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Science News Archive June 2007


Page 1 of 17

Anti-gay hate crimes widespread

A new study by University of California, Davis professor Gregory Herek found that nearly four in 10 gay men and about one in eight lesbians and bisexuals have been targeted due to their sexual orientation. The survey also revealed significant disparities in victimization rates among gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis·JournalJournal of Interpersonal Violence·DateJun 29, 2007

Key to male infertility

Researchers at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have isolated MIF, a substance in semen that regulates sperm maturity and fertility. Elevated or low levels of MIF were found to be associated with infertility, while high levels were linked to autoimmune diseases.

SourceNorthwell Health·JournalMolecular Medicine·DateJun 29, 2007

New dynamic brace developed to advance clubfoot treatment

A new dynamic brace, designed by Matthew B. Dobbs, has shown to be at least as effective as traditional braces in treating clubfoot, while resulting in better parental compliance. The brace allows for active movement, preserves muscle strength, and is less restrictive than traditional braces.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalJournal of Pediatric Orthopaedics·DateJun 28, 2007

Stem cell therapy to prevent heart attacks

Researchers explored the use of autologous cells derived from bone marrow cells (BMC) to strengthen cardiac function and prevent heart attacks. The study found a significant reduction in clinical events, including death, heart attack, or revascularization, in patients who received BMC infusion compared to placebo.

SourceThe Lancet_DELETED·JournalThe Lancet·DateJun 28, 2007

New study shows how often juries get it wrong

A Northwestern University study found that juries give wrong verdicts in at least one out of eight cases, with agreement rates between judges and jurors varying between 77-80%. The study uses statistical analysis to estimate the accuracy of jury verdicts, suggesting that juries may be less accurate than judges in certain cases.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalJournal of Empirical Legal Studies·DateJun 28, 2007

New study shows Rescue Remedy is an effective all-natural stress, anxiety reliever

A recent study published in Complementary Health Practice Review found Rescue Remedy to be an effective all-natural stress reliever comparable to pharmaceutical drugs without adverse side effects. The remedy, containing five flower essences, was administered to 111 individuals and showed significant reduction in situational anxiety.

SourceNelsons, Inc.·JournalComplementary health practice review·DateJun 28, 2007

It's not all the parent's fault: Delinquency in children now linked to biology

A study published in Psychological Science found that a highly reactive autonomic nervous system and stressful family environment contribute to increased instances of maladaptive personality change in children. Researchers assessed 138 elementary school-aged children using a Skin Conductance Response test, which measured their autonomi...

SourceBlackwell Publishing Ltd.·JournalPsychological Science·DateJun 28, 2007

Penn researchers develop new method for screening drug-resistant forms of HIV

Penn researchers have developed a new method for screening drug-resistant forms of HIV that analyzes multiple HIV variants simultaneously, while also reducing time and costs. The technique uses DNA bar coding and pyrosequencing to quantify and characterize hundreds of thousands of HIV variants for drug resistance in a single test.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalNucleic Acids Research·DateJun 28, 2007

Sperm abnormalities seen in male lupus patients

A new study found that male lupus patients have high frequency of sperm abnormalities associated with reduced testicular volume. Treatment with IV CYC was identified as the major factor in permanent damage to the testes, leading to lower median testicular volumes and semen abnormalities.

SourceWiley·JournalArthritis & Rheumatism·DateJun 28, 2007

1 in 10 hospice patients referred 'too late,' study shows

A new study by Brown University researchers found that one in 10 hospice patients are referred 'too late' for services, resulting in unmet needs. Families who reported having a loved one referred 'too late' were dissatisfied with the care received and reported more pain management problems.

SourceBrown University·JournalJournal of Pain and Symptom Management·DateJun 28, 2007

Hib vaccine: A critical ally in Asia's effort to reduce child deaths

A new study from Bangladesh found that routine Hib vaccination prevented over one-third of life-threatening pneumonia cases and approximately 90% of Hib meningitis cases. The vaccine has been shown to be a feasible and highly effective way of preventing death related to Hib pneumonia and meningitis in Asian children.

SourceThe Hib Initiative at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health·JournalThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal·DateJun 28, 2007

Branding matters -- even when searching

A study by Penn State found that branding matters when searching online, with participants favoring Yahoo! and Google over MSN Live Search and an in-house engine. The researchers believe emotional branding has an impact on the evaluation of search engine results, leading to a 15% higher score for Yahoo!.

Rheumatologists overestimate physical disability of rheumatoid arthritis patients

A study by USF Health found that rheumatologists consistently rate their patients' functional disability higher than the patients themselves, particularly in advanced stages of the disease. The researchers used the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and evaluated 223 patients, finding that rheumatologist...

SourceUniversity of South Florida (USF Health)·JournalThe Journal of Rheumatology·DateJun 28, 2007

Cigarette taxes do reduce smoking but can lead to bootlegging, says Mailman School of PH

Increasing cigarette taxes is an effective strategy for reducing tobacco use, but it can also reinforce smoking and undermine cessation efforts in low-income minority communities. The study found that illegal street sales of untaxed cigarettes increased after the price hike, making cessation programs less attractive.

SourceColumbia University's Mailman School of Public Health·JournalAmerican Journal of Public Health·DateJun 28, 2007

Breast cancer prognosis runs in the family

A Swedish study found that women who develop breast cancer are more likely to die from the disease if their daughters or sisters also have it. Research suggests a woman's breast cancer prognosis predicts survival of her first-degree relatives, with those whose mothers died within five years having a 70% chance of survival.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBreast Cancer Research·DateJun 28, 2007

Study shows surgery is more effective than other treatments for common back problem

A new study shows surgery significantly improves results for patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis compared to non-surgical alternatives. Surgery provides quick relief from symptoms and improved function, especially within six weeks after the procedure.

Where did we come from, and how did we get to where we live today?

The Genographic Project, launched in 2005, uses genetics to address anthropological questions globally. The project provides a periodically-updated database comprising all donated data and the Nearest Neighbor haplogroup prediction tool, allowing for accurate classification of mitochondrial lineages.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Genetics·DateJun 28, 2007