Friday, November 28, 2008

Research news: Discovery may help efforts to build bone

The News:
Discovery may help efforts to build bone
Osteoporosis experts are thrilled to hear serotonin can regulate bone density.
By Gina KolataThe New York Times
Updated: 11/27/2008 11:51:18 PM MST
Bone formation appears to be controlled by serotonin, a chemical previously known mainly for its entirely separate role in the brain, researchers are reporting.
The discovery can have enormous implications, osteoporosis experts say, because there is an urgent need for osteoporosis treatments that actually build bone.
Osteoporosis affects 10 million Americans over age 50. It results in bone loss, and its hallmark is fragile bones. With one exception, current treatments only slow further bone loss rather than increase bone formation. And the exception, parathyroid hormone, given by injection, is recommended only for short-term use and costs about $6,700 a year.
But in a paper published online this week in the journal Cell, a team led by Dr. Gerard Karsenty, chairman of the department of genetics and development at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, reports the discovery of an unexpected system that appears to control bone formation.
At its heart is serotonin made by the gut rather than the brain, whose role outside the brain had been a mystery. Ninety-five percent of the body's serotonin is made by the gut, but gut serotonin cannot enter the brain because it is barred by the so-called blood-brain barrier. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Cell.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Research news: Cancer rate drops for first time

The News:
Cancer rate drops for first time
But it may rise as boomers age
By Thomas H. Maugh IILos Angeles Times
Updated: 11/26/2008 01:23:32 AM MST
For the first time since the U.S. government began compiling data, the rate of cancer has declined, marking a tipping point in the fight against the second-leading cause of death among Americans.
Researchers knew the number of deaths was declining as the result of better treatment, but the drop in cancer cases indicates that major progress is being made in prevention.
"The drop in incidence . . . is something we have been waiting to see for a long time," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
But the declines might be temporary, said Dr. Robert Figlin of the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif.
"Baby boomers are reaching the age at which they develop cancer . . . so we should not be surprised if it changes direction again."
Researchers fear economic woes may trigger an rise in incidence as fewer people feel comfortable paying for screenings and as increased stress leads some people to resume smoking. The growing number of unemployed also means fewer people with health insurance.
The report, published online Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, was compiled by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Research news: Can an ant be employee of the month?

The News:
Can An Ant Be Employee Of The Month?
ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2008) — Ants specializing on one job such as snatching food from a picnic are no more efficient than "Jane-of-all-trade" ants, according to new research.
The finding casts doubt on the idea that the world-wide success of ants stems from job specialization within the colony. Ants are found on every continent besides Antarctica.
"The question is, why is job specialization a good thing?" said Anna Dornhaus of The University of Arizona in Tucson. "We thought that the fact that ants have specialists was one of the things that made them so successful and live all over the world in all habitats in great numbers.
"It turns out that the ones that are specialized on a particular job are not particularly good at doing that job." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in PLoS Biology.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Research news: New NC State study shows it pays to shop around online

The News:
New NC State study shows it pays to shop around online
Holiday shopping season has arrived, and tough financial times mean that more people will probably be shopping around for the best price. But a new study co-authored by North Carolina State University's Dr. Jonathan D. Bohlmann shows that shoppers who compare prices at multiple online retailers will not only find the best value, but will also likely contribute to driving down prices for that product at other retailers.
Bohlmann, an associate professor of marketing at NC State, explains that there are basically two types of shoppers: "switchers" and "loyals." Switchers compare prices from multiple online retailers, while loyals are committed to a particular store and don't bother with comparison-shopping. Bohlmann explains that the higher the number of switchers relative to the number of loyals – or the so-called switcher/loyal ratio – the higher the pressure a retailer faces to discount products in order to remain competitive.
However, it's not quite that simple. An online retailer doesn't only look at its own switcher/loyal ratio; it has to consider the ratios of its competitors. Bohlmann explains that a retailer with a high switcher/loyal ratio may keep prices high if its competitors have an even higher ratio. These ratios, and the size of the retailers, are all considerations that are taken into account when stores set their prices. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of Marketing.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Research news: Study bolsters "broken windows" policing theory

The News:
Study bolsters "broken windows" policing theory
People are found to be more likely to commit small offenses when they see other lawlessness such as graffiti.
By Karen Kaplan Los Angeles Times
Updated: 11/21/2008 12:48:32 AM MST

