclerosis. Genetic loss of plasminogen production (the precursor to plasmin) protects mice against atherosclerosis, even when urokinase levels are elevated. ... > full story
Children Of Smokers Tend To Be More Impulsive (November 2, 2008) -- Adolescents may have more in common with their smoking parents than previously thought. These adolescents may also share a tendency to act impulsively, a trait that could be linked to a decision to become a smoker. ... > full story
Aggressive, Personalized Treatment Increases Kidney Cancer Patient Survival, Study Shows (November 2, 2008) -- A study of nearly 1,500 patients treated for kidney cancer in the last 15 years shows that an aggressive, tailored treatment approach results in better survival rates and also uncovers subsets of kidney cancer that behave differently and need to be treated accordingly. ... > full story
New Tumor Inhibitor For Treatment Of Hereditary Breast Cancer Shows Promising Results In Mouse Model (November 2, 2008) -- Researchers used the novel inhibitor AZD2281 to target breast cancer, in which the BRCA1-gene plays a role, in a genetically engineered mouse model. Treatment resulted in tumor regression and a strong increase in survival without signs of toxicity. The inhibitor, which recently entered trials in human cancer patients, thus seems to have therapeutic potential for BRCA-defective tumors. ... > full story
Minimizing Downtime By Decentralizing Control In Complex, Computerized Systems (November 2, 2008) -- When complex, computerized control systems encounter a malfunction in any part of the process they control, the whole operation often grinds to a halt while the problem is diagnosed and fixed. New software overcomes that problem by decentralization. ... > full story
Ageism More Prevalent Than Racism Among Presidential Voters, Study Finds (November 2, 2008) -- An ongoing study of 20,000 registered voters has found that far more of them would vote against Sen. John McCain because of his age than would vote against Sen. Barack Obama because of his race. ... > full story
Scientists Identify Machinery That Helps Make Memories (November 1, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a missing-link molecule that helps to explain the process of plasticity in the brain during memory creation and that could lead to targeted therapies. ... > full story
Grapes And Grape Extracts May Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Review Article Suggests (November 1, 2008) -- A growing body of research data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from grapes, including red wine, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a review article in Nutrition Research. ... > full story
Quantum Computers? Internet Security Code Of The Future Cracked (November 1, 2008) -- Computer science experts have managed to crack the so-called McEliece encryption system. This system is a candidate for the security of Internet traffic in the age of the quantum computer -- the predicted super-powerful computer of the future. ... > full story
A Pretty Face Can Make A Difference In Whom You Vote For (November 1, 2008) -- It's not surprising that everyone is talking about the great looks of Sarah Palin. The decision to play up the looks of the former beauty queen is a winning strategy. A perception of competence is not enough to give women the winning edge in political contests. For both male and female voters, female political candidates needed to be seen as attractive as well as competent to get their votes. ... > full story
Interferon Could Be A Key To Preventing Or Treating Multiple Sclerosis (November 1, 2008) -- Multiple sclerosis results when the body's own defense system attacks nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Now scientists have shown that interferon-gamma plays a deciding role in whether immune cells attack and injure the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) in mice. ... > full story
Cell Changes Leading To Impaired 'Artificial Kidney' Function Identified (November 1, 2008) -- Molecular targets identified by a Spanish research team may hold the key to freedom for some sufferers of kidney disease. A new study reveals the cellular signals which cause one treatment for kidney failure to lose its usefulness over time. ... > full story
Optical Firewall Aims To Clear Internet Security Bottlenecks (November 1, 2008) -- Researchers are developing the world’s first optical firewall capable of analyzing data on fiber optic networks at speeds of 40 gigabits per second. The work promises to save the internet from the looming threat of network security bottlenecks. ... > full story
Presidential Candidates' Television Ads Most Negative In History (November 1, 2008) -- The 2008 presidential campaign, as reflected in candidates' television spots, has been one of the most negative campaigns in history. A University of Missouri professor analyzed this year's candidates' television spots, including last night's 30-minute ad by Sen. Barack Obama, and found that only one other campaign matched this level of negativity. ... > full story
'Old Blood' Linked To Infection (November 1, 2008) -- Patients who received transfusions with blood stored for 29 days or more were twice as likely to suffer from nosocomial infections, including pneumonia, upper respiratory infections and sepsis, with the oldest blood being associated with the most infections. Currently, federal regulations allow red blood cells to be stored up to 42 days, after which they must be discarded. ... > full story
Behavioral Link Between Breastfeeding And Lower Risk Of Childhood Obesity (November 1, 2008) -- While breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of childhood obesity, the reason isn't clear. Researchers think it might have something to do with mom's attitudes and behavior at feeding time. ... > full story
Conditions That Initiate Erosion Identified (November 1, 2008) -- Engineers have demonstrated that sustained spikes in turbulence are responsible for dislodging particles, whether on land or in the water. ... > full story
Social Media And Presidential Election: Impact Of YouTube, MySpace (November 1, 2008) -- What is the impact of media on the political landscape in the US? Researchers are investigating the impact of hugely popular social media's impact on the upcoming presidential contest. ... > full story
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