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Science News for March 24, 2008


Corn's roots dig deeper into South America

Researchers have discovered evidence of maize consumption in tropical Ecuador dating back over 5,000 years. The findings suggest that corn was a vital food crop for villages in the region, contradicting previous theories that it was only used for ritual purposes.

SourceUniversity of Calgary·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 24, 2008

When should children infected with HIV start medication

The article discusses the controversy surrounding when to initiate antiretroviral treatment in children with HIV. Dr. Steven Welch argues for deferred treatment to avoid poor adherence habits and drug resistance, while Professor Di Gibb advocates for early initiation to prevent disease progression and promote healthy growth.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateMar 24, 2008

Too much information? Study shows how ignorance can be influential

Researchers Isabelle Brocas and Juan D. Carrillo present a situation where one party controls public opinion despite having access to the same information as others. This phenomenon, known as 'influence through ignorance,' occurs when power comes from controlling the flow of public information rather than possessing private information.

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalThe RAND Journal of Economics·DateMar 24, 2008

Social contacts and mixing patterns

A study of 7,290 participants in eight European countries identified patterns of person-to-person contact relevant to controlling the spread of infectious diseases. Statins impair antitumor effects of rituximab and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against B cell lymphoma cells.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateMar 24, 2008

MRI: A window to genetic properties of brain tumors

Researchers have shown that MRI can non-invasively characterize brain tumors and determine which are responsive to specific treatments based on their molecular properties. The study identified five distinct MRI features linked with particular gene expression patterns, including those associated with tumor proliferation and growth.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 24, 2008

JAMA editor-in-chief comments on Pfizer lawsuit

A recent court ruling supported JAMA and Archives of Internal Medicine in their opposition to Pfizer's subpoena for confidential information regarding COX-2 inhibitors. The subpoenas sought documents related to the decision-making process, but the court ruled that this information was irrelevant to the pending claims.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA·DateMar 24, 2008

OHSU Cancer Institute researchers identify new approach to help control drug resistance in leukemia

OHSU Cancer Institute researchers found that SGX393 is effective against Gleevec-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by inhibiting T315I mutant and most, but not all, other Gleevec-resistant mutants. The combination of SGX393 with Sprycel or Tasigna completely suppressed resistance in a pre-clinical study.

SourceOregon Health & Science University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 24, 2008

Birth of an enzyme

Researchers designed an enzyme for a specific reaction using computational design, but the synthetic enzyme was less efficient than naturally occurring ones. However, by allowing the enzyme to undergo 'evolution in a test tube,' they were able to improve its efficiency 200-fold and increase reaction rates by a million-fold.