http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36827275/ns/health-cancer/
updated 12:43 p.m. ET, Wed., April 28, 2010
LOS ANGELES - A new report says more than half of Americans still live in areas with unhealthy air, despite progress in reducing smog.
The report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association is based on 2006-2008 figures. It says progress has been made in reducing particle pollution such as soot and dust, thanks to cleaner diesel engines and controls on coal-fired power plants.
The Los Angeles area continued to have the nation's worst ozone pollution while Bakersfield had the worst short-term particle pollution.
The Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area of Arizona had the worst year-round particle pollution.
The cleanest cities in the nation were Fargo, N.D.; Wahpeton, Minn., and Lincoln, Neb.
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Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Regular Use of Aspirin Increases Risk of Crohn's Disease by 5 Times, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503192451.htm
ScienceDaily (May 19, 2010) — People who take aspirin regularly for a year or more may be at an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease, according to a new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
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The study also showed that aspirin use had no effect on the risk of developing ulcerative colitis -- a condition similar to Crohn's disease.
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ScienceDaily (May 19, 2010) — People who take aspirin regularly for a year or more may be at an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease, according to a new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
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The study also showed that aspirin use had no effect on the risk of developing ulcerative colitis -- a condition similar to Crohn's disease.
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Monday, May 24, 2010
Books in Home as Important as Parents' Education in Determining Children's Education Level
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100520213116.htm
ScienceDaily (May 21, 2010) — Whether rich or poor, residents of the United States or China, illiterate or college graduates, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans, University of Nevada, Reno associate professor of sociology and resource economics.
For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, strikingly, this massive study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as having parents who are barely literate (3 years of education) compared to having parents who have a university education (15 or 16 years of education). Both factors, having a 500-book library or having university-educated parents, propel a child 3.2 years further in education, on average.
Being a sociologist, Evans was particularly interested to find that children of lesser-educated parents benefit the most from having books in the home. She has been looking for ways to help Nevada's rural communities, in terms of economic development and education.
"What kinds of investments should we be making to help these kids get ahead?" she asked. "The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed."
Evans said, "Even a little bit goes a long way," in terms of the number of books in a home. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater the benefit.
"You get a lot of 'bang for your book'," she said. "It's quite a good return-on-investment in a time of scarce resources."
In some countries, such as China, having 500 or more books in the home propels children 6.6 years further in their education. In the United States, the effect is less, 2.4 years, than the 3.2-year average advantage experienced across all 27 countries in the study. But, Evans points out that 2.4 years is still a significant advantage in terms of educational attainment.
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ScienceDaily (May 21, 2010) — Whether rich or poor, residents of the United States or China, illiterate or college graduates, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans, University of Nevada, Reno associate professor of sociology and resource economics.
For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, strikingly, this massive study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as having parents who are barely literate (3 years of education) compared to having parents who have a university education (15 or 16 years of education). Both factors, having a 500-book library or having university-educated parents, propel a child 3.2 years further in education, on average.
Being a sociologist, Evans was particularly interested to find that children of lesser-educated parents benefit the most from having books in the home. She has been looking for ways to help Nevada's rural communities, in terms of economic development and education.
"What kinds of investments should we be making to help these kids get ahead?" she asked. "The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed."
Evans said, "Even a little bit goes a long way," in terms of the number of books in a home. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater the benefit.
"You get a lot of 'bang for your book'," she said. "It's quite a good return-on-investment in a time of scarce resources."
In some countries, such as China, having 500 or more books in the home propels children 6.6 years further in their education. In the United States, the effect is less, 2.4 years, than the 3.2-year average advantage experienced across all 27 countries in the study. But, Evans points out that 2.4 years is still a significant advantage in terms of educational attainment.
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The obvious question is whether having books in the home benefits the children even if the adults don't read them...
Daily Ginger Consumption Eases Muscle Pain by 25 Percent, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100519131130.htm
ScienceDaily (May 20, 2010) — For centuries, ginger root has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments such as colds and upset stomachs. But now, researchers at the University of Georgia have found that daily ginger consumption also reduces muscle pain caused by exercise.
While ginger had been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in rodents, its effect on experimentally-induced human muscle pain was largely unexplored, said Patrick O'Connor, a professor in the College of Education's department of kinesiology. It was also believed that heating ginger, as occurs with cooking, might increase its pain-relieving effects.
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The studies showed that daily ginger supplementation reduced the exercise-induced pain by 25 percent, and the effect was not enhanced by heat-treating the ginger.
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ScienceDaily (May 20, 2010) — For centuries, ginger root has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments such as colds and upset stomachs. But now, researchers at the University of Georgia have found that daily ginger consumption also reduces muscle pain caused by exercise.
While ginger had been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in rodents, its effect on experimentally-induced human muscle pain was largely unexplored, said Patrick O'Connor, a professor in the College of Education's department of kinesiology. It was also believed that heating ginger, as occurs with cooking, might increase its pain-relieving effects.
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The studies showed that daily ginger supplementation reduced the exercise-induced pain by 25 percent, and the effect was not enhanced by heat-treating the ginger.
[Also, the effect does not appear to have been diminished by heat.
A problem with suppressing muscle pain caused by overuse is that it could lead to not giving the muscles a break when they need it; but that would be true of any pain reliever.]
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Why Libertarianism Doesn’t Work, Part N
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/why-libertarianism-doesnt-work-part-n/
May 14, 2010, 1:40 pm
Thinking about BP and the Gulf: in this old interview, Milton Friedman says that there’s no need for product safety regulation, because corporations know that if they do harm they’ll be sued.
Interviewer: So tort law takes care of a lot of this ..
Friedman: Absolutely, absolutely.
Meanwhile, in the real world:
In the wake of last month’s catastrophic Gulf Coast oil spill, Sen. Lisa Murkowski blocked a bill that would have raised the maximum liability for oil companies after a spill from a paltry $75 million to $10 billion. The Republican lawmaker said the bill, introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), would have unfairly hurt smaller oil companies by raising the costs of oil production. The legislation is “not where we need to be right now” she said.
And don’t say that we just need better politicians. If libertarianism requires incorruptible politicians to work, it’s not serious.
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May 14, 2010, 1:40 pm
Thinking about BP and the Gulf: in this old interview, Milton Friedman says that there’s no need for product safety regulation, because corporations know that if they do harm they’ll be sued.
Interviewer: So tort law takes care of a lot of this ..
Friedman: Absolutely, absolutely.
Meanwhile, in the real world:
In the wake of last month’s catastrophic Gulf Coast oil spill, Sen. Lisa Murkowski blocked a bill that would have raised the maximum liability for oil companies after a spill from a paltry $75 million to $10 billion. The Republican lawmaker said the bill, introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), would have unfairly hurt smaller oil companies by raising the costs of oil production. The legislation is “not where we need to be right now” she said.
And don’t say that we just need better politicians. If libertarianism requires incorruptible politicians to work, it’s not serious.
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More stuff Rand Paul thinks it should be legal to fire you over
http://www.openleft.com/diary/18793/more-stuff-rand-paul-thinks-it-should-be-legal-to-fire-you-over
by: Chris Bowers
Thu May 20, 2010 at 13:58
There has been a lot of talk about Rand Paul's view on the Civil Right's act today. But, in addition to race, as long as the company in question does not receive any public funds, here are some more reasons that Rand Paul--and his supporters--thinks it should be legal for the owner of a private company to fire you:
* Not being the same religion as the boss
* Not having sex with the boss
* Having children, or not having them
* Not liking the same sports teams as the boss
* Not voting for different political candidates than the boss
* Not eating the same food than the boss
* Not liking different colors than the boss.
Basically, any reason at all.
Furthermore, another key point is that Paul's supporters seem to think the problem is not that Paul holds these views, but that he expressed them in public.
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by: Chris Bowers
Thu May 20, 2010 at 13:58
There has been a lot of talk about Rand Paul's view on the Civil Right's act today. But, in addition to race, as long as the company in question does not receive any public funds, here are some more reasons that Rand Paul--and his supporters--thinks it should be legal for the owner of a private company to fire you:
* Not being the same religion as the boss
* Not having sex with the boss
* Having children, or not having them
* Not liking the same sports teams as the boss
* Not voting for different political candidates than the boss
* Not eating the same food than the boss
* Not liking different colors than the boss.
Basically, any reason at all.
Furthermore, another key point is that Paul's supporters seem to think the problem is not that Paul holds these views, but that he expressed them in public.
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Rand Paul opposes government spending — except for when it benefits him
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/20/rand-paul-doc-fix/
Tea party darling Dr. Rand Paul won an upset victory in Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary by running on a “resolute pledge to balance the federal budget and slash the size of government.” In an interview following his win, Paul explained that his campaign was “all about federal spending” and the “tea party message.” Republicans “need to regain our believability as fiscal conservatives,” he added. But as former Bush speech writer David Frum noted, “Paul’s libertarianism stops where his pocketbook starts.” Frum highlighted a Wall Street Journal story from last week in which Paul said he doesn’t want to cut Medicare payments to doctors like himself, because “[p]hysicians should be allowed to make a comfortable living“:
But on Thursday evening, the ophthalmologist from Bowling Green said there was one thing he would not cut: Medicare physician payments.
In fact, Paul — who says 50% of his patients are on Medicare — wants to end cuts to physician payments under a program now in place called the sustained growth rate, or SGR. “Physicians should be allowed to make a comfortable living.
In an interview on FoxNew.com’s Freedom Watch, Paul vowed he would never give up his “tea party values,” which apparently include pushing for self-serving legislation. As the Wonk Room’s Igor Volsky noted, Paul likely already makes a “comfortable living,” as the average salary for an ophthalmologist is $256,320.
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Tea party darling Dr. Rand Paul won an upset victory in Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary by running on a “resolute pledge to balance the federal budget and slash the size of government.” In an interview following his win, Paul explained that his campaign was “all about federal spending” and the “tea party message.” Republicans “need to regain our believability as fiscal conservatives,” he added. But as former Bush speech writer David Frum noted, “Paul’s libertarianism stops where his pocketbook starts.” Frum highlighted a Wall Street Journal story from last week in which Paul said he doesn’t want to cut Medicare payments to doctors like himself, because “[p]hysicians should be allowed to make a comfortable living“:
But on Thursday evening, the ophthalmologist from Bowling Green said there was one thing he would not cut: Medicare physician payments.
In fact, Paul — who says 50% of his patients are on Medicare — wants to end cuts to physician payments under a program now in place called the sustained growth rate, or SGR. “Physicians should be allowed to make a comfortable living.
In an interview on FoxNew.com’s Freedom Watch, Paul vowed he would never give up his “tea party values,” which apparently include pushing for self-serving legislation. As the Wonk Room’s Igor Volsky noted, Paul likely already makes a “comfortable living,” as the average salary for an ophthalmologist is $256,320.
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Rand Paul draws fire for remarks on Civil Rights Act
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl2154
Thu May 20, 9:22 pm ET
Tea party candidate Rand Paul won Kentucky's GOP Senate nomination in part by bucking the establishment, but could his unconventional beliefs hurt him in the general election?
Paul is under fire today for saying Wednesday, first in an interview with National Public Radio and then to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, that he opposes part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. "I'm not in favor of any discrimination of any form. I would never belong to any club that excluded anybody for race," Paul told Maddow, saying discrimination and segregation were a "stain on our history."
But he said he doesn't agree with a provision in the bill that makes it a crime for businesses to discriminate on the basis of race.
It's a philosophical difference, Paul told Maddow: He doesn't believe the federal government should be able to intrude on how a private business operates.
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Thu May 20, 9:22 pm ET
Tea party candidate Rand Paul won Kentucky's GOP Senate nomination in part by bucking the establishment, but could his unconventional beliefs hurt him in the general election?
Paul is under fire today for saying Wednesday, first in an interview with National Public Radio and then to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, that he opposes part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. "I'm not in favor of any discrimination of any form. I would never belong to any club that excluded anybody for race," Paul told Maddow, saying discrimination and segregation were a "stain on our history."
But he said he doesn't agree with a provision in the bill that makes it a crime for businesses to discriminate on the basis of race.
It's a philosophical difference, Paul told Maddow: He doesn't believe the federal government should be able to intrude on how a private business operates.
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Rand Paul calls Obama's criticism of BP 'un-American'
See the link for the videos.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100521/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2182;_ylt=AriBiGdM0w_one8uI0deX7Os0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNmNWU5b2ttBGFzc2V0A3luZXdzLzIwMTAwNTIxL3luZXdzX3BsMjE4MgRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3JhbmRwYXVsY2FsbA--
Fri May 21, 1:34 pm ET
Say what you want about Rand Paul — and much is indeed said about Rand Paul these days — the GOP's Kentucky Senate nominee does not shy away from controversy.
After a heady tour through Thursday's news cycle — which had Paul first disowning, then hurriedly embracing, some key provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act — the tea party favorite and a "small-L" libertarian took to the airwaves Friday to defend the honor of BP, the oil giant involved in the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
On ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday, Paul called out President Obama for criticizing BP too harshly in public.
[Watch Rand Paul's full "GMA" appearance]
"What I don't like from the president's administration is this sort of, 'I'll put my boot heel on the throat of BP,'" Paul said. "I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business. I've heard nothing from BP about not paying for the spill. And I think it's part of this sort of blame-game society in the sense that it's always got to be someone's fault instead of the fact that sometimes accidents happen."
You can watch the segment below (clip courtesy of ABC News):
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100521/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2182;_ylt=AriBiGdM0w_one8uI0deX7Os0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNmNWU5b2ttBGFzc2V0A3luZXdzLzIwMTAwNTIxL3luZXdzX3BsMjE4MgRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3JhbmRwYXVsY2FsbA--
Fri May 21, 1:34 pm ET
Say what you want about Rand Paul — and much is indeed said about Rand Paul these days — the GOP's Kentucky Senate nominee does not shy away from controversy.
After a heady tour through Thursday's news cycle — which had Paul first disowning, then hurriedly embracing, some key provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act — the tea party favorite and a "small-L" libertarian took to the airwaves Friday to defend the honor of BP, the oil giant involved in the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
On ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday, Paul called out President Obama for criticizing BP too harshly in public.
[Watch Rand Paul's full "GMA" appearance]
"What I don't like from the president's administration is this sort of, 'I'll put my boot heel on the throat of BP,'" Paul said. "I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business. I've heard nothing from BP about not paying for the spill. And I think it's part of this sort of blame-game society in the sense that it's always got to be someone's fault instead of the fact that sometimes accidents happen."
