http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100322111941.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — Radiographs (standard X-rays) are often inconclusive in the detection of hip and pelvic fractures in the emergency department, according to a study in the April issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
"The diagnosis of traumatic fracture most often begins and ends with X-rays of the hip, pelvis, or both," said Charles Spritzer, MD, lead author of the study. "In some cases though, the exclusion of a traumatic fracture is difficult," said Spritzer.
The study, performed at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, included 92 patients who underwent X-rays followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of hip and pelvic pain. "Thirteen patients with normal X-ray findings were found to collectively have 23 fractures at MRI," said Spritzer. "In 11 patients MRI showed no fracture after X-rays had suggested the presence of a fracture. In another 15 patients who had abnormal X-ray findings, MRI depicted 12 additional pelvic fractures not identified on X-rays," he said.
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Thursday, April 01, 2010
Better Military Technology Does Not Lead to Shorter Wars, Analysis Reveals
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100329093615.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — It is generally assumed that military technology that is offensive rather than defensive in nature leads to shorter wars. Yet, a new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that this assumption is not correct.
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Nilsson's study of four different wars (the Winter War 1939, the Continuation War 1941-1943, the Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988 and the war between India and Pakistan 1965) shows that states do not always base their demands at the negotiation table on military capacity.
"A major problem arises when a state has offensive expectations that do not match what is actually seen on the battlefield. These seemingly unrealistic expectations can for example be a result of a conviction that God will step in and influence the outcome of a war. Another reason may be that a country for some reason expects its offensive ability to soon improve," says Nilsson.
Unfortunately, some states start wars expecting their attack-oriented technology to warrant quick success. Therefore, too much confidence in offensive technology may increase the likelihood of new wars and speed up arms racing, all due to a misunderstanding among decision makers. A better understanding of the potentials and limitations of military technology could lead to a world where many drawn-out and costly wars are avoided.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — It is generally assumed that military technology that is offensive rather than defensive in nature leads to shorter wars. Yet, a new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that this assumption is not correct.
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Nilsson's study of four different wars (the Winter War 1939, the Continuation War 1941-1943, the Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988 and the war between India and Pakistan 1965) shows that states do not always base their demands at the negotiation table on military capacity.
"A major problem arises when a state has offensive expectations that do not match what is actually seen on the battlefield. These seemingly unrealistic expectations can for example be a result of a conviction that God will step in and influence the outcome of a war. Another reason may be that a country for some reason expects its offensive ability to soon improve," says Nilsson.
Unfortunately, some states start wars expecting their attack-oriented technology to warrant quick success. Therefore, too much confidence in offensive technology may increase the likelihood of new wars and speed up arms racing, all due to a misunderstanding among decision makers. A better understanding of the potentials and limitations of military technology could lead to a world where many drawn-out and costly wars are avoided.
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Doctors Report Alarming Increase in Mumps-Related Testicle Problems Among Young Males
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100330082722.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — Urologists at a leading Irish hospital have reported an alarming increase in the number of teenage boys and young men developing mumps orchitis, in a paper published in the April issue of the urology journal BJUI.
They are urging colleagues to offer the MMR vaccine to unvaccinated males in the 15-24 age group and educate them about the condition, which causes one or both testicles to swell and can lead to fertility problems.
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"Boys who did not receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine during the mid 1990s are now collecting in large numbers in secondary schools and colleges and this provides a perfect breeding ground for the virus" he says.
"It's estimated that as many as 40 per cent of males who develop mumps after puberty can suffer from orchitis. This is of considerable concern as epidemics of mumps orchitis are now being reported more frequently in many countries worldwide."
During the pre-vaccine era, mumps was most likely to affect children aged between five and seven, with epidemics happening every four to five years. Globally 290 cases per 100,000 population were diagnosed between 1977 and 1985. Since the introduction of the MMR in 1968, there has been a dramatic reduction in cases, with the USA reporting a 99 per cent fall.
But 15 years ago there was a global shortage of the MMR vaccine and media scares about links to autism, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease led to reduced uptake, despite subsequent reviews that concluded that such links did not exist.
