May 23, 2008 Science Current EventsFoot-dragging Mars rover finds Yellowstone-like hot spring deposits Deposits of nearly pure silica discovered by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in Gusev Crater formed when volcanic steam or hot water (or maybe both) percolated through the ground. High-school girls who consider themselves attractive are more likely to be targets for bullying University of Alberta Educational Psychology PhD student Lindsey Leenaars has completed a study that assessed what types of high school students are being indirectly victimized. Pacific coast turning more acidic An international team of scientists surveying the waters of the continental shelf off the West Coast of North America has discovered for the first time high levels of acidified ocean water within 20 miles of the shoreline, raising concern for marine ecosystems from Canada to Mexico. Scorched Earth millenium map shows 'fire scars' A geographer from the University of Leicester has produced for the first time a map of the scorched Earth for every year since the turn of the Millennium. Oral HRT more than doubles the risk of blood clots Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) given in skin patches may cause fewer blood clots than HRT given orally, according to a report published on BMJ.com today. Licorice extract provides new treatment option for canker sores What common oral condition appears as shallow ulcers of different sizes, affects one in five Americans, can be caused by food allergies and hormonal changes, and also can cause severe mouth pain? Premature tooth loss can affect oral health for years to come The prospect of exchanging a tooth for that coveted reward from the tooth fairy often has kids wiggling teeth with vigor, but what happens when a primary or permanent tooth is lost prematurely due to trauma? Major 'missed' biochemical pathway emerges as important in virtually all cells A new study by Duke University researchers provides more evidence that the nitric oxide (NO) system in the life of a cell plays a key role in disease, and the findings point to ways to improve treatment of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Hubble, Keck images show continued turbulence in Jupiter's atmosphere Increased turbulence and storms first observed on Jupiter more than two years ago are still raging, according to astronomers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, who snapped high-resolution pictures of the planet earlier this month. Study identifies food-related clock in the brain In investigating the intricacies of the body's biological rhythms, scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have discovered the existence of a "food-related clock" which can supersede the "light-based" master clock that serves as the body's primary timekeeper. A trial of removing food additives should be considered for hyperactive children A properly supervised trial eliminating colours and preservatives from the diet of hyperactive children should considered a part of the standard treatment, says an editorial in this week's BMJ. Researchers explore the emerging role of infection in Alzheimer's disease A number of chronic diseases are in fact caused by one or more infectious agents. For example, stomach ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori, chronic lung disease in newborns and chronic asthma in adults are both caused by Mycoplasmas and Chlamydia pneumonia, while some other pathogens have been associated with atherosclerosis. OHSU Discovery May Lead to Early Cancer Detection OHSU pancreatic cancer expert Brett Sheppard, M.D., and colleagues in the OHSU Oregon Stem Cell Center, have developed antibodies that recognize pancreatic cancer; Sheppard is presenting these findings this week during Digestive Disease Week in San Diego. New statistical method reveals surprises about our ancestry A statistical approach to studying genetic variation promises to shed new light on the history of human migration. Phoenix mission to Mars will search for climate clues On May 25, 2008, approaching 5 p.m. PDT, NASA scientists will be wondering: Just how green is their valley? That's because at that time the Phoenix Mars Mission space vehicle will be touching down on its three legs to make a soft landing onto the northern Mars terrain called Green Valley. Experimental agent blocks prostate cancer in animal study An experimental drug has blocked the progression of prostate cancer in an animal model with an aggressive form of the disease, new research shows. More patients with drug-coated cardiac stents survive, avoid costly follow-up procedures The more than ten million Americans who've received drug-eluting stents to open their blocked coronary arteries have a bright future, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. First of its kind study compares high school knee injuries by sport and gender Knee injuries, among the most economically costly sports injuries, are the leading cause of high school sports-related surgeries according to a study conducted at the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and published in the June issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine. New research: Fruit juice consumption not related to overweight in children Despite studies that assert otherwise, 100% fruit juice consumption is not related to overweight in children, according to the authors of "A Review of the Relationship Between 100% Fruit Juice Consumption and Weight in Children and Adolescents" in the May/June issue of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM), published by SAGE. Anti-rejection drug may increase risk of diabetes after kidney transplant For patients undergoing kidney transplantation, treatment with the anti-rejection drug sirolimus may lead to an increased risk of diabetes, reports a study in the July Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). New family of gecko discovered by researchers from the U of Minnesota and Villanova University Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History and Pennsylvania's Villanova University have discovered a new family of gecko, the charismatic large-eyed lizard popularized by car insurance commercials. Nitrogen retained through loss The nitrogen cycle plays a major role in seagrass fields. Dutch researcher Arie Vonk studied the nitrogen dynamics of seagrasses in Indonesia. He discovered that the interaction between seagrasses, animals and microorganisms results in an efficient nitrogen cycle in tropical seagrass fields. Consequently the nitrogen lost from seagrasses is still retained. At the synapse: Gene may shed light on neurological disorders In our brains, where millions of signals move across a network of neurons like runners in a relay race, all the critical baton passes take place at synapses. Scientists reveal the lifestyle evolution of wild marine bacteria Marine bacteria in the wild organize into professions or lifestyle groups that partition many resources rather than competing for them, so that microbes with one lifestyle, such as free-floating cells, flourish in proximity with closely related microbes that may spend life attached to zooplankton or algae. Oocyte-specific gene mutations cause premature ovarian failure Mutations in a gene called FIGLA cause premature ovarian failure in at least a percentage of women who suffer from the disorder, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Shandong University in China in a report that appears online today in the American Journal of Human Genetics. Miracle leaves that may help protect against liver damage Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) berries are well known for their cholesterol busting properties, but scientists in India say that its leaves are also rich in anti-oxidants and may help ward off liver disease, according to new research due to be published in the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. No link between antidepressants and birth defects Expectant mothers can safely use prescribed antidepressants during their first trimester, according to a new study from the Université de Montréal and Ste. Justine Hospital published in the May edition of the British Journal of Psychiatry. High blood pressure patients advised to use home monitors People with hypertension should routinely monitor their blood pressure at home to help manage the disease, according to a new joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses' Association. Stabilizing cancer-fighting p53 can also shield a metastasis-promoter Efforts to protect the tumor-suppressor p53 could just as easily shelter a mutant version of the protein, causing cancer cells to thrive and spread rather than die, according to research by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported in the current issue of the journal Genes and Development. Reducing Blockage Fails to Improve Access to the Bloodstream for Kidney Dialysis Reducing early blockages in bloodstream access for kidney failure treatment does not increase the likelihood that the access will function adequately for long-term treatments, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Results were published May 14, 2008, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Will polyclinics deliver real benefits to patients? Government proposals to establish polyclinics are intended to reshape NHS services, but will they deliver the more patient centred care they propose, or do they risk becoming an expensive mistake" |
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