You can watch the segment below (clip courtesy of ABC News):
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Chicken Suits Banned at Nevada Polls
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/05/23/chicken_suits_banned_at_nevada_polls.html
May 23, 2010
Voters dressed in chicken costumes will not be allowed inside Nevada polling places this year, the AP reports.
State election officials added chicken suits to the list of banned items after weeks of ridicule directed at Sue Lowden (R).
"The millionaire casino executive and former beauty queen recently suggested that people barter with doctors for medical care, like when 'our grandparents would bring a chicken to the doctor.'"
Read more: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/05/23/chicken_suits_banned_at_nevada_polls.html#ixzz0osCZ71dz
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May 23, 2010
Voters dressed in chicken costumes will not be allowed inside Nevada polling places this year, the AP reports.
State election officials added chicken suits to the list of banned items after weeks of ridicule directed at Sue Lowden (R).
"The millionaire casino executive and former beauty queen recently suggested that people barter with doctors for medical care, like when 'our grandparents would bring a chicken to the doctor.'"
Read more: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/05/23/chicken_suits_banned_at_nevada_polls.html#ixzz0osCZ71dz
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Friday, May 21, 2010
Patients saved from huge ER bills by new law
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37138869/ns/health-health_care/
By Maggie Mertens
updated 8:12 a.m. ET, Fri., May 21, 2010
When Kelly Arellanes fell off a horse and suffered a severe head injury in rural Arkansas, medics said she would need to be airlifted immediately to the nearest hospital — 50 miles away in Fort Smith. There, emergency surgery saved her life — but at a cost.
The hospital wasn't in her insurance network, so she and her husband ended up with $20,000 in out-of-pocket expenses that they wouldn't have incurred at their network hospitals 150 miles away in Little Rock.
If the new health law had already been enacted, Arellanes wouldn’t have had such a big emergency bill. Under the law, insurance companies must extend several new protections to patients who receive emergency care. One of the biggest guarantees: insurance companies can no longer pay less for emergency care at “out of network” hospitals — the hospitals with which they don’t have prior financial arrangements.
The equal coverage guarantee “was a major victory for us,” said Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. "People often can't stop to check to see if a particular hospital or doctor is in- or out-of-network when they are having an emergency," she said.
The new law also bars health plans from requiring prior authorization for emergency services. And it mandates that plans follow the "prudent layperson" rule. For example, if a person goes to the ER with chest pain, but ends up being diagnosed with indigestion, the claim has to be covered because going to the hospital under those circumstances made sense.
The provisions go into effect for every health plan issued after Sept. 23 — six months after the law was enacted — that offers emergency coverage.
For years, insurance plans have been denying ER claims for a variety of reasons. Although there is little data on the overall scope of the problem, a 2004 RAND Corp. study found that at least one out of every six claims for emergency department care was denied by two large HMOs in California.
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Research suggests that concerns about costs can keep people from going to the emergency room. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that insured patients without financial concerns were more likely to seek emergency care within two hours of experiencing heart attack symptoms, but almost half of uninsured patients or patients with financial concerns waited six hours or more to seek care. And that can end up costing the system more if the condition becomes more serious while they wait.
..
By Maggie Mertens
updated 8:12 a.m. ET, Fri., May 21, 2010
When Kelly Arellanes fell off a horse and suffered a severe head injury in rural Arkansas, medics said she would need to be airlifted immediately to the nearest hospital — 50 miles away in Fort Smith. There, emergency surgery saved her life — but at a cost.
The hospital wasn't in her insurance network, so she and her husband ended up with $20,000 in out-of-pocket expenses that they wouldn't have incurred at their network hospitals 150 miles away in Little Rock.
If the new health law had already been enacted, Arellanes wouldn’t have had such a big emergency bill. Under the law, insurance companies must extend several new protections to patients who receive emergency care. One of the biggest guarantees: insurance companies can no longer pay less for emergency care at “out of network” hospitals — the hospitals with which they don’t have prior financial arrangements.
The equal coverage guarantee “was a major victory for us,” said Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. "People often can't stop to check to see if a particular hospital or doctor is in- or out-of-network when they are having an emergency," she said.
The new law also bars health plans from requiring prior authorization for emergency services. And it mandates that plans follow the "prudent layperson" rule. For example, if a person goes to the ER with chest pain, but ends up being diagnosed with indigestion, the claim has to be covered because going to the hospital under those circumstances made sense.
The provisions go into effect for every health plan issued after Sept. 23 — six months after the law was enacted — that offers emergency coverage.
For years, insurance plans have been denying ER claims for a variety of reasons. Although there is little data on the overall scope of the problem, a 2004 RAND Corp. study found that at least one out of every six claims for emergency department care was denied by two large HMOs in California.
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Research suggests that concerns about costs can keep people from going to the emergency room. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that insured patients without financial concerns were more likely to seek emergency care within two hours of experiencing heart attack symptoms, but almost half of uninsured patients or patients with financial concerns waited six hours or more to seek care. And that can end up costing the system more if the condition becomes more serious while they wait.
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Thursday, May 20, 2010
Too Much of a Good Thing
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/19/2322759.aspx
Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 2:16 PM PT
By JoNel Aleccia
Eating extra veggies is a good goal, but an 88-year-old Chinese woman took the quest too far, consuming enough raw bok choy to send herself into a life-threatening, thyroid-induced coma, doctors say.
The woman showed up at a New York emergency room last summer, complaining she couldn’t walk or swallow. But the real trouble, according to a report in Wednesday’s New England Journal of Medicine, was that she’d been chowing down on 2 to 3 pounds of bok choy every day for several months in hopes of controlling her diabetes.
For those unfamiliar with the vegetable also known as Chinese white cabbage, that’s the equivalent of eating two or three large heads a day of the stiff, leafy stalks. And the woman apparently munched them plain, without a dab of dressing or a sprinkle of salt, according to Dr. Michael Chu, a resident at the New York University School of Medicine who helped care for her.
“I am not sure if she had trouble consuming so much bok choy,” Chu said. “It never came up that it was difficult to do so.”
What was difficult was keeping the woman’s thyroid working after the bok choy spree basically shut it down. It turns out that raw vegetables in the Brassica rapa family, which includes bok choy, release an enzyme called myrosinase, which triggers a process that puts the brakes on thyroid function.
Cooking deactivates the enzyme, but by eating so much bok choy raw, the woman sent her system into a severe form of hypothyroidism. She went into respiratory failure and then into a myxedema coma, a rare and usually deadly complication of too little thyroid hormone.
It took massive intravenous doses of a synthetic thyroid hormone and a powerful anti-inflammatory medication to save her life, according to Chu’s report.
The case could serve as a warning to others, but Chu said he’s not sure how many people would consume enough raw bok choy to put themselves in that position.
As for the woman, she recovered and was sent to live in a skilled nursing home for further care. There’s no word on whether bok choy ever shows up on the menu.
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Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 2:16 PM PT
By JoNel Aleccia
Eating extra veggies is a good goal, but an 88-year-old Chinese woman took the quest too far, consuming enough raw bok choy to send herself into a life-threatening, thyroid-induced coma, doctors say.
The woman showed up at a New York emergency room last summer, complaining she couldn’t walk or swallow. But the real trouble, according to a report in Wednesday’s New England Journal of Medicine, was that she’d been chowing down on 2 to 3 pounds of bok choy every day for several months in hopes of controlling her diabetes.
For those unfamiliar with the vegetable also known as Chinese white cabbage, that’s the equivalent of eating two or three large heads a day of the stiff, leafy stalks. And the woman apparently munched them plain, without a dab of dressing or a sprinkle of salt, according to Dr. Michael Chu, a resident at the New York University School of Medicine who helped care for her.
“I am not sure if she had trouble consuming so much bok choy,” Chu said. “It never came up that it was difficult to do so.”
What was difficult was keeping the woman’s thyroid working after the bok choy spree basically shut it down. It turns out that raw vegetables in the Brassica rapa family, which includes bok choy, release an enzyme called myrosinase, which triggers a process that puts the brakes on thyroid function.
Cooking deactivates the enzyme, but by eating so much bok choy raw, the woman sent her system into a severe form of hypothyroidism. She went into respiratory failure and then into a myxedema coma, a rare and usually deadly complication of too little thyroid hormone.
It took massive intravenous doses of a synthetic thyroid hormone and a powerful anti-inflammatory medication to save her life, according to Chu’s report.
The case could serve as a warning to others, but Chu said he’s not sure how many people would consume enough raw bok choy to put themselves in that position.
As for the woman, she recovered and was sent to live in a skilled nursing home for further care. There’s no word on whether bok choy ever shows up on the menu.
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Calcium in Early Life May Prevent Obesity Later
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513123833.htm
ScienceDaily (May 13, 2010) — There's no denying that people need calcium for strong, healthy bones. But new research from North Carolina State University suggests that not getting enough calcium in the earliest days of life could have a more profound, lifelong impact on bone health and perhaps even obesity than previously thought.
During an 18-day trial involving 24 newborn pigs, the researchers documented markedly lower levels of bone density and strength in 12 piglets fed a calcium-deficient diet compared to 12 piglets that received more calcium. Not only that, but when researchers looked at certain stem cells in bone marrow, they found that many of these cells in the calcium-deficient piglets appeared to have already been programmed to become fat cells instead of bone-forming cells.
ScienceDaily (May 13, 2010) — There's no denying that people need calcium for strong, healthy bones. But new research from North Carolina State University suggests that not getting enough calcium in the earliest days of life could have a more profound, lifelong impact on bone health and perhaps even obesity than previously thought.
During an 18-day trial involving 24 newborn pigs, the researchers documented markedly lower levels of bone density and strength in 12 piglets fed a calcium-deficient diet compared to 12 piglets that received more calcium. Not only that, but when researchers looked at certain stem cells in bone marrow, they found that many of these cells in the calcium-deficient piglets appeared to have already been programmed to become fat cells instead of bone-forming cells.
Poll: Men Lie More Than Women
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/05/18/poll-men-lie-more-than-women-no-really/?hpt=Sbin
Just where to begin with this? A new poll released in the U.K. by the Science Museum reveals that the average British male tells three lies a day (your British correspondant’s non-fibbing math works out that’s the equivalent of 1,092 a year) whereas the fairer sex only lies twice a day (728 a year).
Our long suffering mothers are the main target for porkies (25% of men, 20% of women) though only 10% of people said they’re likely to lie to their partner. As for feeling guilty about not telling the truth, 82% of women feel badly but just 70% of men admit to a sensation of guilt.
And how about the most popular lines? For the men, “I didn’t have that much to drink” comes out on top (bear in mind this is the U.K.), followed by “Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine” and “I had no signal.” But the likes of “I’m on my way” and “you’ve lost weight” also make the top 10. For women, they go with “Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine,” “I don’t know where it is, I haven’t touched it” and “It wasn’t that expensive.”
Naturally, readers of NewsFeed have never been anything but honest and anyone who tells you differently is clearly lying…
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/05/18/poll-men-lie-more-than-women-no-really/?hpt=Sbin#ixzz0oWpsAN5s
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Just where to begin with this? A new poll released in the U.K. by the Science Museum reveals that the average British male tells three lies a day (your British correspondant’s non-fibbing math works out that’s the equivalent of 1,092 a year) whereas the fairer sex only lies twice a day (728 a year).
Our long suffering mothers are the main target for porkies (25% of men, 20% of women) though only 10% of people said they’re likely to lie to their partner. As for feeling guilty about not telling the truth, 82% of women feel badly but just 70% of men admit to a sensation of guilt.
And how about the most popular lines? For the men, “I didn’t have that much to drink” comes out on top (bear in mind this is the U.K.), followed by “Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine” and “I had no signal.” But the likes of “I’m on my way” and “you’ve lost weight” also make the top 10. For women, they go with “Nothing’s wrong, I’m fine,” “I don’t know where it is, I haven’t touched it” and “It wasn’t that expensive.”
Naturally, readers of NewsFeed have never been anything but honest and anyone who tells you differently is clearly lying…
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/05/18/poll-men-lie-more-than-women-no-really/?hpt=Sbin#ixzz0oWpsAN5s
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The Short List: 5 Advantages To Being Diminutive
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126501516&sc=fb&cc=fp
by Linton Weeks
text size A A A
May 13, 2010
You’ve probably heard it all your life: Being short is a disadvantage. A cursory glance at the research underscores the point. Short people are less successful — earn less, garner fewer leadership roles, etc. — than tall people, according to Arianne Cohen, author of the The Tall Book: A Celebration of Life from on High.
Recent headlines mock the diminutive size of French President Nicolas Sarkozy (5 feet 5 inches). Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is so noticeably petite (5 feet 3 inches), the late Justice Thurgood Marshall called her "Shorty." Randy Newman famously sang that "short people got no reason to live."
But in his new book for young people, Short: Walking Tall When You Are Not Tall At All, reporter John Schwartz of The New York Times approaches the cultural view of height with a jaundiced eye. Many of the so-called disadvantages of being short, he writes, are predicated on selective use of sociological and psychological data by drug companies that market growth hormones. "In the end," Schwartz writes, "a lot of the 'problems' that people associate with being short are created by the same people who say they are trying to fix them."
Truth is, says Schwartz (5 feet 3 inches), being short can actually come in handy. "That sense of starting the race a step behind," he says in an interview, "can be a powerful force for good. I think it can make us short guys a little tougher, a little more eager to show the world what we've got. Maybe, in some of us, it helps us develop a sense of humor — being able to tell jokes probably got me out of being pounded more than once."
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by Linton Weeks
text size A A A
May 13, 2010
You’ve probably heard it all your life: Being short is a disadvantage. A cursory glance at the research underscores the point. Short people are less successful — earn less, garner fewer leadership roles, etc. — than tall people, according to Arianne Cohen, author of the The Tall Book: A Celebration of Life from on High.
Recent headlines mock the diminutive size of French President Nicolas Sarkozy (5 feet 5 inches). Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is so noticeably petite (5 feet 3 inches), the late Justice Thurgood Marshall called her "Shorty." Randy Newman famously sang that "short people got no reason to live."
But in his new book for young people, Short: Walking Tall When You Are Not Tall At All, reporter John Schwartz of The New York Times approaches the cultural view of height with a jaundiced eye. Many of the so-called disadvantages of being short, he writes, are predicated on selective use of sociological and psychological data by drug companies that market growth hormones. "In the end," Schwartz writes, "a lot of the 'problems' that people associate with being short are created by the same people who say they are trying to fix them."
Truth is, says Schwartz (5 feet 3 inches), being short can actually come in handy. "That sense of starting the race a step behind," he says in an interview, "can be a powerful force for good. I think it can make us short guys a little tougher, a little more eager to show the world what we've got. Maybe, in some of us, it helps us develop a sense of humor — being able to tell jokes probably got me out of being pounded more than once."