----- (skipping) Please read the whole article. Very informative.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — Urologists at a leading Irish hospital have reported an alarming increase in the number of teenage boys and young men developing mumps orchitis, in a paper published in the April issue of the urology journal BJUI.
They are urging colleagues to offer the MMR vaccine to unvaccinated males in the 15-24 age group and educate them about the condition, which causes one or both testicles to swell and can lead to fertility problems.
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"Boys who did not receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine during the mid 1990s are now collecting in large numbers in secondary schools and colleges and this provides a perfect breeding ground for the virus" he says.
"It's estimated that as many as 40 per cent of males who develop mumps after puberty can suffer from orchitis. This is of considerable concern as epidemics of mumps orchitis are now being reported more frequently in many countries worldwide."
During the pre-vaccine era, mumps was most likely to affect children aged between five and seven, with epidemics happening every four to five years. Globally 290 cases per 100,000 population were diagnosed between 1977 and 1985. Since the introduction of the MMR in 1968, there has been a dramatic reduction in cases, with the USA reporting a 99 per cent fall.
But 15 years ago there was a global shortage of the MMR vaccine and media scares about links to autism, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease led to reduced uptake, despite subsequent reviews that concluded that such links did not exist.
----- (skipping) Please read the whole article. Very informative.
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Armed With Information, People Make Poor Choices, Study Finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100331091138.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — When faced with a choice that could yield either short-term satisfaction or longer-term benefits, people with complete information about the options generally go for the quick reward, according to new research from University of Texas at Austin psychologists.
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However, subjects who were given full and accurate information about what they would have to give up in the short term to rack up points in the long term, chose the quick payoff more than twice as often as those who were given false information or no information about the rewards they would be giving up.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — When faced with a choice that could yield either short-term satisfaction or longer-term benefits, people with complete information about the options generally go for the quick reward, according to new research from University of Texas at Austin psychologists.
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However, subjects who were given full and accurate information about what they would have to give up in the short term to rack up points in the long term, chose the quick payoff more than twice as often as those who were given false information or no information about the rewards they would be giving up.
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Uterine Fibroid Embolization Shows Fertility Rates Comparable to Myomectomy
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315103806.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 15, 2010) — Uterine fibroid embolization, a minimally invasive interventional radiology procedure that blocks blood supply to treat painful uterine fibroids, has a comparable fertility rate to myomectomy, the surgical removal of uterine fibroids, for women who want to conceive, according to the first study on the subject released at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.
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An increasing number of women are delaying pregnancy until their late thirties, which is also the most likely time for fibroids to develop, said Pisco. There is conflicting evidence in the medical literature regarding the impact of fibroids on pregnancy; however, the risk and type of complication appear to be related to the size, number and location. Women may not know they have fibroids (asymptomatic) and undergo in vitro fertilization treatments -- rather than getting treatment for fibroids. "We want women to know that uterine fibroids may be a cause of infertility, that their treatment is mandatory and that UFE may be the only effective treatment for some women," said Pisco.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 15, 2010) — Uterine fibroid embolization, a minimally invasive interventional radiology procedure that blocks blood supply to treat painful uterine fibroids, has a comparable fertility rate to myomectomy, the surgical removal of uterine fibroids, for women who want to conceive, according to the first study on the subject released at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.
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An increasing number of women are delaying pregnancy until their late thirties, which is also the most likely time for fibroids to develop, said Pisco. There is conflicting evidence in the medical literature regarding the impact of fibroids on pregnancy; however, the risk and type of complication appear to be related to the size, number and location. Women may not know they have fibroids (asymptomatic) and undergo in vitro fertilization treatments -- rather than getting treatment for fibroids. "We want women to know that uterine fibroids may be a cause of infertility, that their treatment is mandatory and that UFE may be the only effective treatment for some women," said Pisco.
