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Science News Archive February 2008


Page 1 of 19

Of mice and men ... and kidney stones

Researchers discovered that mice are more efficient at removing oxalate from the body, a crucial step in preventing kidney stones. This finding holds promise for developing improved treatments and paving the way for a mouse model of the disease.

SourceWiley·JournalThe Journal of Physiology·DateFeb 29, 2008

Simple screening questionnaire for kidney disease outperforms current clinical practice guidelines

A new screening questionnaire, SCORED, has been shown to be more accurate and efficient in identifying individuals with silent chronic kidney disease than current clinical practice guidelines. The test correctly identifies patients at risk for CKD 88-95% of the time and defines high-risk individuals 25% fewer times.

SourceNewYork-Presbyterian·JournalArchives of Internal Medicine·DateFeb 29, 2008

Popular alternative therapy for psoriasis performs no better than placebo

A recent study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, had a low response rate in patients with psoriasis. Despite laboratory evidence showing its potential, the study suggests that the placebo effect or natural remission may be responsible for the limited results.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology·DateFeb 29, 2008

Children with autism may learn from 'virtual peers'

Researchers at Northwestern University have found that children with high-functioning autism produce more contingent sentences when interacting with virtual peers. This suggests that virtual peers can be a useful tool in helping children with autism develop communication and social skills. The study aims to generalize these skills to m...

Genetic factors in smoking also increase risk of chronic bronchitis

Researchers found that genetic factors account for 40% of the risk for chronic bronchitis, but also identified a link between genetic predisposition to smoking and the development of the disease. The study suggests that smoking remains a primary risk factor for chronic bronchitis, regardless of genetic background.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateFeb 29, 2008

Certain vitamin supplements may increase lung cancer risk, especially in smokers

A study published by the American Thoracic Society found that certain vitamin supplements, including multivitits, vitamin C, and folate, did not protect against lung cancer and may even increase the risk. The risk was highest among current smokers, with a seven percent rise in risk for every 100mg/day of supplemental vitamin E.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateFeb 29, 2008

Liquid water found flowing on Mars? Not yet

Researchers used topographic data from NASA's HiRISE camera to determine how a flow of pure liquid water would look on the images versus an avalanche of dry granular debris. The study found that the dry granular case was the winner, suggesting that liquid water has not been found on the Martian surface within the last decade.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalGeology·DateFeb 29, 2008

When the rules of the game are broken: Research studies sports injuries related to illegal activity

A study by Nationwide Children's Hospital found that more than 98,000 high school sports-related injuries were directly linked to illegal activities, with the highest rates in girls' soccer and volleyball. The research suggests that reducing illegal activity through rule enforcement and education may reduce sports-related injuries.

SourceNationwide Children's Hospital·JournalInjury Prevention·DateFeb 29, 2008

Study shows Darwin was wrong about the origins of chickens

A new study found that chickens have a different version of a gene that codes for white skin, but the yellow-skin variant is present in a completely different wild species, grey junglefowl. This discovery contradicts Charles Darwin's theory that all chickens came from a wild red junglefowl species.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Genetics·DateFeb 29, 2008

New genetic association with schizophrenia found by researchers

Researchers discovered a new genetic link between the MEGF10 gene and schizophrenia, finding that a variant of the gene is associated with increased heritability risk. The study also found that the MEGF10 gene is expressed more extensively in post-mortem brain tissue from individuals with schizophrenia.

SourceElsevier·JournalBiological Psychiatry·DateFeb 28, 2008

New study examines the price of democracy when foreign investors 'vote' with their dollars

A new study by University of Minnesota professor Paul Vaaler reveals that foreign investors respond to shifting partisan political tides during election years in emerging-market countries. When the likely swing is to the right-wing, foreign investment projects increase, while left-wing swings lead to a decrease in new investments.

SourceUniversity of Minnesota·JournalAcademy of Management Journal·DateFeb 28, 2008

Is your drinking water safe?

A study of Lake Bloomington, a major source of drinking water for central Illinois residents, reveals high nitrate concentrations exceeding safe levels. The research aims to inform producers on nitrogen fertilizer management in sensitive watershed areas.

SourceAmerican Society of Agronomy·JournalJournal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education·DateFeb 28, 2008

Improving the quality of laboratory data with computer modeling

Researchers have developed a new statistical model to clean up low-quality HLA data, enabling easier and more cost-effective individual immune system analysis. This advancement has significant implications for transplant medicine, disease diagnosis, and understanding viral evolution.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateFeb 28, 2008

Weill Cornell team identifies potential new drug targets against hormone-dependent breast cancer

A Weill Cornell team discovered that EP2 and EP4 receptors play a key role in boosting estrogen production in fat and breast cancer cells. This pathway increases the risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The study's findings suggest new targets for pharmaceutical research, including drugs that target these receptors.

SourceNewYork-Presbyterian·JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry·DateFeb 28, 2008

Hormone replacement therapy appears to have no effect on risk and severity of rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers have found that hormone replacement therapy does not significantly affect the risk of developing or exacerbating rheumatoid arthritis. The study analyzed data from over 27,000 postmenopausal women taking part in a clinical trial, revealing no notable differences between those on hormone replacement therapy and placebo groups.

SourceWiley·JournalArthritis Care & Research·DateFeb 28, 2008