See the article for a list of advantages to being short, and a slide show of famous short people.
Eg., Buckminster Fuller was 5'2".
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Oil companies fought stricter regulations
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2010-05-09-drilling_N.htm?csp=obinsite
Updated 5/10/2010 4:48 PM
By Alan Levin, USA TODAY
The company that owns the offshore well spewing crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico and other major oil companies spearheaded a campaign to thwart a government plan to impose tighter regulations aimed at preventing similar disasters, according to government records.
Tighter regulations would have required that drillers perform independent audits and hazard assessments designed to reduce accidents caused by human errors, but the federal Minerals Management Service (MMS) has so far not imposed the rules in the face of near unanimous opposition from oil companies.
Oil executives — including BP, which leased the rig that exploded April 20 — argued that the industry had a solid environmental record and most companies had voluntarily adopted similar safeguards to protect against a major spill. They also said the new rules would have been too costly.
Since the spill, BP has changed its position on the MMS proposal, BP spokesman Andrew Gowers said. The company expects tighter safety rules and will not oppose them, he said.
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Updated 5/10/2010 4:48 PM
By Alan Levin, USA TODAY
The company that owns the offshore well spewing crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico and other major oil companies spearheaded a campaign to thwart a government plan to impose tighter regulations aimed at preventing similar disasters, according to government records.
Tighter regulations would have required that drillers perform independent audits and hazard assessments designed to reduce accidents caused by human errors, but the federal Minerals Management Service (MMS) has so far not imposed the rules in the face of near unanimous opposition from oil companies.
Oil executives — including BP, which leased the rig that exploded April 20 — argued that the industry had a solid environmental record and most companies had voluntarily adopted similar safeguards to protect against a major spill. They also said the new rules would have been too costly.
Since the spill, BP has changed its position on the MMS proposal, BP spokesman Andrew Gowers said. The company expects tighter safety rules and will not oppose them, he said.
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U.S. agency let oil industry write offshore drilling rules
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/10/93859/us-agency-lets-oil-industry-write.html#storylink=omni_popular
Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010
By Les Blumenthal and Erika Bolstad | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The oil industry, not the federal agency that regulates it, plays a crucial role in writing the safety and environmental rules for offshore drilling, a role that critics say reflects cozy ties between an industry and its regulators that need to be snapped.
Nearly 100 industry standards set by the American Petroleum Industry are included in the nation's offshore operating regulations. The API asserts that its standards are better for the industry's bottom line and make it easier to operate offshore than if the Minerals Management Service set the rules.
Following the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the MMS is increasingly under a microscope. Congressional hearings beginning Tuesday will examine the cause of the April 20 drilling rig explosion and whether the MMS's regulatory framework ought to be changed.
The agency has a built-in conflict. It's responsible for regulating offshore drilling, but also for leasing tracts on the outer continental shelf and collecting royalties on the oil and gas they produce. The MMS generates more revenue for the federal Treasury than any other agency except the Internal Revenue Service.
So while one arm of the agency is trying to make money, the other tries to regulate an industry where pumping oil sometimes trumps safety and environmental concerns.
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Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010
By Les Blumenthal and Erika Bolstad | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The oil industry, not the federal agency that regulates it, plays a crucial role in writing the safety and environmental rules for offshore drilling, a role that critics say reflects cozy ties between an industry and its regulators that need to be snapped.
Nearly 100 industry standards set by the American Petroleum Industry are included in the nation's offshore operating regulations. The API asserts that its standards are better for the industry's bottom line and make it easier to operate offshore than if the Minerals Management Service set the rules.
Following the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the MMS is increasingly under a microscope. Congressional hearings beginning Tuesday will examine the cause of the April 20 drilling rig explosion and whether the MMS's regulatory framework ought to be changed.
The agency has a built-in conflict. It's responsible for regulating offshore drilling, but also for leasing tracts on the outer continental shelf and collecting royalties on the oil and gas they produce. The MMS generates more revenue for the federal Treasury than any other agency except the Internal Revenue Service.
So while one arm of the agency is trying to make money, the other tries to regulate an industry where pumping oil sometimes trumps safety and environmental concerns.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Greenland Rapidly Rising as Ice Melt Continues
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100518170218.htm
ScienceDaily (May 18, 2010) — Greenland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast of Canada. It has stunning fjords on its rocky coast formed by moving glaciers, and a dense icecap up to 2 km thick that covers much of the island--pressing down the land beneath and lowering its elevation. Now, scientists at the University of Miami say Greenland's ice is melting so quickly that the land underneath is rising at an accelerated pace.
According to the study, some coastal areas are going up by nearly one inch per year and if current trends continue, that number could accelerate to as much as two inches per year by 2025, explains Tim Dixon, professor of geophysics at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) and principal investigator of the study.
"It's been known for several years that climate change is contributing to the melting of Greenland's ice sheet," Dixon says. "What's surprising, and a bit worrisome, is that the ice is melting so fast that we can actually see the land uplift in response," he says. "Even more surprising, the rise seems to be accelerating, implying that melting is accelerating."
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"During ice ages and in times of ice accumulation, the ice suppresses the land," Wdowinski says. "When the ice melts, the land rebounds upwards," he says. "Our study is consistent with a number of global warming indicators, confirming that ice melt and sea level rise are real and becoming significant."
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ScienceDaily (May 18, 2010) — Greenland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast of Canada. It has stunning fjords on its rocky coast formed by moving glaciers, and a dense icecap up to 2 km thick that covers much of the island--pressing down the land beneath and lowering its elevation. Now, scientists at the University of Miami say Greenland's ice is melting so quickly that the land underneath is rising at an accelerated pace.
According to the study, some coastal areas are going up by nearly one inch per year and if current trends continue, that number could accelerate to as much as two inches per year by 2025, explains Tim Dixon, professor of geophysics at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) and principal investigator of the study.
"It's been known for several years that climate change is contributing to the melting of Greenland's ice sheet," Dixon says. "What's surprising, and a bit worrisome, is that the ice is melting so fast that we can actually see the land uplift in response," he says. "Even more surprising, the rise seems to be accelerating, implying that melting is accelerating."
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"During ice ages and in times of ice accumulation, the ice suppresses the land," Wdowinski says. "When the ice melts, the land rebounds upwards," he says. "Our study is consistent with a number of global warming indicators, confirming that ice melt and sea level rise are real and becoming significant."
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Dramatic surge seen in kids hospitalized with MRSA
Another example of ignoring the fluorescent orange elephant.
We have been warned for years that over-use of antibiotics is leading to increased drug resistance in bacteria. But it goes on. Eventually, we will run out of effective antibiotics before we find replacements.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100517/ap_on_he_me/us_med_staph_infections_kids;_ylt=ApviFytvpYBquqf0FP0SNges0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFkYmFjamtlBHBvcwMxNDkEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9oZWFsdGgEc2xrA2RyYW1hdGljc3VyZw--
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner, Ap Medical Writer – Mon May 17, 3:15 am ET
CHICAGO – The number of children hospitalized with dangerous drug-resistant staph infections surged 10-fold in recent years, a study found.
Disease incidence increased from 2 cases to 21 cases per 1,000 hospital admissions from 1999 to 2008. Most infections were caught in the community, not in the hospital.
The study involved methicillin-resistant staph infections, called MRSA. These used to occur mostly in hospitals and nursing homes but they are increasingly showing up in other settings in children and adults. Recent evidence suggests hospital-acquired MRSA cases may be declining while community-acquired cases are becoming more common.
The results are "a good example of how something that is not unexpected remains alarming," said Dr. Buddy Creech, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University. He was not involved in the study.
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The study also found a coinciding increase in use of clindamycin, an antibiotic that comes in easy-to-use pills and liquid, and smaller increases for two other antibiotics. Another drug effective against MRSA, vancomycin, is only available intravenously and its use decreased during the study.
Newland said the increasing use of clindamycin is concerning because in some regions MRSA is already becoming resistant to the drug. Doctors need to use the antibiotic judiciously, he said.
Dr. Kenneth Alexander, the University of Chicago's pediatric infectious disease chief, said he agrees.
"Staph are incredibly cagey, and will ultimately find their way around any antibiotic in use," he said.
Research is needed to find other drugs that will work against MRSA, he said.
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We have been warned for years that over-use of antibiotics is leading to increased drug resistance in bacteria. But it goes on. Eventually, we will run out of effective antibiotics before we find replacements.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100517/ap_on_he_me/us_med_staph_infections_kids;_ylt=ApviFytvpYBquqf0FP0SNges0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFkYmFjamtlBHBvcwMxNDkEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9oZWFsdGgEc2xrA2RyYW1hdGljc3VyZw--
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner, Ap Medical Writer – Mon May 17, 3:15 am ET
CHICAGO – The number of children hospitalized with dangerous drug-resistant staph infections surged 10-fold in recent years, a study found.
Disease incidence increased from 2 cases to 21 cases per 1,000 hospital admissions from 1999 to 2008. Most infections were caught in the community, not in the hospital.
The study involved methicillin-resistant staph infections, called MRSA. These used to occur mostly in hospitals and nursing homes but they are increasingly showing up in other settings in children and adults. Recent evidence suggests hospital-acquired MRSA cases may be declining while community-acquired cases are becoming more common.
The results are "a good example of how something that is not unexpected remains alarming," said Dr. Buddy Creech, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University. He was not involved in the study.
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The study also found a coinciding increase in use of clindamycin, an antibiotic that comes in easy-to-use pills and liquid, and smaller increases for two other antibiotics. Another drug effective against MRSA, vancomycin, is only available intravenously and its use decreased during the study.
Newland said the increasing use of clindamycin is concerning because in some regions MRSA is already becoming resistant to the drug. Doctors need to use the antibiotic judiciously, he said.
Dr. Kenneth Alexander, the University of Chicago's pediatric infectious disease chief, said he agrees.
"Staph are incredibly cagey, and will ultimately find their way around any antibiotic in use," he said.
Research is needed to find other drugs that will work against MRSA, he said.
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Is ADHD An Advantage For Nomadic Tribesmen?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609195604.htm
ScienceDaily (June 10, 2008) — A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads, according to new research. Scientists have shown that an ADHD-associated version of the gene DRD4 is associated with better health in nomadic tribesmen, and yet may cause malnourishment in their settled cousins.
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Eisenberg explains, "The DRD4/7R allele has been linked to greater food and drug cravings, novelty-seeking, and ADHD symptoms. It is possible that in the nomadic setting, a boy with this allele might be able to more effectively defend livestock against raiders or locate food and water sources, but that the same tendencies might not be as beneficial in settled pursuits such as focusing in school, farming or selling goods".
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ScienceDaily (June 10, 2008) — A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads, according to new research. Scientists have shown that an ADHD-associated version of the gene DRD4 is associated with better health in nomadic tribesmen, and yet may cause malnourishment in their settled cousins.
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Eisenberg explains, "The DRD4/7R allele has been linked to greater food and drug cravings, novelty-seeking, and ADHD symptoms. It is possible that in the nomadic setting, a boy with this allele might be able to more effectively defend livestock against raiders or locate food and water sources, but that the same tendencies might not be as beneficial in settled pursuits such as focusing in school, farming or selling goods".
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Warmest April Global Temperature on Record, NOAA Says
So far this year, there have been numerous record snowfalls and rainfalls in various places around the world. This was predicted decades ago. Warm air holds more moisture. It will eventually encounter cooler air, so the result will be increased precipitation.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100517233818.htm
ScienceDaily (May 17, 2010) — The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for both April and for the period from January-April, according to NOAA. Additionally, last month's average ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for any April, and the global land surface temperature was the third warmest on record.
The monthly analysis from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, which is based on records going back to 1880
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100517233818.htm
ScienceDaily (May 17, 2010) — The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for both April and for the period from January-April, according to NOAA. Additionally, last month's average ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for any April, and the global land surface temperature was the third warmest on record.
The monthly analysis from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, which is based on records going back to 1880
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"Murdered" Chinese man reappears after 10 years
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100511/od_nm/us_china_murder;_ylt=ApiQCGzDBdyFy0tBqzuqNRWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFmM3YwNWk2BHBvcwMyMDUEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9vZGRfbmV3cwRzbGsDcXVvdG11cmRlcmVk
Tue May 11, 9:13 am ET
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese man who was supposedly hacked to death in a fight has reappeared in his hometown after 10 years, state media said, raising questions about police torture to extract a confession from the alleged killer.
Zhao Zuohai, the supposed killer, was acquitted of the crime and released by a Henan court on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua said, citing a court press conference on Sunday.
He had served 10 years of a 29-year sentence after confessing to killing Zhao Zhenshang in a hatchet fight in central China's Henan province, the China Daily reported this weekend.
A headless body was found in a village well about a year after the fight, at which point Zhao was arrested and confessed to the killing.
The victim, Zhao Zhenshang, reappeared in the village on May 2 to seek welfare support. He had fled after the fight because he feared he had killed the now-imprisoned Zhao.
Convictions in the Chinese court system are strongly dependent on confessions, motivating police to use force to get a confession and close the case.
A series of deaths in police custody over the last year has emboldened reformers and aided a fight by the Ministry of Justice to wrest control of detention centres from the police.
The courts conducted an audit of all death penalty cases after a woman in Hubei province reappeared over a decade after her husband, She Xianglin, was jailed for her murder, in a case that also rested on his confession to police.
Relatives who maintained She's innocence were also jailed.
The imprisoned Zhao's brother told the local Dahe Newspaper that police had forced him to drink chili water and set off fireworks over his head to force the confession.
The imprisoned Zhao narrowly escaped being executed for the crime. His sentence was commuted from a death penalty with two years' reprieve.
While in prison, his wife left him for another man and three of his four children were given to other families for adoption, the China Daily said.
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Tue May 11, 9:13 am ET
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese man who was supposedly hacked to death in a fight has reappeared in his hometown after 10 years, state media said, raising questions about police torture to extract a confession from the alleged killer.
Zhao Zuohai, the supposed killer, was acquitted of the crime and released by a Henan court on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua said, citing a court press conference on Sunday.
He had served 10 years of a 29-year sentence after confessing to killing Zhao Zhenshang in a hatchet fight in central China's Henan province, the China Daily reported this weekend.
A headless body was found in a village well about a year after the fight, at which point Zhao was arrested and confessed to the killing.
The victim, Zhao Zhenshang, reappeared in the village on May 2 to seek welfare support. He had fled after the fight because he feared he had killed the now-imprisoned Zhao.