In a series of real-world experiments, people exposed to graffiti, litter and other cues of lawlessness were more likely to commit small crimes, according to a study published today that bolsters the controversial "broken windows" theory of policing.
The idea is that low-level offenses such as vandalism and panhandling create an environment that breeds bigger crimes. According to the theory, police can help head off serious violence by keeping minor infractions in check.
Dutch researchers tested the psychological underpinnings of the theory and found that signs of social disorder damped people's impulse to act for the good of the community, allowing selfish and greedy instincts to take over. The results appear in the journal Science.
Community policing strategies based on the "broken windows" theory have taken root in cities across the U.S. and around the world since it was proposed in 1982.
Most famously, New York City saw a 50 percent reduction in crime in the 1990s after then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and then-police chief William Bratton cracked down on squeegee-wielding panhandlers and the like. They credited the "broken windows" approach for their success.
However, an array of social scientists examined the city's crime statistics, and many of them concluded that factors like the booming economy and decline of crack cocaine were actually responsible for the dramatic improvement.
Denver also has experimented with the strategy and claimed success.
Kees Keizer, a graduate student in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, thought psychology and sociology could add to the debate. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science (click on Full Text under Article views).

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Research news: Giant mammoths may roam again

The News:
Giant mammoths may roam again
Scientists decipher the beast's genetic code, making its re-creation possible someday.
By Seth Borenstein The Associated Press
Updated: 11/19/2008 07:42:48 PM MST
WASHINGTON — Bringing "Jurassic Park" one step closer to reality, scientists have deciphered much of the genetic code of the woolly mammoth, a feat they say could allow them to re-create the shaggy, prehistoric beast in as little as a decade or two.
The project marks the first time researchers have spelled out the DNA of an extinct species, and it raised the possibility that other ancient animals such as mastodons and sabertooth tigers might someday walk the Earth again.
"It could be done. The question is, just because we might be able to do it one day, should we do it?" asked Stephan Schuster, a Penn State University biochemist and co-author of the new research. "I would be surprised to see if it would take more than 10 or 20 years to do it."
The million-dollar mammoth study resulted in a first draft of the animal's genome, detailing the ice-age creature's more than 3 billion DNA building blocks. The research published in today's issue of the journal Nature also gives scientists new clues about evolution and extinction. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Research news: Herb no bar to dementia

The News:
Herb no bar to dementia
Thousands were involved in a six-year study of ginkgo biloba.
By Karen KaplanLos Angeles Times
Updated: 11/18/2008 08:04:04 PM MST
Long touted as an elixir of eternal mental acuity, the herbal extract ginkgo biloba does not prevent or delay the progression of dementia or Alz heimer's disease, according to a clinical trial reported Tuesday involving thousands of volunteers between the ages of 75 and 96.
The subjects swallowed round, reddish tablets twice a day for an average of more than six years, but at the end of the study, those who received ginkgo biloba were slightly more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and Alz heim er's than their counterparts who received dummy pills.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are sure to disappoint the millions of people who take ginkgo in the hopes of boosting their brain power and staving off the ravages of dementia and Alzheimer's, which affect more than 5.2 million Americans. Alzheimer's passed diabetes two years ago as the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"No one is more disappointed that we didn't have any traction in slowing down the disease than the group that did the study," said Dr. Steven T. DeKosky, the neurologist who led the clinical trial.
Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, a nonprofit group backed by herbal supplement makers, said the study used the right dose of the right ginkgo extract and gave the pills a reasonable amount of time to show an effect. The fact that it did not help puts ginkgo in good company, he said.
"Let's keep in mind that to date, no conventional pharmaceutical drug has shown any benefit for either preventing the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia, or even slowing it down," he said.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, began researching ginkgo in 1999 as part of a broad effort to subject unregulated herbal remedies to the same type of scrutiny that is required of medicines seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Research news: More birth defects possible from assisted reproduction

The News:
More birth defects possible from assisted reproduction
The CDC study, though not definitive, adds to the growing body of evidence of the risks.
By Judith GrahamChicago Tribune
Article Last Updated: 11/17/2008 11:23:54 PM MST
CHICAGO — Babies born to couples who rely on medical technology to become pregnant have much higher rates of certain birth defects, according to a study published online Monday in the journal Human Reproduction.
The report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found these infants have twice as many heart defects and cleft lips and nearly four times as many gastrointestinal defects as those conceived without technological interventions.
Still, the overall rate of the defects was low, and the vast majority of babies born to couples using assisted reproduction were normal, said Jennita Reehfuis, a CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the report.
Independent experts noted the study establishes an association, not a causal connection, between birth defects and two procedures: in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI.
With IVF, a man's sperm and a woman's egg are merged outside the body. ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into an egg. In both cases, resulting embryos are then implanted in a woman.
It's possible that couples who turn to these interventions have chromosomal abnormalities that explain their infertility as well as the risks to offspring, said Dr. Elizabeth Ginsburg, president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology and medical director of the IVF program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"This study doesn't get to the question of whether these outcomes are due to the procedures themselves or the population of people who struggle with infertility," she said. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Human Reproduction.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Research news: Fewer than 1 in 5 U.S. adults now smoke

