المؤسسة العربية للعلوم والتكنولوجيا : أخبار العلوم والتكنولوجيا

1.	Use of medication for insomnia or anxiety increases mortality risk by 36 percent (Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (Université Laval) Taking medications to treat insomnia and anxiety increases mortality risk by 36 percent, according to a study conducted by Geneviève Belleville, a professor at Université Laval's School of Psychology. The details of this study are published in the latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.


2.	Using chest compressions first just as successful as immediate defibrillation after cardiac arrest (Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of Michigan Health System) In cardiac arrest, is it best to start pumping on the victim's chest or give an immediate shock to the heart? The University of Michigan learns both rescue strategies are effective, yet chest compressions before defibrillation may be best in events where emergency response times are longer than five minutes.


3.	Appetite hormones may predict weight regain after dieting (Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (The Endocrine Society) Many people have experienced the frustration that comes with regaining weight that was lost from dieting. According to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the levels of appetite hormones in the body prior to dieting may serve as a predictor of weight regain after dieting.


4.	High stress hormone levels linked to increased cardiovascular mortality (Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (The Endocrine Society) High levels of the stress hormone cortisol strongly predict cardiovascular death among both persons with and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease according to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.


5.	Abnormal body weight related to increased mortality in colon cancer patients (Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (American Association for Cancer Research) Postmenopausal women diagnosed with colon cancer may be at increased risk of death if they fail to maintain a healthy body weight before cancer diagnosis, according to a study published in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.


6.	Swine researchers seek answers to fiber's low digestibility (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) As interest grows in feeding distillers dried grains with solubles to growing pigs, many questions are being asked about the digestibility of this alternative feed option.


7.	ADA supports national restaurant menu labeling legislation (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (Elsevier Health Sciences) The government's role in improving nutrition is now firmly established with nutritional labeling for restaurant meals now mandated across the US. An article in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association explains how state and municipal labeling laws developed and how the new national law will supersede these and replace them with a uniform standard. It addresses the ADA's involvement and how these new regulations will impact registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered, as well as consumers.


8.	UCLA, Japanese company to collaborate on specialized nano-imaging instrumentation (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of California - Los Angeles) Hamamatsu will work with CNSI researchers on efforts to apply nanoscience and nanotechnology to projects having global importance in health, medicine, energy, the environment. Together they will work on new instruments that advance the field of nanolevel optical imaging.


9.	First discovery of bilirubin in a flower announced (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (American Society for Horticultural Science) A research team led by Cary Pirone from the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University has identified bilirubin in the popular Bird of Paradise plant. The breakthrough study, published in the September 2010 issue of the American Society for Horticultural Science's journal HortScience, provides new insights into color production in this iconic tropical plant.


10.	Insulin may reduce several inflammatory factors induced by bacterial infection (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University at Buffalo) Treating intensive care patients who develop life-threatening bacterial infections, or septicemia, with insulin potentially could reduce their chances of succumbing to the infection, if results of a new preliminary study can be replicated in a larger study.


11.	Parents report a widely prescribed antibiotic is effective for fragile X treatment (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of California - Davis - Health System) One of the antibiotics most commonly prescribed to treat adolescent acne can increase attention spans and communication and decrease anxiety in patients with fragile X syndrome.


12.	New model to measure disease burden of postmenopausal osteoporosis (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (International Osteoporosis Foundation) An article just published in the journal Osteoporosis International introduces a validated new model that can be used to forecast the current and future burden of postmenopausal osteoporosis in different national settings.


13.	Why the biological clock? Penn study says aging reduces centromere cohesion, disrupts reproduction (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of Pennsylvania) University of Pennsylvania biologists studying human reproduction have identified what is likely the major contributing factor to the maternal age-associated increase in aneuploidy, the term for an abnormal number of chromosomes during reproductive cell division.


14.	UC San Diego's Karin receives prestigious Harvey Prize (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of California - San Diego) Michael Karin, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Pathology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has been awarded the 2010 Harvey Prize in human health by the Technion, Israel's premier institute of technology.