Convictions in the Chinese court system are strongly dependent on confessions, motivating police to use force to get a confession and close the case.
A series of deaths in police custody over the last year has emboldened reformers and aided a fight by the Ministry of Justice to wrest control of detention centres from the police.
The courts conducted an audit of all death penalty cases after a woman in Hubei province reappeared over a decade after her husband, She Xianglin, was jailed for her murder, in a case that also rested on his confession to police.
Relatives who maintained She's innocence were also jailed.
The imprisoned Zhao's brother told the local Dahe Newspaper that police had forced him to drink chili water and set off fireworks over his head to force the confession.
The imprisoned Zhao narrowly escaped being executed for the crime. His sentence was commuted from a death penalty with two years' reprieve.
While in prison, his wife left him for another man and three of his four children were given to other families for adoption, the China Daily said.
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Did the end of smallpox vaccination cause the explosive spread of HIV?
Very plausible to me. After I had the swine flu shot when Carter was president, I didn't get sick for at least 3 years.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/bc-dte051410.php
Public release date: 17-May-2010
Contact: Graeme Baldwin
BioMed Central
Did the end of smallpox vaccination cause the explosive spread of HIV?
Vaccinia immunization, as given to prevent the spread of smallpox, produces a five-fold reduction in HIV replication in the laboratory. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Immunology suggest that the end of smallpox vaccination in the mid-20th century may have caused a loss of protection that contributed to the rapid contemporary spread of HIV.
Raymond Weinstein, a family doctor turned laboratory scientist at George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, USA, worked with a team of researchers from George Washington University and UCLA. The researchers looked at the ability of white blood cells taken from people recently immunised with vaccinia to support HIV replication compared to unvaccinated controls. They found significantly lower viral replication in blood cells from vaccinated individuals. Weinstein said, "There have been several proposed explanations for the rapid spread of HIV in Africa, including wars, the reuse of unsterilized needles and the contamination of early batches of polio vaccine. However, all of these have been either disproved or do not sufficiently explain the behavior of the HIV pandemic. Our finding that prior immunization with vaccinia virus may provide an individual with some degree of protection to subsequent HIV infection suggests that the withdrawal of such vaccination may be a partial explanation".
Smallpox immunization was gradually withdrawn from the 1950s to the 1970s following the worldwide eradication of the disease, and HIV has been spreading exponentially since approximately the same time period. Weinstein and his colleagues propose that vaccination may confer protection against HIV by producing long term alterations in the immune system, possibly including the expression of a certain receptor, CCR5, on the surface of a person's white blood cells which is exploited by both viruses. Speaking about the results, Weinstein said, "While these results are very interesting and hopefully may lead to a new weapon against the HIV pandemic, they are very preliminary and it is far too soon to recommend the general use of vaccinia immunization for fighting HIV".
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lack of sleep linked to early death
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100505/ts_afp/healthsciencesleepbritainitaly;_ylt=Av2GWZDu8Azas6Az3QBdouSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJzYTIyaXF1BGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDEwMDUwNS9oZWFsdGhzY2llbmNlc2xlZXBicml0YWluaXRhbHkEcG9zAzQEc2VjA3luX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDbGFja29mc2xlZXBs
Wed May 5, 9:44 am ET
LONDON (AFP) – People who get less than six hours sleep per night have an increased risk of dying prematurely, researchers said on Wednesday.
Those who slumbered for less than that amount of time were 12 percent more likely to die early, though researchers also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours and premature death.
"If you sleep little, you can develop diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol," Francesco Cappuccio, who led research on the subject at Britain's University of Warwick, told AFP.
The study, conducted with the Federico II University in Naples, Italy, aggregated decade-long studies from around the world involving more than 1.3 million people and found "unequivocal evidence of the direct link" between lack of sleep and premature death.
"We think that the relation between little sleep and illness is due to a series of hormonal and metabolical mechanisms," Cappuccio said.
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Wed May 5, 9:44 am ET
LONDON (AFP) – People who get less than six hours sleep per night have an increased risk of dying prematurely, researchers said on Wednesday.
Those who slumbered for less than that amount of time were 12 percent more likely to die early, though researchers also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours and premature death.
"If you sleep little, you can develop diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol," Francesco Cappuccio, who led research on the subject at Britain's University of Warwick, told AFP.
The study, conducted with the Federico II University in Naples, Italy, aggregated decade-long studies from around the world involving more than 1.3 million people and found "unequivocal evidence of the direct link" between lack of sleep and premature death.
"We think that the relation between little sleep and illness is due to a series of hormonal and metabolical mechanisms," Cappuccio said.
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Living in a High-Crime Neighborhood May Worsen Children's Asthma
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100501013415.htm
ScienceDaily (May 2, 2010) — Exposure to violent crime may exacerbate asthma in children, according to a study presented May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Emerging research suggests that violence and stress may influence the severity of a child's asthma. To explore this association further, researchers conducted a study of 561 children ages 8-14 years in Chicago who had been diagnosed with asthma by a physician.
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Results showed that 41 percent of the children had moderate or severe asthma, and 59 percent had intermittent or mild asthma. After adjusting for the child's age, gender, family history of asthma and socioeconomic status, children were nearly twice as likely to have moderate/severe asthma if their caregivers reported high levels of stress or if the incidence of violent crime was high in their neighborhood. After adjusting for caregiver stress, a high incidence of violent crime still was associated with more severe asthma in children.
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ScienceDaily (May 2, 2010) — Exposure to violent crime may exacerbate asthma in children, according to a study presented May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Emerging research suggests that violence and stress may influence the severity of a child's asthma. To explore this association further, researchers conducted a study of 561 children ages 8-14 years in Chicago who had been diagnosed with asthma by a physician.
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Results showed that 41 percent of the children had moderate or severe asthma, and 59 percent had intermittent or mild asthma. After adjusting for the child's age, gender, family history of asthma and socioeconomic status, children were nearly twice as likely to have moderate/severe asthma if their caregivers reported high levels of stress or if the incidence of violent crime was high in their neighborhood. After adjusting for caregiver stress, a high incidence of violent crime still was associated with more severe asthma in children.
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Shorter Work Shifts for Doctors Might Aid in Detection of Colon Polyps
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503092028.htm
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — A shorter daily shift schedule for endoscopists, the physicians who perform colonoscopies, avoids a decrease in the polyp detection rate as the day progresses, research from Mayo Clinic indicates.
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"Some people develop colon cancer even after having colonoscopies," says Gregory Munson, M.D., M.P.H., a gastroenterology fellow at Mayo Clinic and study co-author. "Polyp miss rates are partially to blame, so we want to discover how to make the quality of the colonoscopy exam better.
"It's known already that longer colon exam times during endoscope withdrawal increase polyp detection rates. Our data show that each additional minute spent on withdrawal predicts a 4 percent increase in the polyp detection rate. This has led some health care facilities to require a minimum withdrawal time. We were curious whether shorter shifts positively influence polyp detection rates."
----- (skipping)
According to Dawn Francis, M.D., M.H.S., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic and lead researcher, these findings differ from similar studies done at other health care facilities that employ traditional half-day shifts. The decrease in polyp detection rates later in the day in those studies is attributed to endoscopist fatigue.
"Our endoscopists usually work only one three-hour shift per day rather than a half or full day of endoscopy," Dr. Francis says. "With shorter shifts throughout the day, we don't see the drop in polyp detection rate later in the day that has previously been reported. Other health care facilities might also want to consider a model that breaks up the day into three-hour shifts."
----- (skipping)
"It's hard to tell from the data," Dr. Munson says. "Despite our attempt to control for patient and endoscopist variables, it could be that patients who show up at midday have more polyps or that endoscopists are better at detecting polyps during midday. We need to do more analysis to pinpoint the factors that make a difference."
..
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — A shorter daily shift schedule for endoscopists, the physicians who perform colonoscopies, avoids a decrease in the polyp detection rate as the day progresses, research from Mayo Clinic indicates.
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"Some people develop colon cancer even after having colonoscopies," says Gregory Munson, M.D., M.P.H., a gastroenterology fellow at Mayo Clinic and study co-author. "Polyp miss rates are partially to blame, so we want to discover how to make the quality of the colonoscopy exam better.
"It's known already that longer colon exam times during endoscope withdrawal increase polyp detection rates. Our data show that each additional minute spent on withdrawal predicts a 4 percent increase in the polyp detection rate. This has led some health care facilities to require a minimum withdrawal time. We were curious whether shorter shifts positively influence polyp detection rates."
----- (skipping)
According to Dawn Francis, M.D., M.H.S., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic and lead researcher, these findings differ from similar studies done at other health care facilities that employ traditional half-day shifts. The decrease in polyp detection rates later in the day in those studies is attributed to endoscopist fatigue.
"Our endoscopists usually work only one three-hour shift per day rather than a half or full day of endoscopy," Dr. Francis says. "With shorter shifts throughout the day, we don't see the drop in polyp detection rate later in the day that has previously been reported. Other health care facilities might also want to consider a model that breaks up the day into three-hour shifts."
----- (skipping)
"It's hard to tell from the data," Dr. Munson says. "Despite our attempt to control for patient and endoscopist variables, it could be that patients who show up at midday have more polyps or that endoscopists are better at detecting polyps during midday. We need to do more analysis to pinpoint the factors that make a difference."
..
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tax bills in 2009 at lowest level since 1950
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/05/11/taxes_at_lowest_level_since_1950.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PoliticalWire+%28Political+Wire%29
linked to
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2010-05-10-taxes_N.htm
Updated 14m[in] ago
By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found.
Some conservative political movements such as the "Tea Party" have criticized federal spending as being out of control. While spending is up, taxes have fallen to exceptionally low levels.
Federal, state and local taxes — including income, property, sales and other taxes — consumed 9.2% of all personal income in 2009, the lowest rate since 1950, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That rate is far below the historic average of 12% for the last half-century. The overall tax burden hit bottom in December at 8.8.% of income before rising slightly in the first three months of 2010.
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Individual tax rates vary widely based on how much a taxpayer earns, where the person lives and other factors. On average, though, the tax rate paid by all Americans — rich and poor, combined — has fallen 26% since the recession began in 2007. That means a $3,400 annual tax savings for a household paying the average national rate and earning the average national household income of $102,000.
This tax drop has boosted consumer spending and the economy, which grew at a 3.2% annual rate in the first quarter. It also has contributed to the federal debt growing to $8.4 trillion.
Taxes paid have fallen much faster than income in this recession. Personal income fell 2% last year. Taxes paid dropped 23%. The BEA classifies Social Security taxes as insurance payments and excludes them from the tax calculation.
Why the tax bite has eased:
• Stimulus law. One-third of last year's $862 billion economic stimulus went for tax cuts. Biggest reduction: The Making Work Pay tax credit reduced income taxes $800 for married couples earning up to $150,000.
• Progressive tax rates. Presidents Clinton and Bush pushed through a series of tax changes — credits, lower rates, higher exemptions — that slashed income taxes for poor and middle-class families. A drop in income now can trigger big tax breaks and sharply lower rates, sometimes falling to zero.
• Sales tax. Consumers cut spending sharply in this downturn, thereby paying less in sales taxes.
..
linked to
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2010-05-10-taxes_N.htm
Updated 14m[in] ago
By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found.
Some conservative political movements such as the "Tea Party" have criticized federal spending as being out of control. While spending is up, taxes have fallen to exceptionally low levels.
Federal, state and local taxes — including income, property, sales and other taxes — consumed 9.2% of all personal income in 2009, the lowest rate since 1950, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That rate is far below the historic average of 12% for the last half-century. The overall tax burden hit bottom in December at 8.8.% of income before rising slightly in the first three months of 2010.
----- (skipping)
Individual tax rates vary widely based on how much a taxpayer earns, where the person lives and other factors. On average, though, the tax rate paid by all Americans — rich and poor, combined — has fallen 26% since the recession began in 2007. That means a $3,400 annual tax savings for a household paying the average national rate and earning the average national household income of $102,000.
This tax drop has boosted consumer spending and the economy, which grew at a 3.2% annual rate in the first quarter. It also has contributed to the federal debt growing to $8.4 trillion.
Taxes paid have fallen much faster than income in this recession. Personal income fell 2% last year. Taxes paid dropped 23%. The BEA classifies Social Security taxes as insurance payments and excludes them from the tax calculation.
Why the tax bite has eased:
• Stimulus law. One-third of last year's $862 billion economic stimulus went for tax cuts. Biggest reduction: The Making Work Pay tax credit reduced income taxes $800 for married couples earning up to $150,000.
• Progressive tax rates. Presidents Clinton and Bush pushed through a series of tax changes — credits, lower rates, higher exemptions — that slashed income taxes for poor and middle-class families. A drop in income now can trigger big tax breaks and sharply lower rates, sometimes falling to zero.
• Sales tax. Consumers cut spending sharply in this downturn, thereby paying less in sales taxes.
..
Critical Care Outcomes Tied to Insurance Status
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100428110814.htm
ScienceDaily (Apr. 29, 2010) — Among the general U.S. population, people who are uninsured are about half as likely to receive critical care services as those with insurance, according to systematic review of the literature by the American Thoracic Society's Health Disparities Group. They also found that once admitted to the hospital intensive care unit, uninsured patients are less likely to have invasive procedures or pulmonary artery catheterizations and more likely to have life support withdrawn.
"Patients in the United States who do not have health insurance and become critically ill receive fewer critical care services and may experience worse clinical outcomes," said J. Randall Curtis, M.D., M.P.H., president of the ATS, and an investigator for the review. "Improving preexisting health care coverage may be one mechanism to reduce such disparities."
ScienceDaily (Apr. 29, 2010) — Among the general U.S. population, people who are uninsured are about half as likely to receive critical care services as those with insurance, according to systematic review of the literature by the American Thoracic Society's Health Disparities Group. They also found that once admitted to the hospital intensive care unit, uninsured patients are less likely to have invasive procedures or pulmonary artery catheterizations and more likely to have life support withdrawn.
"Patients in the United States who do not have health insurance and become critically ill receive fewer critical care services and may experience worse clinical outcomes," said J. Randall Curtis, M.D., M.P.H., president of the ATS, and an investigator for the review. "Improving preexisting health care coverage may be one mechanism to reduce such disparities."
Tainted nuke plant water reaches major NJ aquifer
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37022728/ns/us_news-environment/
By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press Writer
updated 4:42 p.m. ET, Fri., May 7, 2010
LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Radioactive water that leaked from the nation's oldest nuclear power plant has now reached a major underground aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of southern New Jersey, the state's environmental chief said Friday.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has ordered the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station to halt the spread of contaminated water underground, even as it said there was no imminent threat to drinking water supplies.