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Asking “what would nature do?” leads to a way to break down a greenhouse gas
http://energy.umich.edu/news/news_stories_10/microbes_CO2.html
Mar. 5, 2010
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A recent discovery in understanding how to chemically break down the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into a useful form opens the doors for scientists to wonder what organism is out there – or could be created – to accomplish the task.
University of Michigan biological chemist Steve Ragsdale, along with research assistant Elizabeth Pierce and scientists led by Fraser Armstrong from the University of Oxford in the U.K., have figured out a way to efficiently turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using visible light, like sunlight.
The results are reported in the recent online edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Not only is it a demonstration that an abundant compound can be converted into a commercially useful compound with considerably less energy input than current methods, it also is a method not so different from what organisms regularly do.
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Mar. 5, 2010
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A recent discovery in understanding how to chemically break down the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into a useful form opens the doors for scientists to wonder what organism is out there – or could be created – to accomplish the task.
University of Michigan biological chemist Steve Ragsdale, along with research assistant Elizabeth Pierce and scientists led by Fraser Armstrong from the University of Oxford in the U.K., have figured out a way to efficiently turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using visible light, like sunlight.
The results are reported in the recent online edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Not only is it a demonstration that an abundant compound can be converted into a commercially useful compound with considerably less energy input than current methods, it also is a method not so different from what organisms regularly do.
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Employment report probably understates unemployment
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/maximum-utility/adp-report-shows-private-sector-losing-jobs-last-month/564/
By Mark Thoma | Mar 31, 2010
The ADP released a report today showing that private employment in the US fell by 23,000 in March. I do not pay a lot of attention to this report due to concerns over its accuracy, but it does open up the discussion of what to expect when the BLS Employment Report is released on Friday.
There are two things to be wary of when interpreting Friday’s report. First, hiring for the census will push employment numbers up, but these jobs are temporary so this will make the underlying trend for employment look better than it actually is. Second, the March numbers could also be affected by a rebound from the snowstorms in February, and this too could make the numbers look better than the actual underlying permanent trend.
The ADP numbers do not contain census jobs — these are estimates for the private sector only — and there is no adjustment for the snowstorms, so the 23,000 loss reported today could have been even larger without the rebound from the storms.
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By Mark Thoma | Mar 31, 2010
The ADP released a report today showing that private employment in the US fell by 23,000 in March. I do not pay a lot of attention to this report due to concerns over its accuracy, but it does open up the discussion of what to expect when the BLS Employment Report is released on Friday.
There are two things to be wary of when interpreting Friday’s report. First, hiring for the census will push employment numbers up, but these jobs are temporary so this will make the underlying trend for employment look better than it actually is. Second, the March numbers could also be affected by a rebound from the snowstorms in February, and this too could make the numbers look better than the actual underlying permanent trend.
The ADP numbers do not contain census jobs — these are estimates for the private sector only — and there is no adjustment for the snowstorms, so the 23,000 loss reported today could have been even larger without the rebound from the storms.
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Private sector cut 23,000 jobs in March
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36113867/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/
By Caroline Valetkevitch
updated 9:27 a.m. ET, Wed., March. 31, 2010
NEW YORK - Private employers unexpectedly shed more jobs in March, dimming hopes for job growth ahead of Friday's key employment report, while business conditions in New York City slipped.
Private employers cut 23,000 jobs in March, missing expectations for an increase in jobs although fewer than the adjusted 24,000 jobs lost in February, a report by a private employment service said on Wednesday.
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In other data, mortgage applications rose in the latest week for the first time in three weeks as demand for home purchase loans reached the highest level since October.
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By Caroline Valetkevitch
updated 9:27 a.m. ET, Wed., March. 31, 2010
NEW YORK - Private employers unexpectedly shed more jobs in March, dimming hopes for job growth ahead of Friday's key employment report, while business conditions in New York City slipped.
Private employers cut 23,000 jobs in March, missing expectations for an increase in jobs although fewer than the adjusted 24,000 jobs lost in February, a report by a private employment service said on Wednesday.
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In other data, mortgage applications rose in the latest week for the first time in three weeks as demand for home purchase loans reached the highest level since October.
