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Science News Archive 2009 - Page 16


Page 16 of 277

New computer model could lead to safer stents

A new computer model explains why certain drugs released from stents can cause blood clots and heart attacks, by predicting drug distribution in branched arteries. The findings could aid the FDA in its approval process for stents and lead to safer stent designs.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateDec 7, 2009

Study links factors to choice of infant sleep position

A study has identified three key factors linked to the choice of infant sleep position: physician recommendations, fear of choking, and comfort concerns. Back sleeping remains the most effective means to reduce SIDS risk, with a significant decrease in rates since the Back to Sleep campaign began.

SourceNIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development·JournalArchives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine·DateDec 7, 2009

Difficult childhood may increase disease risk in adulthood

A study found that individuals who experienced psychological or social adversity in childhood may develop lasting emotional, immune, and metabolic abnormalities that increase the risk of age-related diseases. Adverse childhood experiences were linked to depression, high inflammation levels, and metabolic risk factors in adulthood.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalArchives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine·DateDec 7, 2009

Study shows gene positions may aid cancer diagnosis

Researchers have identified genes that switch their nuclear position in tumor cells, offering a potential new method of diagnosing cancer. The study found that eight genes consistently relocated in the nuclei of invasive breast cancer cells, allowing for accurate diagnosis with success rates similar to current clinical tests.

SourceRockefeller University Press·JournalJournal of Cell Biology·DateDec 7, 2009

Higher risk for heart disease and diabetes associated with androgen deprivation therapy

A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists increases the risk of incident diabetes among men of all ages diagnosed with local or regional prostate cancer. The study also found an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including coronary hear...

SourceJournal of the National Cancer Institute·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·DateDec 7, 2009

Transcription factors guide differences in human and chimp brain function

Researchers found that broad differences in gene activity between humans and chimps are coordinated by about 90 transcription factors, which affect nearly 1,000 genes. This suggests a unique regulatory mechanism in the human brain that allows for larger brains and different organ functions.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 7, 2009

Mayo Clinic researchers prove key cancer theory

Researchers demonstrate how aneuploidy, or abnormal number of chromosomes, causes cancer by eliminating tumor suppressor genes. The findings provide a new understanding of the mechanism underlying cancer development and may lead to targeted therapies.

SourceMayo Clinic·JournalCancer Cell·DateDec 7, 2009

NRL's MISSE7 launched aboard STS-129

The experiment aims to understand the durability of advanced materials and electronics when exposed to vacuum, solar radiation, atomic oxygen, and extreme temperatures. The results will provide insights into increasing the performance and useful life of next-generation satellites and launch systems.

December 2009 Lithosphere highlights

The study examines crustal melting during continental subduction, revealing evidence of igneous diapirism and its impact on mountain belts. Researchers also investigate the weight of the Andes affecting the continental crust and correlate the Mocha fracture zone with orogenic uplift.

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalLithosphere·DateDec 7, 2009

Severity of swine flu in the United States

Researchers combined large datasets from Milwaukee and New York City to estimate swine flu severity, finding most deaths occur in non-elderly adults. The study suggests the autumn-winter pandemic wave should have a death toll only slightly higher than or lower than seasonal influenza.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateDec 7, 2009

Playing favorites: Parents still involved after children are grown

New research from Purdue University finds that middle-aged parents help each of their grown children with many types of support every few weeks. Parents are particularly eager to help the child they consider most successful, indicating a complex dynamic where parental involvement is motivated by a desire for reflection and validation.

SourcePurdue University·JournalJournal of Marriage and Family·DateDec 7, 2009

How to read brain activity?

Researchers have found that specific waves in EEG signals can reliably predict neural activity in the brain. By combining EEG and direct neuron recordings, scientists identified a link between 'frequency band coupling' and cell firing rates.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNeuron·DateDec 7, 2009

In cancer-ridden rats, loneliness can kill

Research at Yale University and the University of Chicago found that socially isolated female rats developed more tumors and more malignant types than their group-living counterparts. The study suggests a link between social isolation and cancer susceptibility, particularly in psychiatric disorders.

SourceYale University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 7, 2009

New York autopsies show 2009 H1N1 influenza virus damages entire airway

Autopsies show that the 2009 H1N1 virus causes damage to both upper and lower respiratory tracts, with evidence of secondary bacterial infection present in over half of victims. The study also highlights the impact on younger people and the importance of identifying and treating severe infections.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases·JournalArchives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine·DateDec 7, 2009

Microbes help mothers protect kids from allergies

Researchers found that exposure to environmental bacteria triggers a mild inflammatory response in pregnant mice, rendering their offspring resistant to allergies. This protective mechanism could potentially prevent allergies in people by conditioning the developing immune system to tolerate microbes and allergens.

SourceRockefeller University Press·JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine·DateDec 7, 2009

Facebook (and systems biologists) take note: Network analysis reveals true connections

Researchers developed a universal method to analyze complex networks, including social networks, protein-protein interactions, and air transportation networks. The method accurately predicts missing and spurious connections by averaging all possible groupings of nodes, giving each grouping a weight that reflects its explanatory power.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 7, 2009

Getting a 'Head Start' on obesity prevention

A Temple University study found that 70% of Head Start programs only serve non-fat milk, 94% offer vegetables daily, and 97% provide fruit daily. The program also provides over 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity per day.

SourceTemple University·JournalArchives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine·DateDec 7, 2009

Don't I know you? University of Toronto research sheds light on memorial retrieval

Researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered that the hippocampus is only activated when context cues enable memory recall. This finding sheds light on the mysterious process of retrieving memories, particularly in individuals with damage to the hippocampus, such as those with Alzheimer's or Epilepsy.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 7, 2009

Improving the odds

Scientists at Weizmann Institute of Science have developed a new method for transplanting bone marrow-based stem cells from mismatched donors, restoring the immune system faster and improving cure rates for leukemia patients. The procedure involves infusing regulatory T cells into cancer patients before receiving donor stem cells, lead...

ESC press release: BMI and waist circumference

A large prospective study of over 20,000 Dutch men and women aged 20-65 found that accurately measured BMI and waist circumference can predict the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease. The associations between BMI and waist circumference with heart disease were equally strong, explaining half of all fatal and one quarter ...

SourceEuropean Society of Cardiology·JournalEuropean Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation·DateDec 7, 2009

A see-through surprise

Rice University Professor Junichiro Kono and his team discovered a plasmonic material that can either stop or let through terahertz beams with adjustments to temperature and/or magnetic field. This finding helps close the knowledge gap in the electromagnetic spectrum between electronic and photonic devices.

SourceRice University·JournalNature Physics·DateDec 7, 2009