The department launched a new investigation Friday into the April 2009 spill and said the actions of plant owner Exelon Corp. have not been sufficient to contain water contaminated with tritium.
Tritium is found naturally in tiny amounts and is a product of nuclear fission. It has been linked to cancer if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin in large amounts.
"There is a problem here," said environmental Commissioner Bob Martin. "I am worried about the continuing spread of the tritium into the groundwater and its gradual moving toward wells in the area. This is not something that can wait. That would be unacceptable."
The tritium leaked from underground pipes at the plant on April 9, 2009, and has been slowly spreading underground at 1 to 3 feet a day. At the current rate, it would be 14 or 15 years before the tainted water reaches the nearest private or commercial drinking water wells about two miles away.
But the mere fact that the radioactive water — at concentrations 50 times higher than those allowed by law — has reached southern New Jersey's main source of drinking water calls for urgent action, Martin said.
----- (skipping)
The radioactive water leaks were found just days after the plant got a new 20-year license in 2009 that environmentalists had bitterly fought for four years. Those problems followed corrosion that left the reactor's crucial safety liner rusted and thinned.
..
By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press Writer
updated 4:42 p.m. ET, Fri., May 7, 2010
LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Radioactive water that leaked from the nation's oldest nuclear power plant has now reached a major underground aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of southern New Jersey, the state's environmental chief said Friday.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has ordered the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station to halt the spread of contaminated water underground, even as it said there was no imminent threat to drinking water supplies.
The department launched a new investigation Friday into the April 2009 spill and said the actions of plant owner Exelon Corp. have not been sufficient to contain water contaminated with tritium.
Tritium is found naturally in tiny amounts and is a product of nuclear fission. It has been linked to cancer if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin in large amounts.
"There is a problem here," said environmental Commissioner Bob Martin. "I am worried about the continuing spread of the tritium into the groundwater and its gradual moving toward wells in the area. This is not something that can wait. That would be unacceptable."
The tritium leaked from underground pipes at the plant on April 9, 2009, and has been slowly spreading underground at 1 to 3 feet a day. At the current rate, it would be 14 or 15 years before the tainted water reaches the nearest private or commercial drinking water wells about two miles away.
But the mere fact that the radioactive water — at concentrations 50 times higher than those allowed by law — has reached southern New Jersey's main source of drinking water calls for urgent action, Martin said.
----- (skipping)
The radioactive water leaks were found just days after the plant got a new 20-year license in 2009 that environmentalists had bitterly fought for four years. Those problems followed corrosion that left the reactor's crucial safety liner rusted and thinned.
..
Canada's eager beavers build world's largest dam
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37029248/ns/technology_and_science-science/
By CHARMAINE NORONHA
Associated Press Writer
updated 7:23 p.m. ET, Fri., May 7, 2010
TORONTO - A Canadian-based ecologist said Friday that he has located the world's largest beaver dam in northwestern Canada using Google satellite technology.
Ecologist Jean Thie located the 2,788-foot (850-meter) dam using Google Earth and NASA technology while researching the rate of melting permafrost in the country's far north.
Situated in northern Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park, which straddles the Alberta-Northwest Territories border, the dam stretches more than eight football fields long, said Thie.
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Using past images and park aerial photography, Thie concluded that the eager beavers began their work in the 1970s and that generations of the rodents have worked on it since.
"This was the work of extended families," said Thie, who is the president of EcoInformatics, a science research company.
..
By CHARMAINE NORONHA
Associated Press Writer
updated 7:23 p.m. ET, Fri., May 7, 2010
TORONTO - A Canadian-based ecologist said Friday that he has located the world's largest beaver dam in northwestern Canada using Google satellite technology.
Ecologist Jean Thie located the 2,788-foot (850-meter) dam using Google Earth and NASA technology while researching the rate of melting permafrost in the country's far north.
Situated in northern Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park, which straddles the Alberta-Northwest Territories border, the dam stretches more than eight football fields long, said Thie.
----- (skipping)
Using past images and park aerial photography, Thie concluded that the eager beavers began their work in the 1970s and that generations of the rodents have worked on it since.
"This was the work of extended families," said Thie, who is the president of EcoInformatics, a science research company.
..
DNA tests vindicate Ohio man convicted of '81 rape
I'm very sorry this innocent person was made to suffer, but I am glad to see an example of prosecutors and judges who were quick and happy to free him when it was shown he was innocent. Unhappily, there have actually been prosecutors and judges in similar cases who fought the freeing of prisoners shown to be innocent. Some actually said they opposed it because they thought it would cause the public to lose faith in the criminal justice system!
Something I learned recently is that when comparing DNA in such cases, only a small portion of the DNA is checked. So we can prove a person innocent, but cannot prove a person guilty beyond a doubt using DNA. You would never know that from most press accounts.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100505/ap_on_re_us/us_rape_conviction_overturned;_ylt=Aimmt4en.5wp3BN.53TNAsSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlZXM3azFoBHBvcwM1NgRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX3Vfc19uZXdzBHNsawNkbmF0ZXN0c3ZpbmQ-
By THOMAS J. SHEERAN, Associated Press Writer Thomas J. Sheeran, Associated Press Writer – Wed May 5, 7:33 pm ET
CLEVELAND – An Ohio man tasted freedom for the first time in nearly 30 years on Wednesday after a judge vacated his conviction because DNA evidence showed he did not rape an 11-year-old girl.
"It finally happened, I've been waiting," Raymond Towler, 52, said as he hugged sobbing family members in the courtroom.
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Towler had been serving a life sentence for the rape of a girl in a Cleveland park in 1981. Prosecutors received the test results Monday and immediately asked the court to free him.
Towler deflected a question about demanding an apology and said he understood justice can take time.
"I think it was just a process, you know, the DNA," he said. "It just took a couple of years to get to it. We finally got to it and the job was done."
In a brief, emotionally charged session, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Eileen Gallagher recapped the case, discussed the recently processed DNA evidence and threw out his conviction. She also told him that he can sue over his ordeal.
Towler smiled lightly, nodded and kept his intertwined fingers on his lap.
"You're free," the judge said, leaving the bench to shake Towler's hand at the defense table. The judge choked back tears as she offered Towler a traditional Irish blessing.
The Ohio Innocence Project, an organization that uses DNA evidence to clear people wrongfully convicted of crimes, said Towler was among the longest incarcerated people to be exonerated by DNA in U.S. history. The longest was a man freed in Florida in December after serving 35 years, according to the project.
Towler was arrested three weeks after the crime when a park ranger who had stopped him on a traffic violation noticed a resemblance with a suspect sketch. The victim and witnesses identified him from a photo, police said.
Carrie Wood, a staff attorney with the project, said the identifications were questionable.
The latest technology allowed separate DNA testing of a semen sample and other genetic material, possibly skin cells, she said.
"That was the test result that we got this week and it excluded Mr. Towler," she said. "Because Mr. Towler's conviction was in '81, the technology did not exist to do the kind of DNA testing that we can do now."
Attorneys with the project at the University of Cincinnati have been working on the Towler case since 2004, and Towler said that and his faith had given him hope.
"That's how I've been living these last years, I've just been keeping hope," Towler said as relatives and friends crowded around him after the court session, some whooping, "Alleluia."
Clarence Elkins, who was freed in 2005 in Akron on the basis of DNA evidence after serving seven years in the rape and murder of his mother-in-law and the rape of a 6-year-old relative, watched from a rear courtroom seat.
"Today is a great day. Once again, justice is served a little late, but better late than never," he said. "Almost 30 years is a very long time. One day is too long."
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Overtime Work Is Bad for the Heart
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511092145.htm
ScienceDaily (May 11, 2010) — Working overtime is bad for the heart according to results from a long-running study following more than 10,000 civil servants in London (UK): the Whitehall II study.
The research, which is published online in the European Heart Journal, found that, compared with people who did not work overtime, people who worked three or more hours longer than a normal, seven-hour day had a 60% higher risk of heart-related problems such as death due to heart disease, non-fatal heart attacks and angina.
Dr Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki (Finland) and University College London (UK), said: "The association between long hours and coronary heart disease was independent of a range of risk factors that we measured at the start of the study, such as smoking, being overweight, or having high cholesterol.
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..
ScienceDaily (May 11, 2010) — Working overtime is bad for the heart according to results from a long-running study following more than 10,000 civil servants in London (UK): the Whitehall II study.
The research, which is published online in the European Heart Journal, found that, compared with people who did not work overtime, people who worked three or more hours longer than a normal, seven-hour day had a 60% higher risk of heart-related problems such as death due to heart disease, non-fatal heart attacks and angina.
[Ie., two or more hours longer than an 8-hour day.]
Dr Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki (Finland) and University College London (UK), said: "The association between long hours and coronary heart disease was independent of a range of risk factors that we measured at the start of the study, such as smoking, being overweight, or having high cholesterol.
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..
Moderating comments
I have started moderating comments before they are posted.
This is due to the fact that someone has been posting comments in Chinese, and when I finally checked them out with Google's translator, some of them appear to contain pornographic references.
----- (skipping)
..
This is due to the fact that someone has been posting comments in Chinese, and when I finally checked them out with Google's translator, some of them appear to contain pornographic references.
----- (skipping)
..
Monday, May 10, 2010
Toddlers and TV: Early Exposure Has Negative and Long-Term Impact
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503161229.htm
ScienceDaily (May 8, 2010) — Want kids who are smarter and thinner? Keep them away from the television set as toddlers. A shocking study from child experts at the Université de Montréal, the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and the University of Michigan, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, has found that television exposure at age two forecasts negative consequences for kids, ranging from poor school adjustment to unhealthy habits.
"We found every additional hour of TV exposure among toddlers corresponded to a future decrease in classroom engagement and success at math, increased victimization by classmates, have a more sedentary lifestyle, higher consumption of junk food and, ultimately, higher body mass index," says lead author Dr. Linda S. Pagani, a psychosocial professor at the Université de Montréal and researcher at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center.
----- (skipping)
According to the investigation, watching too much TV as toddlers later forecasted:
* a seven percent decrease in classroom engagement;
* a six percent decrease in math achievement (with no harmful effects on later reading);
* a 10 percent increase in victimization by classmates (peer rejection, being teased, assaulted or insulted by other students);
* a 13 percent decrease in weekend physical activity;
* a nine percent decrease in general physical activity;
* a none percent higher consumption of soft drinks;
* a 10 percent peak in snacks intake;
* a five percent increase in BMI.
"Although we expected the impact of early TV viewing to disappear after seven and a half years of childhood, the fact that negative outcomes remained is quite daunting," says Dr. Pagani. "Our findings make a compelling public health argument against excessive TV viewing in early childhood and for parents to heed guidelines on TV exposure from the American Academy of Pediatrics."
Since TV exposure encourages a sedentary lifestyle, Dr. Pagani says, television viewing must be curbed for toddlers to avoid the maintenance of passive mental and physical habits in later childhood: "Common sense would have it that TV exposure replaces time that could be spent engaging in other developmentally enriching activities and tasks which foster cognitive, behavioral, and motor development."
..
ScienceDaily (May 8, 2010) — Want kids who are smarter and thinner? Keep them away from the television set as toddlers. A shocking study from child experts at the Université de Montréal, the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and the University of Michigan, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, has found that television exposure at age two forecasts negative consequences for kids, ranging from poor school adjustment to unhealthy habits.
"We found every additional hour of TV exposure among toddlers corresponded to a future decrease in classroom engagement and success at math, increased victimization by classmates, have a more sedentary lifestyle, higher consumption of junk food and, ultimately, higher body mass index," says lead author Dr. Linda S. Pagani, a psychosocial professor at the Université de Montréal and researcher at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center.
----- (skipping)
According to the investigation, watching too much TV as toddlers later forecasted:
* a seven percent decrease in classroom engagement;
* a six percent decrease in math achievement (with no harmful effects on later reading);
* a 10 percent increase in victimization by classmates (peer rejection, being teased, assaulted or insulted by other students);
* a 13 percent decrease in weekend physical activity;
* a nine percent decrease in general physical activity;
* a none percent higher consumption of soft drinks;
* a 10 percent peak in snacks intake;
* a five percent increase in BMI.
"Although we expected the impact of early TV viewing to disappear after seven and a half years of childhood, the fact that negative outcomes remained is quite daunting," says Dr. Pagani. "Our findings make a compelling public health argument against excessive TV viewing in early childhood and for parents to heed guidelines on TV exposure from the American Academy of Pediatrics."
Since TV exposure encourages a sedentary lifestyle, Dr. Pagani says, television viewing must be curbed for toddlers to avoid the maintenance of passive mental and physical habits in later childhood: "Common sense would have it that TV exposure replaces time that could be spent engaging in other developmentally enriching activities and tasks which foster cognitive, behavioral, and motor development."
..
Common Mosquito Repellent No Longer Repels Certain Mosquitoes
Disappointing, but predictable from the science of evolution.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100506092733.htm
ScienceDaily (May 6, 2010) — Mosquitoes can develop a resistance to substances used to repel them. This has been shown for the first time in laboratory tests at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and associates in the UK.
It is the yellow fever mosquito that has developed a resistance to the mosquito repellent DEET, a substance used in mosquito repellents all over the world. In Sweden it is found in the products MyggA and Djungelolja (Jungle Oil). The capacity of mosquitoes to develop resistance has been shown to be hereditary.
"Through testing, we have found that yellow fever mosquitoes no long sense the smell of DEET and are thereby not repelled by it. This is because a certain type of sensory cell on the mosquito's antenna is no longer active" says Rickard Ignell, a researcher at the Division for Chemical Ecology at SLU in Alnarp.
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Psychological Research Not Always Universal
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100507142149.htm
ScienceDaily (May 10, 2010) — Previous studies have found that the vast majority of published psychological research in the United States is based on American samples and excludes 95 percent of the world's population. Yet, these results are often generalized and taken as universal. When University of Missouri doctoral student Reid Trotter examined perfectionism and coping methods in Taiwanese culture for his dissertation, he decided to collaborate with a graduate student in Taiwan. From their collaboration, they found that models of perfectionism and coping were not universal. Trotter hopes his experience will encourage more researchers to develop cross-cultural relationships.
"In general, there has been very little cross-cultural research in the United States," Trotter said. "This has resulted in an insufficient understanding of the psychological functioning of the human species. Cross-cultural research requires developing a relationship with a member of the culture in which you plan to study. This relationship will help researchers address possible cultural blind spots that may unintentionally weaken the study."
Previously, geographical barriers limited researchers' ability to develop these relationships. Now, technology, such as Skype, can help scholars facilitate communication and work through possible cultural misunderstandings.