The News:
Fewer Than 1 In 5 U.S. Adults Now Smoke
by Robert Benincasa
November 13, 2008 · The nation's adult smoking rate has fallen below 20 percent for the first time since the federal government began tracking it in the 1960s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
The drop continues a decades-long decline that had slowed in recent years.
Dr. Matthew McKenna, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said the prevalence of smoking in America is still "much higher than what we've aspired to." Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in MMWR.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Research News: Statins Benefit Patients With no History of Heart Problems

The News:
Statins Benefit Patients With no History of Heart Problems
A new study released at an American Heart Association conference found that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs significantly cut the risk of death from heart problems even in those with low cholesterol and risk factors. Two doctors discusses what the findings mean for patients.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Research News: Autism link with higher rain levels examined

The News:
Autism link with higher rain levels examined
By Mary Engel, Los Angeles Times
Children in California, Oregon and Washington are more likely to develop autism if they lived in counties with higher levels of annual rainfall, suggesting that something about wet weather might trigger the disorder. Among possible explanations: Bad weather could lead to more TV and video viewing, which in very young children has been linked to language-development issues. Or staying indoors could cause a deficiency of vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin" increasingly found to play a vital role in health.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Research News: Hot Drinks Equal Warm Feelings, as Scientists Link Physical and Emotional Warmth

The News:
Hot Drinks Equal Warm Feelings, as Scientists Link Physical and Emotional Warmth
A casual decision between an iced coffee and a hot cappuccino could have lasting effects, and not just on calorie intake. Research from Yale University and the University of Colorado suggests that physical warmth and emotional warmth are linked. In fact, the temperature of the drink you're holding could influence your feelings of trust and tenderness toward toward the people around you.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Research News: Teen pregnancies, TV linked

The News:
Teen pregnancies, TV linked
Girls who watch a lot of racy programs are much more likely to become pregnant, research says.
By Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Groundbreaking research suggests that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior than among those who have tamer viewing tastes. "Sex and the City," anyone? That was one of the shows used in the research. The new study is the first to link those viewing habits with teen pregnancy, said lead author Anita Chandra, a Rand Corp. behavioral scientist. Teens who watched the raciest shows were twice as likely to become pregnant over the next three years as those who watched few such programs.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Pediatrics.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Research News: Testosterone patch may kick-start sex drive in women

The News:
Testosterone patch may kick-start sex drive in women
Postmenopausal women who have lost interest in sex may be able to bring their libidos back to life with a testosterone patch. However, the use of the male hormone to boost sex drive in women may not be risk-free. Out of the 814 women in the study, four women who were taking testosterone developed breast cancer, but none of the women on placebo did. It's not clear whether this was a statistical blip or a warning sign that excess testosterone could cause or spur the growth of a malignancy. Some women also reported excess hair growth, although none stopped using the hormone for this reason.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Research News: Age, stage play key roles in strength-training benefits

The News:
Age, stage play key roles in strength-training benefits
By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times
Article Last Updated: 11/02/2008 08:48:07 PM MST
Strength training is not just for muscle-heads anymore. But the later you start, the fewer benefits you can reap. A study found that although older women gained muscle strength after an eight-week strength-training program, they showed little improvement in muscle power, or how much force is generated in a given amount of time. The latter is indicative of having fewer fast-twitch muscle fibers which are engaged during sprinting, kicking a ball or getting up and down from a chair.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Research news: Ancient mummy, The Tyrolean Iceman, Has No Modern Children

The News:
Ancient Mummy, The Tyrolean Iceman, Has No Modern Children
ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2008) — The 5,300 year old human mummy – dubbed Öetzi or 'the Tyrolean Iceman' – is highly unlikely to have modern day relatives, according to new research.
A team comprising scientists from Italy and the UK has sequenced Öetzi's entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome - which is passed down through the maternal line – and found that he belonged to a genetic lineage that is either extremely rare, or that has died out.
Published in this month's issue of Current Biology, the research has generated the oldest complete Homo sapiens mtDNA genome to date, and overturns previous research conducted in 1994 on a small section of Öetzi's mtDNA, which suggested that relatives of Öetzi may still exist in Europe. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Current Biology.