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Science News Archive July 2009 - Page 5


Page 5 of 23

UCSF team focuses on patient safety in ambulatory care system

The UCSF team emphasizes that outpatient care for chronic disease patients poses unique challenges, including lack of communication, inadequate resources, and medication management. To improve safety, the authors advocate for targeted safety promotion efforts and robust health information technology systems.

SourceUniversity of California - San Francisco·JournalThe Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety·DateJul 27, 2009

Divorce undermines health in ways remarriage doesn't heal

A study by University of Chicago sociologist Linda Waite found that divorce and widowhood have a detrimental impact on health, even after remarriage. Research based on 8,652 people aged 51 to 61 shows that those who have been divorced or widowed experience worse health outcomes compared to those who remain married.

SourceUniversity of Chicago·JournalJournal of Health and Social Behavior·DateJul 27, 2009

New FDA regulation of tobacco products has problems

A new FDA regulation on tobacco products has been met with criticism from advocates, who argue that it compromises long-term progress in tobacco control. The law repeals federal pre-emption of state and local regulations, but also allows the tobacco industry to rehabilitate its image through FDA-regulated products.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateJul 27, 2009

A yeast cancer model for mapping cancer genes

Researchers have developed a yeast model to identify genes that contribute to cancer growth. The study found that point mutations in just a few genetic loci are responsible for the faster growth of cells, rather than aneuploidy. This discovery could help guide the search for new cancer genes in humans.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateJul 27, 2009

Case Western Reserve researchers discover the key to malaria susceptibility in children

Case Western Reserve researchers found that prenatal exposure to Plasmodium falciparum results in parasite tolerance, increasing susceptibility to malaria and anemia in young children. The study identified three groups: sensitized, exposed-not-sensitized, and not-exposed, with the latter group having a higher risk of malaria infection.

SourceCase Western Reserve University·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateJul 27, 2009

Researchers develop 'brain-reading' methods

Scientists at Rutgers University and UCLA have developed a highly accurate way to peer into the brain to uncover a person's mental state. They found that specific mental functions do not correspond directly with certain brain areas but rather a unique pattern of neural connections.

SourceRutgers University·JournalPsychological Science·DateJul 27, 2009

Video shows nanotube spins as it grows

The study provides the first experimental evidence of how individual carbon atoms are added to growing nanotubes. The rotation proceeds in discrete steps, resembling the halting motion of a mechanical clock's second hand, with approximately 24 steps per rotation.

SourceRice University·JournalNano Letters·DateJul 27, 2009

After dinosaurs, mammals rise but their genomes get smaller

A recent study found that only one group of mammals - humans, mice, and their close relatives - have seen their genomes decrease in size since the dinosaurs went extinct. This trend continues today, with human genomes undergoing a contraction, although noticeable changes won't be observed for several million years.

SourceIndiana University·JournalGenome Biology and Evolution·DateJul 27, 2009

Yawn alert for weary drivers

A computer program can now detect driver yawning, which is a common cause of fatigue and road crashes. The system uses an in-car camera and image-processing software to identify yawning patterns and correlates them with fatigue behavior.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics·DateJul 27, 2009

Why retroviruses such as HIV love their neighbors

Researchers at Yale University have discovered that infected cells produce viruses specifically at the point of contact between cells, making cell-to-cell transmission efficient and deadly. The study identified a possible weakness in this transmission chain by finding a sticky protein that docks with uninfected cells.

SourceYale University·JournalPLOS Biology·DateJul 27, 2009

Ethics review of research in the context of humanitarian relief work

The article describes the functioning of MSF's independent ERB, which has reviewed over 23 proposals since its inception. The board provides crucial ethical oversight to ensure community empowerment and vulnerable individuals' protection in research settings. Additionally, PLOS Medicine editors discuss the role of journals in addressin...

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateJul 27, 2009

Surgery remans an option for advanced lung cancer

A major study published in The Lancet found that surgery after chemotherapy and radiation can prolong survival without progression of the lung cancer, but does not improve overall survival compared to conventional treatment alone. Patients who underwent a section of the lung removal saw a major benefit from surgery.

SourceLoyola Medicine·JournalThe Lancet·DateJul 26, 2009

New predictions for sea level rise

Researchers at University of Bristol predict sea level rise will be between 7-82 cm by end of century, similar to IPCC projections. The new model uses fossil coral data and temperature records from ice-core measurements to achieve accurate predictions.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalNature Geoscience·DateJul 26, 2009