----- (skipping)
..
ScienceDaily (May 10, 2010) — Previous studies have found that the vast majority of published psychological research in the United States is based on American samples and excludes 95 percent of the world's population. Yet, these results are often generalized and taken as universal. When University of Missouri doctoral student Reid Trotter examined perfectionism and coping methods in Taiwanese culture for his dissertation, he decided to collaborate with a graduate student in Taiwan. From their collaboration, they found that models of perfectionism and coping were not universal. Trotter hopes his experience will encourage more researchers to develop cross-cultural relationships.
"In general, there has been very little cross-cultural research in the United States," Trotter said. "This has resulted in an insufficient understanding of the psychological functioning of the human species. Cross-cultural research requires developing a relationship with a member of the culture in which you plan to study. This relationship will help researchers address possible cultural blind spots that may unintentionally weaken the study."
Previously, geographical barriers limited researchers' ability to develop these relationships. Now, technology, such as Skype, can help scholars facilitate communication and work through possible cultural misunderstandings.
----- (skipping)
..
Higher Amounts of Added Sugars Increase Heart Disease Risk Factors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100420161748.htm
ScienceDaily (Apr. 22, 2010) — Consuming a higher amount of added sugars in processed or prepared foods is associated with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, the "good cholesterol") and higher levels of triglycerides, which are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a study in the April 21 issue of JAMA. [JAMA : Journal of the American Medical Association]
"In the United States, total consumption of sugar has increased substantially in recent decades, largely owing to an increased intake of 'added sugars,' defined as caloric sweeteners used by the food industry and consumers as ingredients in processed or prepared foods to increase the desirability of these foods," the authors write. No known studies have examined the association between the consumption of added sugars and lipid measures, such as HDL-C, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
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..
ScienceDaily (Apr. 22, 2010) — Consuming a higher amount of added sugars in processed or prepared foods is associated with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, the "good cholesterol") and higher levels of triglycerides, which are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a study in the April 21 issue of JAMA. [JAMA : Journal of the American Medical Association]
"In the United States, total consumption of sugar has increased substantially in recent decades, largely owing to an increased intake of 'added sugars,' defined as caloric sweeteners used by the food industry and consumers as ingredients in processed or prepared foods to increase the desirability of these foods," the authors write. No known studies have examined the association between the consumption of added sugars and lipid measures, such as HDL-C, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
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Cancer risk from chemicals ‘underestimated’
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36984517/ns/health-cancer/
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
updated 9:04 a.m. ET, Thurs., May 6, 2010
WASHINGTON - Americans are being "bombarded" with chemicals, gases and radiation that can cause cancer, and the federal government must do far more to protect them, presidential cancer advisers said on Thursday.
Although as many as two-thirds of cancer cases are caused by lifestyle choices like smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise, the panel said many avoidable cancers were also caused by pollution, radon from the soil and medical imaging scans.
Since so little is known about the possible risks of cell phones, people would be prudent to wear headsets and make calls quickly, the two members of the panel advised.
"The panel was particularly concerned to find that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated," they wrote in the report, available at the National Cancer Institute.
The report is sure to stun industry and many cancer specialists. It has already delighted environmental groups, which have had hints for more than a week of the report's content.
The American Cancer Society said the report downplayed known risks that cause most cases of cancer including tobacco, obesity, alcohol, infections, hormones and sunlight.
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Cancer is the No. 2 killer of Americans, after heart disease. "The incidence of some cancers, including some most common among children, is increasing for unexplained reasons," the report reads.
"With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread," it adds.
"The American people — even before they are born — are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures," Kripke and Leffall wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama at top of the report.
..
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
updated 9:04 a.m. ET, Thurs., May 6, 2010
WASHINGTON - Americans are being "bombarded" with chemicals, gases and radiation that can cause cancer, and the federal government must do far more to protect them, presidential cancer advisers said on Thursday.
Although as many as two-thirds of cancer cases are caused by lifestyle choices like smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise, the panel said many avoidable cancers were also caused by pollution, radon from the soil and medical imaging scans.
Since so little is known about the possible risks of cell phones, people would be prudent to wear headsets and make calls quickly, the two members of the panel advised.
"The panel was particularly concerned to find that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated," they wrote in the report, available at the National Cancer Institute.
The report is sure to stun industry and many cancer specialists. It has already delighted environmental groups, which have had hints for more than a week of the report's content.
The American Cancer Society said the report downplayed known risks that cause most cases of cancer including tobacco, obesity, alcohol, infections, hormones and sunlight.
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Cancer is the No. 2 killer of Americans, after heart disease. "The incidence of some cancers, including some most common among children, is increasing for unexplained reasons," the report reads.
"With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread," it adds.
"The American people — even before they are born — are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures," Kripke and Leffall wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama at top of the report.
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Saturday, May 08, 2010
Experts rally to defense of climate science
http://www.salon.com/news/global_warming/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/05/07/climate_science_integrity_open2010
Friday, May 7, 2010 14:08 ET
By Joseph Romm
A version of this piece originally appeared at Climate Progress
On Friday the journal Science published a remarkable Lead Letter supporting the accuracy of climate science. The must-read statement, "Climate Change and the Integrity of Science," is signed by 255 of the world's leading scientists.
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The lead signer, Pacific Institute president Peter Gleick, notes in a HuffPost piece:
http://www.pacinst.org/climate/climate_statement.pdf
WE ARE DEEPLY DISTURBED BY THE RECENT ESCALATION OF POLITICAL ASSAULTS ON SCIENTISTS
in general and on climate scientists in particular. All citizens should understand some basic scientific facts. There is always some uncertainty associated with scientific conclusions; science never absolutely proves anything. When someone says that society should wait until scientists are absolutely certain before taking any action, it is the same as saying society should never take action. For a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses a dangerous risk for our planet.
Friday, May 7, 2010 14:08 ET
By Joseph Romm
A version of this piece originally appeared at Climate Progress
On Friday the journal Science published a remarkable Lead Letter supporting the accuracy of climate science. The must-read statement, "Climate Change and the Integrity of Science," is signed by 255 of the world's leading scientists.
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The lead signer, Pacific Institute president Peter Gleick, notes in a HuffPost piece:
It is hard to get 255 members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to agree on pretty much anything, making the import of this letter even more substantial.The letter underscores our deep understanding of human-caused climate change and helps illuminate how science works. It deserves to be widely read in its entirety:
http://www.pacinst.org/climate/climate_statement.pdf
WE ARE DEEPLY DISTURBED BY THE RECENT ESCALATION OF POLITICAL ASSAULTS ON SCIENTISTS
in general and on climate scientists in particular. All citizens should understand some basic scientific facts. There is always some uncertainty associated with scientific conclusions; science never absolutely proves anything. When someone says that society should wait until scientists are absolutely certain before taking any action, it is the same as saying society should never take action. For a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses a dangerous risk for our planet.
Friday, May 07, 2010
The Long-Term Effects of Spanking
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983895,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-sidebar
By Alice Park Monday, May. 03, 2010
Disciplining young children is what parents are supposed to do — most moms and dads have no trouble agreeing with that. But should the punishment include spanking?
As many parents can attest, few disciplinary measures stop a child from misbehaving as quickly as a swift smack or two on the bottom.
But in a new study published in Pediatrics, researchers at Tulane University provide the strongest evidence yet that children's short-term response to spanking may make them act out more in the long run. Of the nearly 2,500 youngsters in the study, those who were spanked more frequently at age 3 were much more likely to be aggressive by age 5.
The study, led by community-health-sciences professor Catherine Taylor, was the first to control for a host of issues affecting the mother, such as depression, alcohol and drug use, spousal abuse and even whether she considered abortion while pregnant with the child. After controlling for all these factors — each of which can contribute to a child's aggression — spanking remained a strong predictor of violent behavior. "The odds of a child being more aggressive at age 5 increased by 50% if he had been spanked more than twice in the month before the study began," says Taylor.
The association remained even after her team accounted for varying levels of natural aggression in children, suggesting, she says, that "it's not just that children who are more aggressive are more likely to be spanked." (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2009.)
Among mothers surveyed in 20 cities when their children were both 3 and 5 years old, nearly half (45.6%) reported not spanking their 3-year-olds in the previous month, 27.9% reported spanking once or twice that month, and 26.5% reported spanking more than twice. As 5-year-olds, the children who had been spanked were more likely than the nonspanked to be defiant, demand immediate satisfaction of their wants and needs, become frustrated easily, have temper tantrums and lash out physically against other people or animals.
The reason for this may be that spanking sets up a loop of bad behavior. Corporal punishment instills fear rather than understanding. Even if children stop tantrums when spanked, that doesn't mean they get why they shouldn't have been acting up in the first place. What's more, spanking sets a bad example, teaching children that aggressive behavior is a solution to their parents' problems.
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Instead of spanking, the AAP recommends time-outs, which typically involve denying the child any interaction, positive or negative, for a specified period of time. These quiet moments force children to calm down and think about their emotions rather than acting on them reflexively. After all, the goal of punishment is to get children to understand not just that they did something wrong but also what motivated them to do it.
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By Alice Park Monday, May. 03, 2010
Disciplining young children is what parents are supposed to do — most moms and dads have no trouble agreeing with that. But should the punishment include spanking?
As many parents can attest, few disciplinary measures stop a child from misbehaving as quickly as a swift smack or two on the bottom.
But in a new study published in Pediatrics, researchers at Tulane University provide the strongest evidence yet that children's short-term response to spanking may make them act out more in the long run. Of the nearly 2,500 youngsters in the study, those who were spanked more frequently at age 3 were much more likely to be aggressive by age 5.
The study, led by community-health-sciences professor Catherine Taylor, was the first to control for a host of issues affecting the mother, such as depression, alcohol and drug use, spousal abuse and even whether she considered abortion while pregnant with the child. After controlling for all these factors — each of which can contribute to a child's aggression — spanking remained a strong predictor of violent behavior. "The odds of a child being more aggressive at age 5 increased by 50% if he had been spanked more than twice in the month before the study began," says Taylor.
The association remained even after her team accounted for varying levels of natural aggression in children, suggesting, she says, that "it's not just that children who are more aggressive are more likely to be spanked." (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2009.)
Among mothers surveyed in 20 cities when their children were both 3 and 5 years old, nearly half (45.6%) reported not spanking their 3-year-olds in the previous month, 27.9% reported spanking once or twice that month, and 26.5% reported spanking more than twice. As 5-year-olds, the children who had been spanked were more likely than the nonspanked to be defiant, demand immediate satisfaction of their wants and needs, become frustrated easily, have temper tantrums and lash out physically against other people or animals.
The reason for this may be that spanking sets up a loop of bad behavior. Corporal punishment instills fear rather than understanding. Even if children stop tantrums when spanked, that doesn't mean they get why they shouldn't have been acting up in the first place. What's more, spanking sets a bad example, teaching children that aggressive behavior is a solution to their parents' problems.
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Instead of spanking, the AAP recommends time-outs, which typically involve denying the child any interaction, positive or negative, for a specified period of time. These quiet moments force children to calm down and think about their emotions rather than acting on them reflexively. After all, the goal of punishment is to get children to understand not just that they did something wrong but also what motivated them to do it.
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Shaken-Baby Cases Rose During the Recession
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1986500,00.html?hpt=Sbin
By Alice Park Monday, May. 03, 2010
The stressful effects of a faltering economy, skyrocketing unemployment and precarious personal finances can be dire. People take up smoking or use alcohol to cope, they become depressed or suicidal, and they develop stress-related illnesses like heart disease. Now researchers report that the harm may be spreading to children too, when parents' stress leads them to inadvertently injure their children.
Presenting May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, a team of researchers led by child-abuse expert Dr. Rachel Berger at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh reported a significant increase in cases of shaken-baby syndrome, in which youngsters are shaken violently by an adult, since the start of the current recession. Researchers analyzed data on 512 cases of head trauma in the children's centers of four hospitals (in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle) and found that the number of cases had increased to 9.3 per month as of Dec. 1, 2007, compared with 6 per month prior to that date — a rate that had held steady since 2004.
The rise in shaken-baby cases correlates with the economic downturn associated with the recession. "This is a perfect storm in a bad way, where we have economic stressors that are causing the removal of social-service resources for preventing and addressing child abuse," says Berger. Although she says she was not surprised by the association observed in her study, she calls the sheer rise in recent cases of abusive head injuries in children "striking."
By Alice Park Monday, May. 03, 2010
The stressful effects of a faltering economy, skyrocketing unemployment and precarious personal finances can be dire. People take up smoking or use alcohol to cope, they become depressed or suicidal, and they develop stress-related illnesses like heart disease. Now researchers report that the harm may be spreading to children too, when parents' stress leads them to inadvertently injure their children.
Presenting May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, a team of researchers led by child-abuse expert Dr. Rachel Berger at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh reported a significant increase in cases of shaken-baby syndrome, in which youngsters are shaken violently by an adult, since the start of the current recession. Researchers analyzed data on 512 cases of head trauma in the children's centers of four hospitals (in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle) and found that the number of cases had increased to 9.3 per month as of Dec. 1, 2007, compared with 6 per month prior to that date — a rate that had held steady since 2004.
The rise in shaken-baby cases correlates with the economic downturn associated with the recession. "This is a perfect storm in a bad way, where we have economic stressors that are causing the removal of social-service resources for preventing and addressing child abuse," says Berger. Although she says she was not surprised by the association observed in her study, she calls the sheer rise in recent cases of abusive head injuries in children "striking."
Thursday, May 06, 2010
How Dark Chocolate May Guard Against Brain Injury from Stroke
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100505163242.htm
ScienceDaily (May 5, 2010) — Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that a compound in dark chocolate may protect the brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals already known to shield nerve cells from damage.
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The amount of dark chocolate people would need to consume to benefit from its protective effects remains unclear, since Doré has not studied it in clinical trials. People shouldn't take this research as a free pass to go out and consume large amounts of chocolate, which is high in calories and fat. In fact, people should be reminded to eat a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
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ScienceDaily (May 5, 2010) — Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that a compound in dark chocolate may protect the brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals already known to shield nerve cells from damage.
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The amount of dark chocolate people would need to consume to benefit from its protective effects remains unclear, since Doré has not studied it in clinical trials. People shouldn't take this research as a free pass to go out and consume large amounts of chocolate, which is high in calories and fat. In fact, people should be reminded to eat a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
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Neanderthal Genome Yields Evidence of Interbreeding With Modern Humans
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100506141549.htm
ScienceDaily (May 6, 2010) — After extracting ancient DNA from the 40,000-year-old bones of Neanderthals, scientists have obtained a draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome, yielding important new insights into the evolution of modern humans.