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Underpriveleged Patients Not as Likely to Be Referred to Specialty Hospitals for Brain Tumors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315161724.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2010) — African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged patients with brain tumors are significantly less likely to be referred to high-volume hospitals that specialize in neurosurgery than other patients of similar age, the same gender, and with similar comorbidities, according to new research by Johns Hopkins doctors.
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Researchers have long known that patients who receive treatment for specialized procedures at hospitals that perform more of those procedures usually have better outcomes than patients who are treated at lower-volume hospitals. Consequently, in recent years, more patients have been shuttled to these high-volume hospitals than ever before. However, the new study's findings suggest that, for brain tumors, referrals are skewed to favor white, high-income patients.
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Over the entire study period, Hispanic patients were about 30 percent less likely to be seen at high-volume centers, though there was no significant difference between African-American and white patients. However, when the researchers looked at yearly figures, they found a steady decline over time in the odds that African-American and Hispanic patients would be admitted to high-volume centers. In the last five years of the study, African-Americans were a third less likely to be admitted to these specialty centers, and Hispanics were half as likely as white counterparts.
The researchers found similar disparities among low-income patients, with those under the poverty line 43 percent less likely to be admitted as those making $60,000 per year or more.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2010) — African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged patients with brain tumors are significantly less likely to be referred to high-volume hospitals that specialize in neurosurgery than other patients of similar age, the same gender, and with similar comorbidities, according to new research by Johns Hopkins doctors.
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Researchers have long known that patients who receive treatment for specialized procedures at hospitals that perform more of those procedures usually have better outcomes than patients who are treated at lower-volume hospitals. Consequently, in recent years, more patients have been shuttled to these high-volume hospitals than ever before. However, the new study's findings suggest that, for brain tumors, referrals are skewed to favor white, high-income patients.
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Over the entire study period, Hispanic patients were about 30 percent less likely to be seen at high-volume centers, though there was no significant difference between African-American and white patients. However, when the researchers looked at yearly figures, they found a steady decline over time in the odds that African-American and Hispanic patients would be admitted to high-volume centers. In the last five years of the study, African-Americans were a third less likely to be admitted to these specialty centers, and Hispanics were half as likely as white counterparts.
The researchers found similar disparities among low-income patients, with those under the poverty line 43 percent less likely to be admitted as those making $60,000 per year or more.
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Trauma of War Doubles Asthma Risk Among Civilians
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315201629.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2010) — Living through the trauma of war seems to increase the risk of developing asthma, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Those who are most traumatised are twice as likely to develop the condition as those who are least traumatised by their experiences of war, the research suggests.
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These findings are backed up by a growing body of evidence, which links the physiological impact of stress on the body and inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, say the authors.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2010) — Living through the trauma of war seems to increase the risk of developing asthma, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Those who are most traumatised are twice as likely to develop the condition as those who are least traumatised by their experiences of war, the research suggests.
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These findings are backed up by a growing body of evidence, which links the physiological impact of stress on the body and inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, say the authors.
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Pesticide Chlorpyrifos Linked to Childhood Developmental Delays
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100319115642.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 25, 2010) — Exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos -- which is banned for use in U.S. households but is still widely used throughout the agricultural industry -- is associated with early childhood developmental delays, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
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As in previous research in the same study population, published in Pediatrics in 2006, this study controlled for gender, gestational age at birth, ethnicity, maternal education, maternal intelligence quotient, and exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy. What this study adds is that building dilapidation and community-level factors such as percentage of residents living in poverty do not explain the association. After controlling for these factors, the research indicates that high chlorpyrifos exposure (greater than 6.17 pg/g in umbilical cord blood at the time of birth) was associated with a 6.5-point decrease in the Psychomotor Development Index score and a 3.3-point decrease in the Mental Development Index score in 3-year-olds. "These associations remained statistically significant and similar in magnitude after accounting for dilapidated housing and neighborhood characteristics," noted Dr. Lovasi.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 25, 2010) — Exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos -- which is banned for use in U.S. households but is still widely used throughout the agricultural industry -- is associated with early childhood developmental delays, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
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As in previous research in the same study population, published in Pediatrics in 2006, this study controlled for gender, gestational age at birth, ethnicity, maternal education, maternal intelligence quotient, and exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy. What this study adds is that building dilapidation and community-level factors such as percentage of residents living in poverty do not explain the association. After controlling for these factors, the research indicates that high chlorpyrifos exposure (greater than 6.17 pg/g in umbilical cord blood at the time of birth) was associated with a 6.5-point decrease in the Psychomotor Development Index score and a 3.3-point decrease in the Mental Development Index score in 3-year-olds. "These associations remained statistically significant and similar in magnitude after accounting for dilapidated housing and neighborhood characteristics," noted Dr. Lovasi.
