Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News Archive 2008 - Page 50


Page 50 of 240

Depression, health care services and heart attacks -- what's the connection?

A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that depression symptoms are associated with a nine percent increase in heart-related hospitalizations and a 43 percent increase in non-heart related hospitalization visits after a heart attack. Depression caused the greatest increase in health service use in those patient...

SourceCentre for Addiction and Mental Health·JournalBMC Health Services Research·DateOct 21, 2008

A special issue on space physics

Papers in this special issue cover data analysis and investigations of the Double Star Program, as well as CMEs, Solar wind, and magnetosphere topics. The conference brought together prominent researchers, including Z.X.LIU and S.T. WU, to share their latest findings on solar and magnetospheric physics.

Johns Hopkins researchers detect sweet cacophony while listening to cellular cross-talk

Researchers have discovered a key role of sugar molecules in regulating cellular processes, potentially leading to new treatments for diseases like diabetes, neurodegeneration, and cancer. The findings suggest that sugar molecules can influence protein function and interactions, providing a new target for manipulation by drugs.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 20, 2008

Ruthenium in a clinch

A new ruthenium catalyst allows for the selective synthesis of primary amines directly from alcohols and ammonia under mild conditions. This process avoids toxic reagents and waste products, making it ecologically and economically beneficial.

SourceWiley·DateOct 20, 2008

'A dinosaur dance floor'

Researchers identified over 1,000 dinosaur tracks at a site in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, providing evidence of wet intervals during the Early Jurassic Period. The site includes rare tail-drag marks, revealing at least four dinosaur species gathered at the watering hole.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalPalaios·DateOct 20, 2008

Researchers estimate lives lost due to delay in antiretroviral drug use for HIV/AIDS in South Africa

The study estimates that more than 330,000 lives were lost to HIV/AIDS in South Africa between 2000 and 2005 due to the delay in implementing antiretroviral treatment. The researchers also found that an estimated 35,000 babies were born with HIV during this period due to the lack of a mother-to-child transmission prophylaxis program.

SourceHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health·JournalJAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes·DateOct 20, 2008

Increased rate of hemangiomas linked to rise in number of low birth weight infants in US

A study found that low birth weight is a significant risk factor for infantile hemangiomas, with a nine-fold increase for every 1.1-pound decrease in birth weight. The number of low birth weight infants has increased significantly in the US, contributing to an estimated 40% rise in infantile hemangioma incidence over the last 20 years.

SourceMedical College of Wisconsin·JournalThe Journal of Pediatrics·DateOct 20, 2008

Is tobacco use a disease?

Researchers propose alternative strategies to combat tobacco use, focusing on vulnerable populations such as homeless individuals, Aboriginal people, and those with mental illness. New approaches aim to better understand the underlying factors hindering population-based interventions.

SourceCanadian Medical Association Journal·JournalCanadian Medical Association Journal·DateOct 20, 2008

'Dry cleaning effect' explained by forgetful Yale researcher

A Yale researcher suggests that a competition between brain areas can explain why people forget tasks, such as dropping off dry cleaning. This 'dry cleaning effect' involves the interaction between the striatum and hippocampus, which may be relevant to understanding mental illnesses like obsessive-compulsive disorder.

SourceYale University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 20, 2008

Pesticide concentrations decreasing

A new USGS study published in the Journal of Environmental Quality shows that pesticide contamination in groundwater has decreased over the past decade. Only six compounds were detected in ground water from at least 10 wells during the study period, with concentrations less than 0.12 parts per billion.

SourceAmerican Society of Agronomy·JournalJournal of Environmental Quality·DateOct 20, 2008

Race and insurance status associated with death from trauma

A study of 429,751 trauma patients found that African American and Hispanic patients had significantly higher death rates compared to white patients. Uninsured patients also had a higher death risk, with mortality rates doubling for African American and Hispanic patients compared to white patients.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalArchives of Surgery·DateOct 20, 2008

Study: Immigrants close earning gap more slowly than previously thought

A study by University of Illinois economist Darren Lubotsky found that immigrants' earnings growth is slower than expected, with only a 10-15% annual increase over their first 20 years in the US. This challenges widely used census-based projections and highlights the need for more accurate data on immigrant earnings.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalJournal of Political Economy·DateOct 20, 2008

Orange appeal to clean up dirty water

Researchers in Algeria have discovered that orange peel can effectively remove acidic dyes from industrial effluent, blocking sunlight and harming photosynthesizing plant species. The study found that absorption time depends on dye concentration and temperature, with strong dyes absorbed at up to 70 milligrams per gram of orange peel.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Environment and Pollution·DateOct 20, 2008

Contact lenses are home to pathogenic amoebae

A high percentage of contact lens cases in Tenerife are contaminated with pathogenic Acanthamoeba that cannot be killed by normal contact lens solution. The infection is very painful and can cause blindness. Researchers have found that commercial contact lens solutions do not protect against amoebic keratitis.

SourceMicrobiology Society·JournalJournal of Medical Microbiology·DateOct 20, 2008

Research around the North Pole

The German research vessel Polarstern has completed its Arctic expedition, collecting data on the geology of the Arctic area and the development of ocean currents. Researchers discovered large sliding masses beneath the seafloor, indicating significant sediment relocations in the region.