Among the findings, published in the May 7 issue of Science, is evidence that shortly after early modern humans migrated out of Africa, some of them interbred with Neanderthals, leaving bits of Neanderthal DNA sequences scattered through the genomes of present-day non-Africans.
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"The scenario is not what most people had envisioned," Green said. "We found the genetic signal of Neanderthals in all the non-African genomes, meaning that the admixture occurred early on, probably in the Middle East, and is shared with all descendants of the early humans who migrated out of Africa."
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ScienceDaily (May 6, 2010) — After extracting ancient DNA from the 40,000-year-old bones of Neanderthals, scientists have obtained a draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome, yielding important new insights into the evolution of modern humans.
Among the findings, published in the May 7 issue of Science, is evidence that shortly after early modern humans migrated out of Africa, some of them interbred with Neanderthals, leaving bits of Neanderthal DNA sequences scattered through the genomes of present-day non-Africans.
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"The scenario is not what most people had envisioned," Green said. "We found the genetic signal of Neanderthals in all the non-African genomes, meaning that the admixture occurred early on, probably in the Middle East, and is shared with all descendants of the early humans who migrated out of Africa."
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Cooling with Sunlight
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503111531.htm
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — Although it sounds like a contradiction in terms, using the power of the sun for refrigeration is proving to be an original energy concept. In Tunisia and Morocco, Fraunhofer research scientists are using solar energy to keep perishable foodstuffs such as milk, wine and fruit fresh.
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ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — Although it sounds like a contradiction in terms, using the power of the sun for refrigeration is proving to be an original energy concept. In Tunisia and Morocco, Fraunhofer research scientists are using solar energy to keep perishable foodstuffs such as milk, wine and fruit fresh.
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Mice Can Synthesize Their Own Morphine
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100506165907.htm
ScienceDaily (May 6, 2010) — Traces of morphine in urine samples have been considered a clear proof of drug use or the consumption of food containing poppy in the past. Now a study by a team of scientists from the Institute of Environmental Research at TU Dortmund and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St Louis, Missouri, point to another possible explanation: they managed for the first time to prove that mice -- and probably humans and other mammals as well -- produce their own morphine in their bodies.
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ScienceDaily (May 6, 2010) — Traces of morphine in urine samples have been considered a clear proof of drug use or the consumption of food containing poppy in the past. Now a study by a team of scientists from the Institute of Environmental Research at TU Dortmund and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St Louis, Missouri, point to another possible explanation: they managed for the first time to prove that mice -- and probably humans and other mammals as well -- produce their own morphine in their bodies.
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Stand Up While You Read This!
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/#more-39489
February 23, 2010, 6:20 pm
By OLIVIA JUDSON
Your chair is your enemy.
It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.
That, at least, is the conclusion of several recent studies. Indeed, if you consider only healthy people who exercise regularly, those who sit the most during the rest of the day have larger waists and worse profiles of blood pressure and blood sugar than those who sit less. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t: sitting a lot appears to offset some of the benefits of jogging a lot.
February 23, 2010, 6:20 pm
By OLIVIA JUDSON
Your chair is your enemy.
It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.
That, at least, is the conclusion of several recent studies. Indeed, if you consider only healthy people who exercise regularly, those who sit the most during the rest of the day have larger waists and worse profiles of blood pressure and blood sugar than those who sit less. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t: sitting a lot appears to offset some of the benefits of jogging a lot.
Laboratory Life
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/laboratory-life/#more-45909
April 13, 2010, 7:00 pm
By OLIVIA JUDSON
Here’s a problem: evolution never stops.
Imagine you’re a wild fruit fly, of the species Drosophila melanogaster. You’re happily feasting on some yeast that’s growing on rotting fruit when, whoomf, you get sucked into a bottle and taken to a laboratory. From now on, this is your home.
Life in a bottle — or cage — is different from life in the wild. In nature, for example, fruit flies reproduce throughout their adult lives. Often, in the laboratory, they do not: flies grown in bottles may only be allowed to reproduce for the first five or six days after emerging from the pupa. (Wild flies can live for more than 80 days.) In nature, flies choose their mates. Often, in the laboratory, they do not: they are often assigned to one, and that one may be a close relative. On top of that, the food is different; infectious diseases are rare; predators are absent.
April 13, 2010, 7:00 pm
By OLIVIA JUDSON
Here’s a problem: evolution never stops.
Imagine you’re a wild fruit fly, of the species Drosophila melanogaster. You’re happily feasting on some yeast that’s growing on rotting fruit when, whoomf, you get sucked into a bottle and taken to a laboratory. From now on, this is your home.
Life in a bottle — or cage — is different from life in the wild. In nature, for example, fruit flies reproduce throughout their adult lives. Often, in the laboratory, they do not: flies grown in bottles may only be allowed to reproduce for the first five or six days after emerging from the pupa. (Wild flies can live for more than 80 days.) In nature, flies choose their mates. Often, in the laboratory, they do not: they are often assigned to one, and that one may be a close relative. On top of that, the food is different; infectious diseases are rare; predators are absent.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Watch out, there's a black elephant in the air
I think it would be more fitting to call them "flourescent orange elephants".
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627573.000-watch-out-theres-a-black-elephant-in-the-air.html
21 April 2010
Magazine issue 2757
POLICY-MAKERS have been much occupied with so-called "black swans" - rare, disruptive events that lie well beyond normal expectations. Is the current air-travel pandemonium across Europe such a bird (see "Blame the volcano trouble on sun and global warming ")?
No. We've long known that Iceland has active volcanoes and that ash and jet engines don't mix. It seems we need a term for big, obvious threats that are sure to emerge - think asteroid impacts - but which few want to face. Handily, students of "collapsonomics" have already coined one: "black elephants".
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http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627573.000-watch-out-theres-a-black-elephant-in-the-air.html
21 April 2010
Magazine issue 2757
POLICY-MAKERS have been much occupied with so-called "black swans" - rare, disruptive events that lie well beyond normal expectations. Is the current air-travel pandemonium across Europe such a bird (see "Blame the volcano trouble on sun and global warming ")?
No. We've long known that Iceland has active volcanoes and that ash and jet engines don't mix. It seems we need a term for big, obvious threats that are sure to emerge - think asteroid impacts - but which few want to face. Handily, students of "collapsonomics" have already coined one: "black elephants".
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Ocean Bacteria Can Harvest Energy from Sunlight for Survival
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100427171754.htm
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — Bacteria in the ocean can harvest light energy from sunlight to promote survival thanks to a unique photoprotein.
"It was long thought that phytoplankton were the only organisms in the sea that could harvest the energy from sunlight for growth," says Dr. Jarone Pinhassi, scientist in marine microbiology at Linnaeus University, Sweden. These microscopic planktonic organisms carry out the same chlorophyll driven photosynthesis process as green plants on land.
In 2000, American scientists discovered that many marine bacteria contain a gene in their genome that encodes a new kind of light-harvesting pigment: proteorhodopsin. Proteorhodopsin is related to the pigment in the retina that enables human vision in less intense light. Now, a decade later, the first direct evidence for the functioning of proteorhodopsin in native marine bacteria is presented, based on mutational analysis in a marine bacterium. At the same time the present study shows that proteorhodopsin-mediated phototrophy (the process of acquiring energy from light) allows marine bacteria to better survive periods of starvation in an often nutrient-depleted ocean.
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ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — Bacteria in the ocean can harvest light energy from sunlight to promote survival thanks to a unique photoprotein.
"It was long thought that phytoplankton were the only organisms in the sea that could harvest the energy from sunlight for growth," says Dr. Jarone Pinhassi, scientist in marine microbiology at Linnaeus University, Sweden. These microscopic planktonic organisms carry out the same chlorophyll driven photosynthesis process as green plants on land.
In 2000, American scientists discovered that many marine bacteria contain a gene in their genome that encodes a new kind of light-harvesting pigment: proteorhodopsin. Proteorhodopsin is related to the pigment in the retina that enables human vision in less intense light. Now, a decade later, the first direct evidence for the functioning of proteorhodopsin in native marine bacteria is presented, based on mutational analysis in a marine bacterium. At the same time the present study shows that proteorhodopsin-mediated phototrophy (the process of acquiring energy from light) allows marine bacteria to better survive periods of starvation in an often nutrient-depleted ocean.
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Testosterone Directly Amplifies but Does Not Program Male Behaviors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100428142246.htm
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — New research uncovers some surprising information about how sex hormones control masculinization of the brain during development and drive gender related behaviors in adult males. The study, published in the April 29 issue of the journal Neuron, demonstrates that direct action of testosterone, the prototypical male hormone, is unnecessary for masculinizing the brain and behavior.
Testosterone and estrogen are thought to play an essential role in organizing and activating gender-specific patterns of behavior in sexually reproducing animals. Testosterone is produced by the testes and directly activates the androgen receptor (AR) in target tissues such as muscle. Estrogen is produced by the ovaries and is nearly undetectable in the circulation of males of most species. However, circulating testosterone in males can be converted into estrogen in the brain, and this testosterone-derived estrogen has been shown to control many male behaviors.
"It was known that testosterone and estrogen are essential for typical male behaviors in many vertebrate species," explains the study's senior author, Dr. Nirao M. Shah from the Department of Anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco. "However, how these two hormones interact to control masculinization of the brain and behavior remained to be established."
Dr. Shah and colleagues found that during the neonatal testosterone surge there is very little AR expressed in the developing brain, making it unlikely that testosterone signaling via AR plays a major role in masculinizing neural pathways. Importantly, they went on to show that the male pattern of AR expression in the brain was dependent on testosterone-derived estrogen signaling.
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ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — New research uncovers some surprising information about how sex hormones control masculinization of the brain during development and drive gender related behaviors in adult males. The study, published in the April 29 issue of the journal Neuron, demonstrates that direct action of testosterone, the prototypical male hormone, is unnecessary for masculinizing the brain and behavior.
Testosterone and estrogen are thought to play an essential role in organizing and activating gender-specific patterns of behavior in sexually reproducing animals. Testosterone is produced by the testes and directly activates the androgen receptor (AR) in target tissues such as muscle. Estrogen is produced by the ovaries and is nearly undetectable in the circulation of males of most species. However, circulating testosterone in males can be converted into estrogen in the brain, and this testosterone-derived estrogen has been shown to control many male behaviors.
"It was known that testosterone and estrogen are essential for typical male behaviors in many vertebrate species," explains the study's senior author, Dr. Nirao M. Shah from the Department of Anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco. "However, how these two hormones interact to control masculinization of the brain and behavior remained to be established."
Dr. Shah and colleagues found that during the neonatal testosterone surge there is very little AR expressed in the developing brain, making it unlikely that testosterone signaling via AR plays a major role in masculinizing neural pathways. Importantly, they went on to show that the male pattern of AR expression in the brain was dependent on testosterone-derived estrogen signaling.
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Exposure to Prenatal Smoking May Lead to Psychiatric Problems
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504074835.htm
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — It is well-known that maternal smoking during pregnancy can have long-term effects on the physical health of the child, including increased risk for respiratory disease, ear infections and asthma. New research shows that prenatal smoking also can lead to psychiatric problems and increase the need for psychotropic medications in childhood and young adulthood.
Finnish researchers found that adolescents who had been exposed to prenatal smoking were at increased risk for use of all psychiatric drugs especially those uses to treat depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and addiction compared to non-exposed youths. The study is being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
"Recent studies show that maternal smoking during pregnancy may interfere with brain development of the growing fetus," said Mikael Ekblad, lead author of the study and a pediatric researcher at Turku University Hospital in Finland. "By avoiding smoking during pregnancy, all the later psychiatric problems caused by smoking exposure could be prevented."
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ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — It is well-known that maternal smoking during pregnancy can have long-term effects on the physical health of the child, including increased risk for respiratory disease, ear infections and asthma. New research shows that prenatal smoking also can lead to psychiatric problems and increase the need for psychotropic medications in childhood and young adulthood.
Finnish researchers found that adolescents who had been exposed to prenatal smoking were at increased risk for use of all psychiatric drugs especially those uses to treat depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and addiction compared to non-exposed youths. The study is being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
"Recent studies show that maternal smoking during pregnancy may interfere with brain development of the growing fetus," said Mikael Ekblad, lead author of the study and a pediatric researcher at Turku University Hospital in Finland. "By avoiding smoking during pregnancy, all the later psychiatric problems caused by smoking exposure could be prevented."
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Less Sleep May Add Up to More Pounds in Adolescents
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504074837.htm
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — Adolescents who don't get enough sleep may gain more than some extra time to play video games or text their friends. They also may gain weight, according to research being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Other studies have shown a relationship between sleep and weight issues, particularly in young children. However, this is one of the first studies to document an association between sleep duration and weight in adolescents, even after controlling for calorie intake, activity level and depressive symptoms.
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ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — Adolescents who don't get enough sleep may gain more than some extra time to play video games or text their friends. They also may gain weight, according to research being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Other studies have shown a relationship between sleep and weight issues, particularly in young children. However, this is one of the first studies to document an association between sleep duration and weight in adolescents, even after controlling for calorie intake, activity level and depressive symptoms.
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Global Warming: Future Temperatures Could Exceed Livable Limits, Researchers Find
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504155413.htm
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — Reasonable worst-case scenarios for global warming could lead to deadly temperatures for humans in coming centuries, according to research findings from Purdue University and the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Researchers for the first time have calculated the highest tolerable "wet-bulb" temperature and found that this temperature could be exceeded for the first time in human history in future climate scenarios if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate.
Wet-bulb temperature is equivalent to what is felt when wet skin is exposed to moving air. It includes temperature and atmospheric humidity and is measured by covering a standard thermometer bulb with a wetted cloth and fully ventilating it.
The researchers calculated that humans and most mammals, which have internal body temperatures near 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, will experience a potentially lethal level of heat stress at wet-bulb temperature above 95 degrees sustained for six hours or more, said Matthew Huber, the Purdue professor of earth and atmospheric sciences who co-authored the paper that will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Although areas of the world regularly see temperatures above 100 degrees, really high wet-bulb temperatures are rare," Huber said. "This is because the hottest areas normally have low humidity, like the 'dry heat' referred to in Arizona. When it is dry, we are able to cool our bodies through perspiration and can remain fairly comfortable. The highest wet-bulb temperatures ever recorded were in places like Saudi Arabia near the coast where winds occasionally bring extremely hot, humid ocean air over hot land leading to unbearably stifling conditions, which fortunately are short-lived today."