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Friday, March 26, 2010
Who Pays the Taxes?
The rich like to complain about the percentage of taxes paid by those at the top, while avoiding mentioning what percentage of income and wealth they have.
http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2010/03/paul-krugman-going-to-extreme.html
Devin said in reply to ilsm...
"The 15% that gets 85% of the income is paying less than 70%"
Oh, but it's worse than that. We all know that social security receipts are treated just like any other revenue, and have been financing govt operations since at least the 80s. Currently SS receipts are more than income tax receipts. And since SS is capped at ~$106k, that means the top 15% cannot mathematically be paying more than about 30% of SS taxes. Which means the top 15%, earning 85% of the income, is only paying about 50% of the taxes.
I so rarely see it mentioned that our tax code actually becomes regressive once income gets up to the SS cap (currently ~$106k). The increase in tax rates above $106k never makes up for the tax savings that are enjoyed by exceeding the cap. No wonder upper-middle class people are so pissed. Individuals earning between about $50k and $100k actually pay the highest marginal tax rates of anybody in the country, and those at the upper end of that range pay the highest effective tax rates.
Reply Mar 26, 2010 at 08:43 AM
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http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2010/03/paul-krugman-going-to-extreme.html
Has the following comment:
Devin said in reply to ilsm...
"The 15% that gets 85% of the income is paying less than 70%"
Oh, but it's worse than that. We all know that social security receipts are treated just like any other revenue, and have been financing govt operations since at least the 80s. Currently SS receipts are more than income tax receipts. And since SS is capped at ~$106k, that means the top 15% cannot mathematically be paying more than about 30% of SS taxes. Which means the top 15%, earning 85% of the income, is only paying about 50% of the taxes.
I so rarely see it mentioned that our tax code actually becomes regressive once income gets up to the SS cap (currently ~$106k). The increase in tax rates above $106k never makes up for the tax savings that are enjoyed by exceeding the cap. No wonder upper-middle class people are so pissed. Individuals earning between about $50k and $100k actually pay the highest marginal tax rates of anybody in the country, and those at the upper end of that range pay the highest effective tax rates.
Reply Mar 26, 2010 at 08:43 AM
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Cantor's Creative Definition of 'Threat'
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/023054.php
This week, we've seen an unacceptable number of incidents involving right-wing activists. To protest their rage about what they think the new health care law is, they're engaging in acts of political vandalism, assault, and harassment.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) seemed rather desperate today to characterize this as a bipartisan problem. During a bizarre press conference this morning, Cantor told reporters:
"I've received threats since I assumed elected office -- not only because of my position, but also because I'm Jewish. I've never blamed anyone in this body for that.
"Just recently I have been directly threatened: A bullet was shot through the window of my campaign office in Richmond this week."
Well, that sounds pretty serious. We've heard about plenty of vandalism at district congressional offices this week -- all of the cases involve Democrats as targets -- but this would be the first reported shooting.
The problem is, what Cantor told reporters wasn't true. When he said he was "directly threatened," Cantor was either shamelessly, blatantly lying, or he was popping off to the press about politically-motivated violence without getting his facts straight.