15.	SWOG names 5 cancer researchers outstanding Young Investigators (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of Michigan Health System) SWOG, one of the nation's largest cancer clinical trial cooperative groups, has selected five talented researchers for its Young Investigators Training Course, an intensive, three-day workshop in how to develop and conduct cancer clinical trials.


16.	Grant will aid creation of interdisciplinary oncology palliative care education program (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of Louisville) A multidisciplinary team representing the schools of Medicine, Nursing and Social Work at the University of Louisville, as well as clinical pastoral education programs in three Louisville hospitals, has been awarded a grant of $1,518,092 from the National Institutes of Health that will fund the development, implementation and evaluation of an interdisciplinary oncology palliative care education program. Work related to the project will begin immediately.


17.	Muscle wasting in cancer does not spare the heart (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (Ohio State University) The wasting disease associated with some cancers that is typically seen affecting skeletal muscles can also cause significant damage to the heart, new research in mice suggests. Before now, cachexia, characterized by muscle wasting and dramatic weight loss, was believed to spare the heart. But an Ohio State University study showed that the condition reduces heart function and changes the heart muscle structure in mice with colon cancer.


18.	Team led by Scripps Research scientist identifies new gene for memory (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (Scripps Research Institute) A team led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist has for the first time identified a new gene that is required for memory formation in Drosophila, the common fruit fly. The gene may have similar functions in humans, shedding light on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or human learning disabilities.


19.	Liver defect likely cause of DHA deficiency in Alzheimer's patients, UCI study finds (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of California - Irvine) UC Irvine researchers have discovered that markedly depleted amounts of an omega-3 fatty acid in brain tissue samples from Alzheimer's patients may be due to the liver's inability to produce the complex fat, also contained in fish-oil supplements.


20.	Scientists identify molecular gatekeeper of arthritis (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (University of Rochester Medical Center) Elimination of a molecular gatekeeper leads to the development of arthritis in mice, scientists report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The newly discovered gatekeeper is a protein that determines the fate -- survival or death -- of damaging cells that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues and lead to autoimmune disorders. Better understanding how arthritis develops will offer scientists an opportunity to explore new treatments for patients who have not had success with current therapies.


21.	High testosterone levels linked to self-destructive CEO behavior, says Management Science (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) High testosterone levels in CEOs negotiating mergers and acquisitions are linked to a higher rate of dropped deals and an increase in hostile takeover attempts, according to a new study in the current issue of Management Science, a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.


22.	Low levels of formaldehyde in clothing unlikely to pose health risk (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (American Chemical Society) The formaldehyde added to fabrics to keep clothing looking fresh and wrinkle-free is unlikely to pose a health risk to consumers, according to an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly news magazine.


23.	Eyes of cattle may become new windows to detect mad cow disease (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (American Chemical Society) The eyes may or may not be windows to the soul, as the old adage goes, but scientists are reporting evidence that a peek into the eyes of cattle may become the basis for a long-sought test to detect infection with the agent that causes mad cow disease. A study on using the telltale glow given off by eyes infected with the mad cow agent appears in ACS' semi-monthly journal Analytical Chemistry.


24.	'Soyscreen': Sunscreen for fungus to expand biological control of crop pests (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (American Chemical Society) Scientists today described development and successful initial tests on a substance that acts as a sunscreen for the microscopic spores of a fungus, brightening prospects for wider use of the fungus as a means of wiping out insect pests that attack food crops. "Our finding is especially important for the environment because improving the effectiveness of biological control treatments like this will help to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides," said team leader Robert W. Behle, Ph.D.


25.	Education more important than knowledge in stopping spread of HIV in Africa (Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT) (Ohio State University) Simply teaching people the facts about how to protect themselves from HIV may not be enough to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa, a new study suggests. Researchers found that villagers in Ghana who had higher levels of cognitive and decision-making abilities -- not just the most knowledge -- were the ones who were most likely to take steps to protect themselves from HIV infection.