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — Reasonable worst-case scenarios for global warming could lead to deadly temperatures for humans in coming centuries, according to research findings from Purdue University and the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Researchers for the first time have calculated the highest tolerable "wet-bulb" temperature and found that this temperature could be exceeded for the first time in human history in future climate scenarios if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate.
Wet-bulb temperature is equivalent to what is felt when wet skin is exposed to moving air. It includes temperature and atmospheric humidity and is measured by covering a standard thermometer bulb with a wetted cloth and fully ventilating it.
The researchers calculated that humans and most mammals, which have internal body temperatures near 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, will experience a potentially lethal level of heat stress at wet-bulb temperature above 95 degrees sustained for six hours or more, said Matthew Huber, the Purdue professor of earth and atmospheric sciences who co-authored the paper that will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Although areas of the world regularly see temperatures above 100 degrees, really high wet-bulb temperatures are rare," Huber said. "This is because the hottest areas normally have low humidity, like the 'dry heat' referred to in Arizona. When it is dry, we are able to cool our bodies through perspiration and can remain fairly comfortable. The highest wet-bulb temperatures ever recorded were in places like Saudi Arabia near the coast where winds occasionally bring extremely hot, humid ocean air over hot land leading to unbearably stifling conditions, which fortunately are short-lived today."
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Children Living in Apartments With Nonsmoking Adults Still Exposed to Secondhand Smoke
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100502080418.htm
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — The majority of children living in apartments are exposed to secondhand smoke, even when they don't live with smokers. This study from the University of Rochester Medical Center is the first to examine whether housing type is a potential contributor to children's exposure to cigarette smoke. The abstract was presented at the Pediatric Academic Society Meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
Among children who lived in an apartment, 84 percent had been exposed to tobacco smoke, according to the level of a biomarker (cotinine) in their blood that indicates exposure to nicotine found in tobacco, and this included more than 9 of 10 African-American and white children. Even among children who lived in detached houses, 70 percent showed evidence of exposure.
"We are starting to understand the role that seepage through walls and through shared ventilation may impact tobacco smoke exposure in apartments," said Karen Wilson, M.D., MPH, author of the study and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center's Golisano Children's Hospital. "We see that children are being exposed in ways we are not picking up, and it's important, for their health, that we figure out where this exposure is taking place, and work to eliminate it. Multi-unit housing is one potential source, but a very important one."
Previous studies have shown that children with cotinine levels indicating tobacco smoke exposure have higher rates of respiratory diseases, decreased cognitive abilities and decreased antioxidant levels.
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ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — The majority of children living in apartments are exposed to secondhand smoke, even when they don't live with smokers. This study from the University of Rochester Medical Center is the first to examine whether housing type is a potential contributor to children's exposure to cigarette smoke. The abstract was presented at the Pediatric Academic Society Meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
Among children who lived in an apartment, 84 percent had been exposed to tobacco smoke, according to the level of a biomarker (cotinine) in their blood that indicates exposure to nicotine found in tobacco, and this included more than 9 of 10 African-American and white children. Even among children who lived in detached houses, 70 percent showed evidence of exposure.
"We are starting to understand the role that seepage through walls and through shared ventilation may impact tobacco smoke exposure in apartments," said Karen Wilson, M.D., MPH, author of the study and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center's Golisano Children's Hospital. "We see that children are being exposed in ways we are not picking up, and it's important, for their health, that we figure out where this exposure is taking place, and work to eliminate it. Multi-unit housing is one potential source, but a very important one."
Previous studies have shown that children with cotinine levels indicating tobacco smoke exposure have higher rates of respiratory diseases, decreased cognitive abilities and decreased antioxidant levels.
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High Doses of Antioxidant Supplements Induce Stem Cell Genetic Abnormalities, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504173821.htm
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — High doses of antioxidant nutritional supplements, such as vitamins C and E, can increase genetic abnormalities in cells, which may predispose supplement-takers to developing cancer, according to a new study from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.
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Marbán and his team accidentally discovered the danger of excessive antioxidant doses while seeking a way to reduce the genetic abnormalities that occurred naturally when the scientists sought to multiply human cardiac stem cells.
Marbán stressed that the study's finding applies only to excessive nutritional supplements and not to foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as milk, oranges, blueberries and peanuts. In recent years, multiple studies have touted the benefits of foods rich in antioxidants.
"Taking one multivitamin daily is fine, but a lot of people take way too much because they think if a little is good, a lot must be better," said Marbán, who is also the Mark Siegel Family Professor at Cedars-Sinai. "That is just not the case. If you are taking 10 or 100 times the amount in a daily multivitamin, you may be predisposing your cells to developing cancer, therefore doing yourself more harm than good."
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ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — High doses of antioxidant nutritional supplements, such as vitamins C and E, can increase genetic abnormalities in cells, which may predispose supplement-takers to developing cancer, according to a new study from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.
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Marbán and his team accidentally discovered the danger of excessive antioxidant doses while seeking a way to reduce the genetic abnormalities that occurred naturally when the scientists sought to multiply human cardiac stem cells.
Marbán stressed that the study's finding applies only to excessive nutritional supplements and not to foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as milk, oranges, blueberries and peanuts. In recent years, multiple studies have touted the benefits of foods rich in antioxidants.
"Taking one multivitamin daily is fine, but a lot of people take way too much because they think if a little is good, a lot must be better," said Marbán, who is also the Mark Siegel Family Professor at Cedars-Sinai. "That is just not the case. If you are taking 10 or 100 times the amount in a daily multivitamin, you may be predisposing your cells to developing cancer, therefore doing yourself more harm than good."
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Breast Cancer Risk Tied to Grandmother's Diet
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100419172840.htm
ScienceDaily (Apr. 20, 2010) — Eating too much fat in pregnancy may be an indulgence that has a less-than-beneficial effect on generations to come, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Their unique study in rats shows that pregnant females that ate a high fat diet not only increased breast cancer risk in their female daughters but also in that daughter's offspring -- the "granddaughters."
The researchers say they don't know why this risk is passed on through two generations, but they believe it occurs through as-yet unknown "epigenetic" changes that result in an increase in terminal end buds in the breast tissue -- an increase that apparently can then be passed on through generations. These buds are believed to be the structures where breast cancer can develop, and having more of these structures seems to increase breast cancer risk, says the study's lead investigator, Sonia de Assis, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Leena Hilakivi-Clarke's laboratory at Lombardi. "That is our theory, but we really don't know how it is happening -- just yet."
ScienceDaily (Apr. 20, 2010) — Eating too much fat in pregnancy may be an indulgence that has a less-than-beneficial effect on generations to come, say researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Their unique study in rats shows that pregnant females that ate a high fat diet not only increased breast cancer risk in their female daughters but also in that daughter's offspring -- the "granddaughters."
The researchers say they don't know why this risk is passed on through two generations, but they believe it occurs through as-yet unknown "epigenetic" changes that result in an increase in terminal end buds in the breast tissue -- an increase that apparently can then be passed on through generations. These buds are believed to be the structures where breast cancer can develop, and having more of these structures seems to increase breast cancer risk, says the study's lead investigator, Sonia de Assis, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Leena Hilakivi-Clarke's laboratory at Lombardi. "That is our theory, but we really don't know how it is happening -- just yet."
'My Kid Wouldn't Do That:' Study Shows Parents' Difficulty With Teen Sexuality
Parents inability or unwillingness to accept the reality of their children's actions is not limited to sex.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503111517.htm
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — It can be difficult for parents of teenagers to come to terms with the fact their kids may have sex, particularly given widespread concerns about the consequences of teen sexual activity. In fact, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that many parents think that their children aren’t interested in sex – but that everyone else’s kids are.
“Parents I interviewed had a very hard time thinking about their own teen children as sexually desiring subjects,” says Dr. Sinikka Elliott, an assistant professor of sociology at NC State and author of the study. In other words, parents find it difficult to think that their teenagers want to have sex.
“At the same time,” Elliott says, “parents view their teens’ peers as highly sexual, even sexually predatory.” By taking this stance, the parents shift the responsibility for potential sexual activity to others – attributing any such behavior to peer pressure, coercion or even entrapment.
For example, Elliott says, parents of teenage boys were often concerned that their sons may be lured into sexual situations by teenage girls who, the parents felt, may use sex in an effort to solidify a relationship. The parents of teenage girls, meanwhile, expressed fears that their daughters would be taken advantage of by sexually driven teenage boys.
These beliefs contribute to stereotypes of sexual behavior that aren’t helpful to parents or kids.
“By using sexual stereotypes to absolve their children of responsibility for sexual activity, the parents effectively reinforce those same stereotypes,” Elliott says.
Parents’ use of these stereotypes also paints teen heterosexual relationships in an unflattering, adversarial light, Elliott says and notes the irony of this: “Although parents assume their kids are heterosexual, they don’t make heterosexual relationships sound very appealing.”
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How Cooperation Is Maintained in Human Societies: Punishment, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100501013529.htm
ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — Humans are incredibly cooperative, but why do people cooperate and how is cooperation maintained? A new research study by UCLA anthropology professor Robert Boyd and his colleagues from the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico suggests cooperation in large groups is maintained by punishment.
To understand the study, let's start with a small group of friends. In small groups, individuals often have personal connections with other group members and cooperation typically is maintained by a "you help me, I'll help you" reciprocity system. Group members cooperate because they do not want to hurt their friends by not participating in group efforts, and also because they may want help in the future.
But in a larger group, like a tribe, those mechanisms for maintaining cooperation are lost. All group members experience the benefits of the large group, even those members who stop cooperating and become "free-riders." Free-riders are people who benefit from the group in food sharing and protection from enemies, for example, without contributing to food collection or war. In these cases, the personal connection to the group's members is often gone.
But it turns out that most members of large groups cooperate. Why? Boyd and his colleagues suggest cooperation is maintained by punishment, which reduces the benefits to free riding. There are tribes, for example, that punish free-riders who do not participate in warfare by not allowing them to take a bride. Thus, there is the threat of losing societal benefits if a member does not cooperate, which leads to increased group cooperation.
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ScienceDaily (May 3, 2010) — Humans are incredibly cooperative, but why do people cooperate and how is cooperation maintained? A new research study by UCLA anthropology professor Robert Boyd and his colleagues from the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico suggests cooperation in large groups is maintained by punishment.
To understand the study, let's start with a small group of friends. In small groups, individuals often have personal connections with other group members and cooperation typically is maintained by a "you help me, I'll help you" reciprocity system. Group members cooperate because they do not want to hurt their friends by not participating in group efforts, and also because they may want help in the future.
But in a larger group, like a tribe, those mechanisms for maintaining cooperation are lost. All group members experience the benefits of the large group, even those members who stop cooperating and become "free-riders." Free-riders are people who benefit from the group in food sharing and protection from enemies, for example, without contributing to food collection or war. In these cases, the personal connection to the group's members is often gone.
But it turns out that most members of large groups cooperate. Why? Boyd and his colleagues suggest cooperation is maintained by punishment, which reduces the benefits to free riding. There are tribes, for example, that punish free-riders who do not participate in warfare by not allowing them to take a bride. Thus, there is the threat of losing societal benefits if a member does not cooperate, which leads to increased group cooperation.
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Carbon Dioxide's Effects on Plants Increase Global Warming, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503161435.htm
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — Trees and other plants help keep the planet cool, but rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are turning down this global air conditioner. According to a new study by researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science, in some regions more than a quarter of the warming from increased carbon dioxide is due to its direct impact on vegetation.
This warming is in addition to carbon dioxide's better-known effect as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. For scientists trying to predict global climate change in the coming century, the study underscores the importance of including plants in their climate models.
ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — Trees and other plants help keep the planet cool, but rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are turning down this global air conditioner. According to a new study by researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science, in some regions more than a quarter of the warming from increased carbon dioxide is due to its direct impact on vegetation.
This warming is in addition to carbon dioxide's better-known effect as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. For scientists trying to predict global climate change in the coming century, the study underscores the importance of including plants in their climate models.
NY lawmaker urges presumed organ consent
I am against this because the U.S. does not have universal health care. Many people cannot get needed organ implants because they can't afford them. What is not publicized is that to be eligible for an organ implant, you have to show that you can afford the continuing costs of sustaining it, which are huge. Even with health insurance, it may not be affordable. This bill depends on the fact that many people would not get around to opting out, even if they were aware of all the facts and did not want to be donors. Under the conditions in our country, I consider this idea immoral.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36810199/ns/health-health_care/
I would be for rules that give precedence to people who had previously signed up to be donors. I think I would be for honoring a person's wish to be a donor, even if relatives were against it. I would even be for refusing the procedure for adults who had not signed up to be donors before they became ill.
But I don't thin those who cannot afford organ implants, much less those who are poor and uninsured, should be used as organ donors for those better off, unless they deliberately and knowingly choose to do so.
And I've been around long enough to know that many of those who can afford it, just don't care about the less fortunate.
By MICHAEL GORMLEY
updated 6:49 p.m. ET, Tues., April 27, 2010
ALBANY, N.Y. - A New York assemblyman whose daughter is alive because of two kidney transplants wants his state to become the first in the nation to pass laws that would presume people want to donate their organs unless they specifically say otherwise.
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky believes the "presumed consent" measures would help combat a rising demand for healthy organs by patients forced to wait a year or more for transplants. Twenty-four European countries already have such laws in place, he said.
If he succeeds, distraught families would no longer be able to override their loved ones' decisions to donate upon their death. And eventually, hospitals would be able to assume the deceased consented to have his or her organs harvested, unless the person refused in writing.
Brodsky's interest in organ donation is personal; his 18-year-old daughter, Julianne "Willie" Brodsky, received a kidney four years ago from a donor who was struck by lightning and an earlier transplant from her mother.
"People's survival should not rest on acts of God alone," said the elder Brodsky, a Westchester County Democrat.
Advocates say the availability of healthy donor organs is low just about everywhere nationwide, where 106,000 people are on a waiting list that averages three to four years for each type of organ.
But serious emotional, medical and ethical concerns worry families, who currently can stop organ harvests even if their loved ones agree to donate. So New York will move slowly, Brodsky said.
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Presumed consent, opponents say, could force someone to become a donor against their will. It also might lead patients viewed as prospective donors to worry about how hard a medical team will work to save them if there is a greater benefit to harvesting the organs.
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Presumed consent, especially compared to another possible option of creating a legal organ market, can work in the United States as it has successfully in Europe, Caplan said.
"I have been arguing since 1983 for presumed consent ... Spain, Austria, and Belgium shows success and it works and people don't feel they aren't given a fair chance to say 'no,'" he said.
These countries, like all other advanced economies except the U.S., have universal health coverage.
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