Here's what happened: early Tuesday morning, someone in the Richmond area fired a bullet into the air. It eventually came down and hit a building -- named, of course, the Reagan Building -- on the first floor. According to a report from the Richmond Police Department statement, "The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman."
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This week, we've seen an unacceptable number of incidents involving right-wing activists. To protest their rage about what they think the new health care law is, they're engaging in acts of political vandalism, assault, and harassment.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) seemed rather desperate today to characterize this as a bipartisan problem. During a bizarre press conference this morning, Cantor told reporters:
"I've received threats since I assumed elected office -- not only because of my position, but also because I'm Jewish. I've never blamed anyone in this body for that.
"Just recently I have been directly threatened: A bullet was shot through the window of my campaign office in Richmond this week."
Well, that sounds pretty serious. We've heard about plenty of vandalism at district congressional offices this week -- all of the cases involve Democrats as targets -- but this would be the first reported shooting.
The problem is, what Cantor told reporters wasn't true. When he said he was "directly threatened," Cantor was either shamelessly, blatantly lying, or he was popping off to the press about politically-motivated violence without getting his facts straight.
Here's what happened: early Tuesday morning, someone in the Richmond area fired a bullet into the air. It eventually came down and hit a building -- named, of course, the Reagan Building -- on the first floor. According to a report from the Richmond Police Department statement, "The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman."
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CEOs Defy Obama With More Cash Instead of Pay for Performance
I think that saying compensation shrank is misleading. It depends on what happens with the stock prices. If the CEO's want cash instead of stock in their own compapny, what does that say? Obama and others would like company executives income to better reflect the longterm results of those executives decisions.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a1wYqBZEwV6g&pos=10
March 25 (Bloomberg) -- Total compensation for U.S. chief executive officers shrank by 8.6 percent last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
Boards offset some cuts in stock awards and options by boosting CEO salaries and bonuses, the data show.
With pay packages under pressure from President Barack Obama and shareholder activists, average compensation fell by 8.6 percent to $9.81 million for the 81 CEOs whose companies’ proxy statements were examined. While option awards were slashed by 30 percent, cash earnings, including non-equity incentive rewards, rose 8.3 percent.
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Pension plans gained an average of 15.4 percent or $1.27 million. One reason: the 8.3 percent rise in salary and bonus drove up the current value of what companies promised to pay CEOs in retirement, typically calculated as a percentage of their annual income.
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Obesity and Passive Smoking Reduce Oxygen Supply to Unborn Baby
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316101659.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 18, 2010) — Babies born to mothers with obesity and/or exposed to passive smoking are more likely to have health problems than others. This conclusion is based on evidence of elevated levels of nucleated red blood cells in the umbilical cord reported in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 18, 2010) — Babies born to mothers with obesity and/or exposed to passive smoking are more likely to have health problems than others. This conclusion is based on evidence of elevated levels of nucleated red blood cells in the umbilical cord reported in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health.
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I changed the "and" to "and/or" because it sounded like both factors needed to be present, which was not the case.
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Supermarket Lighting Enhances Nutrient Level of Fresh Spinach
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303113959.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2010) — Far from being a food spoiler, the fluorescent lighting in supermarkets actually can boost the nutritional value of fresh spinach, scientists are reporting. The finding could lead to improved ways of preserving and enhancing the nutritional value of spinach and perhaps other veggies, they suggest in a study in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
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During continuous light exposure after nine days, levels of folate increased between 84 and 100 percent, for instance. Levels of vitamin K increased between 50 and 100 percent, depending on the spinach variety tested. By contrast, spinach leaves stored under continuous darkness tended to have declining or unchanged levels of nutrients, the scientists say.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2010) — Far from being a food spoiler, the fluorescent lighting in supermarkets actually can boost the nutritional value of fresh spinach, scientists are reporting. The finding could lead to improved ways of preserving and enhancing the nutritional value of spinach and perhaps other veggies, they suggest in a study in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
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During continuous light exposure after nine days, levels of folate increased between 84 and 100 percent, for instance. Levels of vitamin K increased between 50 and 100 percent, depending on the spinach variety tested. By contrast, spinach leaves stored under continuous darkness tended to have declining or unchanged levels of nutrients, the scientists say.
