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Science News Archive July 2012 - Page 13


Page 13 of 26

Vitamin B12 supplements may help treat hepatitis C

A pilot study found that adding vitamin B12 to standard hepatitis C virus treatment significantly boosts the body's ability to keep the virus at bay, especially in patients with genotype 1 HCV or high viral loads. The treatment strengthened the rate of sustained viral response by 34%.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalGut·DateJul 17, 2012

Female money doesn't buy male happiness

A new study by Patrick Coughlin and Jay Wade found that macho men who accept their partner's higher income have better quality relationships. Conversely, those with traditional masculinity ideologies report low-quality relationships due to the disparity in income.

SourceSpringer·JournalSex Roles·DateJul 17, 2012

Workplace exposure to organic solvents linked to heart defects at birth

Research found associations between exposure to certain organic solvents and an increased risk of heart defects in newborns. The study, published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, suggests that workplace exposure to organic solvents may be a potential risk factor for several types of congenital heart defects at birth.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalOccupational and Environmental Medicine·DateJul 17, 2012

Unmet needs: Adolescents and young adult cancer patients lack psychological, social support

New research reveals that adolescents and young adult cancer patients often lack access to the necessary psychological, social support, and information resources. Studies found significant proportions of patients in this age group report unmet needs for mental health services, camp programs, and age-appropriate online resources.

Punishment motivated by fairness, not revenge

A study published in Biology Letters found that humans punish cheats only when they end up better off than the punisher, challenging the notion of revenge-based motivation. The researchers aimed to clarify the relationship between punishment and cooperation by investigating underlying motivations.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalBiology Letters·DateJul 17, 2012

Klerman/Freedman Awards

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Scientific Council has recognized six exceptional young researchers for their outstanding contributions to mental health research. The awards honor achievements in clinical and basic mental health research, including studies on vascular disease, synaptic dysfunction, and mood disorders.

Certain jobs dads do linked to higher risk of birth defects

Research published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that certain jobs carried out by fathers may be linked to an increased risk of birth defects in their babies. Jobs such as mathematicians, physicists, and computer scientists, as well as artists and photographers, were associated with a higher risk of birth defects.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalOccupational and Environmental Medicine·DateJul 17, 2012

Vitamin E may lower liver cancer risk

A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that high vitamin E intake from diet or supplements is associated with lower liver cancer risk. The analysis included 132,837 individuals and showed a clear inverse dose-response relation between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk.

SourceVanderbilt University Medical Center·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·DateJul 17, 2012

Autonomous robot maps ship hulls for mines

Researchers have designed an algorithm that enables robots to navigate and view complex structures on ships, including propellers and shafts, using sonar data. The system can detect small mines as small as an iPod and significantly improves the robot's path length, making it competitive with divers in speed and efficiency.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalThe International Journal of Robotics Research·DateJul 17, 2012

In search of the key word

Researchers found long-range correlation between letters and words within texts, enabling conclusions about topic connections. Burstiness analysis also reveals representative words in passages.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 17, 2012

Social entrepreneurship for sexual health

A social entrepreneurship approach for sexual health optimization is being explored, focusing on decentralized community delivery and multisectoral networks. The authors argue that this approach has great promise in delivering comprehensive sexual health interventions to most-at-risk populations.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateJul 17, 2012

Force of nature: Defining the mechanical mechanisms in living cells

A study at Stanford University reveals the mechanical mechanisms in living cells, showing that cadherin-catenin-actin structure exerts force inside and between cells in living tissues. This understanding could have implications for biological processes such as tissue development, tumor growth, and complex organism formation.

SourceStanford University School of Engineering·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 16, 2012

Toughened silicon sponges may make tenacious batteries

Researchers at Rice University and Lockheed Martin have developed a process to create multiple high-performance anodes from a single silicon wafer for lithium-ion batteries. The new method uses electrochemical etching to extract the sponge-like structure, which can store more than four times its weight in lithium.

SourceRice University·JournalChemistry of Materials·DateJul 16, 2012

To clean up the mine, let fungus reproduce

Harvard researchers found that a fungus produces superoxide, which oxidizes manganese, forming reactive minerals used for water cleanup and nutrient control. The discovery lends insight to environmental remediation and raises questions about the role of fungi in biogeochemistry.

SourceHarvard University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 16, 2012

Gene therapy treatment extends lives of mice with fatal disease, MU study finds

Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a gene therapy treatment that extends the lives of mice with spinal muscular atrophy by introducing a missing gene into their central nervous systems. This breakthrough offers new hope for treating humans with SMA, potentially providing a cure within 12-18 months.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·DateJul 16, 2012

Antibodies for new rotavirus vaccines

CSIRO will produce a large quantity of antibodies specific to rotavirus strains used in developing vaccines, aiding the project's goal of increasing access and effectiveness of existing commercial vaccines worldwide. The production facility will supply antibodies for five years, supporting the development of new, affordable rotavirus v...