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Science News Archive December 2012 - Page 9


Page 9 of 24

Bullying by childhood peers leaves a trace that can change the expression of a gene linked to mood

A study by Isabelle Ouellet-Morin found that bullying by peers alters the structure surrounding a gene involved in mood regulation, making victims more vulnerable to mental health problems. The research suggests that victimization experiences in childhood can change not only stress response but also gene functioning related to mood.

SourceUniversity of Montreal·JournalPsychological Medicine·DateDec 17, 2012

Food insecurity predicts mental health problems in adolescents

A new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that food insecurity is strongly associated with adolescent mental disorders. The study examined 6,483 adolescents aged 13-17 years and found that a one standard deviation increase in food insecurity was linked to a 14% increased odds ...

SourceElsevier·JournalJournal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry·DateDec 17, 2012

'Mind the gap!'

The Natura 2000 network's effectiveness in covering European species is evaluated, with mixed results. The analysis shows that the network mostly covers target species but has gaps in representation, especially for narrow-ranged species.

SourcePensoft Publishers·JournalNature Conservation·DateDec 17, 2012

UH Case Medical Center & Reach Ventures form Socrates Analytics to market hospital data software

Socrates Analytics provides a cloud-based software program that collects, standardizes, analyzes, and reports on disparate hospital billing, administrative, and operating room data. This enables hospitals to interpret complex administrative data, view trends, outliers, and variability in care processes, ultimately improving efficiency ...

New technique could make cell-based immune therapies for cancer safer and more effective

Researchers have developed a new technique to create targeted immunotherapies for cancer, recognizing antigens on cancer cells that are not found on healthy cells. The approach uses chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and costimulatory receptors (CCRs), allowing T cells to attack specific types of cancer cells while sparing normal cells.

SourceMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center·JournalNature Biotechnology·DateDec 16, 2012

Exploding star missing from formation of solar system

Researchers found iron 60, a radioactive sign of an exploding star, in low abundance and uniformly distributed in solar system material. The findings suggest the low levels of iron 60 likely came from long-term accumulation of iron 60 in interstellar medium rather than a nearby cataclysmic event.

SourceUniversity of Chicago·JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters·DateDec 16, 2012

Kidney failure under the microscope

Researchers at Monash University used advanced microscopy techniques to visualize the movements of white blood cells in healthy and diseased kidneys. They found that leukocytes are constantly circulating through and patrolling blood vessels within healthy kidneys, but become agitated during disease, causing inflammation and kidney damage.

SourceMonash University·JournalNature Medicine·DateDec 16, 2012

Study confirms prognostic value of new IASLC/ATS/ERS adenocarcinoma sub-classification

A new study validates the IASLC/ATS/ERS classification for lung adenocarcinomas among Japanese patients, revealing prognostic value in histologic subtypes. The classification identifies specific molecular markers, such as EGFR and KRAS mutations, associated with prognosis and treatment outcomes.

SourceInternational Association for the Study of Lung Cancer·JournalJournal of Thoracic Oncology·DateDec 15, 2012

Community-based nutrition education shown to be successful in increasing calcium intake

Researchers found that Vietnamese women who received nutrition education counselling showed significant increases in calcium intake and stable bone mass. In contrast, the control group experienced decreased bone mass. The study suggests community-based education programmes can improve bone health in postmenopausal women.

SourceInternational Osteoporosis Foundation·JournalOsteoporosis International·DateDec 15, 2012

'House hunters walrus'

A University of Delaware research team has developed a novel camera system to map the surface topography of Arctic sea ice, enabling accurate habitat classification for threatened walruses. The system uses areas of higher competence to interpolate lower-confidence areas, resulting in dense 3-D reconstructions with precision accuracy wi...

In decision-making, it might be worth trusting your gut

A new study published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes found that experts are more effective when making intuitive decisions, especially in tasks with less structure. In two studies, researchers compared expert and non-expert participants on basketball shot difficulty and designer handbag authenticity tasks. Resu...

SourceRice University·JournalOrganizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes·DateDec 14, 2012

New findings on killer bacteria's defence

Researchers at Lund University discovered that antibodies in the immune system can be turned around by certain bacteria, affecting their recognition and neutralization. The study shows that this phenomenon varies depending on the severity of the infection, with more serious diseases having the correct antibody orientation.

SourceLund University·JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine·DateDec 14, 2012