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Study says money only makes you happy if it makes you richer than your neighbors
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-03/uow-ssm032110.php
Public release date: 21-Mar-2010
Contact: Peter Dunn
University of Warwick
A study by researchers at the University of Warwick and Cardiff University has found that money only makes people happier if it improves their social rank. The researchers found that simply being highly paid wasn't enough – to be happy, people must perceive themselves as being more highly paid than their friends and work colleagues.
The researchers were seeking to explain why people in rich nations have not become any happier on average over the last 40 years even though economic growth has led to substantial increases in average incomes.
Lead researcher on the paper Chris Boyce from the University of Warwick's Department of Psychology said:
"Our study found that the ranked position of an individual's income best predicted general life satisfaction, while the actual amount of income and the average income of others appear to have no significant effect. Earning a million pounds a year appears to be not enough to make you happy if you know your friends all earn 2 million a year"
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Public release date: 21-Mar-2010
Contact: Peter Dunn
University of Warwick
A study by researchers at the University of Warwick and Cardiff University has found that money only makes people happier if it improves their social rank. The researchers found that simply being highly paid wasn't enough – to be happy, people must perceive themselves as being more highly paid than their friends and work colleagues.
The researchers were seeking to explain why people in rich nations have not become any happier on average over the last 40 years even though economic growth has led to substantial increases in average incomes.
Lead researcher on the paper Chris Boyce from the University of Warwick's Department of Psychology said:
"Our study found that the ranked position of an individual's income best predicted general life satisfaction, while the actual amount of income and the average income of others appear to have no significant effect. Earning a million pounds a year appears to be not enough to make you happy if you know your friends all earn 2 million a year"
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Of course, this is not true for everybody.
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Internet threatens rare species, conservationists warn
This is simply immoral. It is up to all of us to create a culture in which this is not acceptable. And it can be done. Racism has not disappeared, but it has become unacceptable to be open about it, which is helping to diminish it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8579310.stm
Page last updated at 23:56 GMT, Sunday, 21 March 2010
Campaigners say it is easier than ever before to buy and sell anything from live baby lions to polar bear pelts on online auction sites and chatrooms.
The findings were presented at the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), which is meeting in Doha, Qatar.
Several proposals to give endangered species more protection were defeated.
Delegates will vote on changes to the trade in ivory later this week.
"The internet is becoming the dominant factor overall in the global trade in protected species," said Paul Todd of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
He said thousands of endangered species are regularly traded on the internet, as buyers and sellers take advantage of the anonymity - and vast global market - the world wide web can offer.
Those trying to police illegal sales say the size of problem is almost impossible to estimate. They say the US is the biggest market, but that Europe, China, Russia and Australia also play a large part.
On Sunday, delegates voted to ban all international trade in a rare type of Iranian salamander, the Kaiser's Spotted Newt, which the World Wildlife Fund says has been devastated by the internet trade.
However, more high-profile attempts to ban trade in polar bears, bluefin tuna and rare corals have all failed, leaving environmental activists dismayed, the BBC's Stephanie Hancock reports from Doha.
A proposal from the US and Sweden to regulate the trade in red and pink coral - which is crafted into expensive jewellery and sold extensively on the web - was defeated.
Delegates voted the idea down mostly over concerns the increased regulations might impact poor fishing communities.
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Flat-headed cat of southeast Asia is now endangered
This is an example of why I recently likened humans to cancer. A commenter objected that most people are not evil. That was not what I meant. I was talking about our success that leads to large population increases that crowd out other species. People are not going out trying to exterminate this species of cat. Few people even know it exists. But we are crowding it out simply by our numbers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8574000/8574155.stm
By Matt Walker
Page last updated at 10:27 GMT, Friday, 19 March 2010
According to a new study, habitat loss and deforestation are endangering the survival of Asia's flat-headed cat, a diminutive and little studied species.
Over 70% of the cat's habitat has been converted to plantations, and just 16% of its range is now protected.
The cat, which has webbed feet to help hunt crabs and fish, lives among wetland habitats in southeast Asia.
Details on the decline of the cat's range are published in the journal PLoS ONE.
The flat-headed cat is among the least known of all wild cat species, having never been intensively studied in its natural habitat.
Weighing just 1.5 to 2kg, the cat is thought to be nocturnal, adapted to hunting small prey in shallow water and along muddy shores.
Now restricted to a handful of tropical rainforests within Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, nothing is known about the size of each cat's home range or the density of the remaining population.
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Crucially for the species's survival though, the researchers found that just 16% of its historical range is fully protected according to criteria laid down by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Other areas are also protected, but these are large national parks, which in southeast Asia tend to be located at higher elevations where the flat-headed cat is not thought to roam.
Around 70% of its former range may already have been converted to plantations to grow crops such as palm oil.
Also, two-thirds of all the locations the cat has been recorded in are now surrounded by areas in which high densities of people live.
The cat's scarcity is underlined by the fact that it has been photographed just 17 times by camera traps.
In comparison, other felids in the region, such as tigers, leopard cats, marbled cats and Asian golden cats are regularly photographed this way.
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Omega 3 Curbs Precancerous Growths in Those Prone to Bowel Cancer, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317212648.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 21, 2010) — A purified form of an omega 3 cuts the number and size of precancerous bowel growths (polyps) in people whose genetic make-up predisposes them to bowel cancer, finds research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. Furthermore, this particular omega 3 (eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA) seems to be as effective as the prescription medicine used to treat familial bowel polyps, but without the associated cardiovascular side effects.
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Twenty eight of the patients were randomly assigned to six months of treatment with 2 g daily of a new highly purified form of the omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) EPA. The other 27 were given the same amount of a dummy treatment (placebo).
The EPA capsules were enteric coated to prevent the indigestion that can sometimes be associated with omega 3 supplements. Dietary omega 3 PUFA mainly comes from oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and herring.
An assessment of the number and size of polyps at the beginning and end of the six month study period revealed significant differences between the two groups of patients. The number of polyps increased by almost 10% among those treated with the placebo, but fell by more than 12% among those treated with the EPA capsules, representing a difference of almost 22.5%.
This was still clinically significant, even after taking account of influential factors, such as age and sex.
Similarly, polyp size increased by more than 17% among those in the placebo group but fell by more than 12.5% in those taking the EPA capsules, representing a difference of just under 30%.
The authors note that the effects of EPA were similar to those produced by celecoxib, which is used to help curb the growth of new and existing polyps in patients with FAP.
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ScienceDaily (Mar. 21, 2010) — A purified form of an omega 3 cuts the number and size of precancerous bowel growths (polyps) in people whose genetic make-up predisposes them to bowel cancer, finds research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. Furthermore, this particular omega 3 (eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA) seems to be as effective as the prescription medicine used to treat familial bowel polyps, but without the associated cardiovascular side effects.
----- (skipping)
Twenty eight of the patients were randomly assigned to six months of treatment with 2 g daily of a new highly purified form of the omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) EPA. The other 27 were given the same amount of a dummy treatment (placebo).
The EPA capsules were enteric coated to prevent the indigestion that can sometimes be associated with omega 3 supplements. Dietary omega 3 PUFA mainly comes from oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and herring.
An assessment of the number and size of polyps at the beginning and end of the six month study period revealed significant differences between the two groups of patients. The number of polyps increased by almost 10% among those treated with the placebo, but fell by more than 12% among those treated with the EPA capsules, representing a difference of almost 22.5%.
This was still clinically significant, even after taking account of influential factors, such as age and sex.
Similarly, polyp size increased by more than 17% among those in the placebo group but fell by more than 12.5% in those taking the EPA capsules, representing a difference of just under 30%.
The authors note that the effects of EPA were similar to those produced by celecoxib, which is used to help curb the growth of new and existing polyps in patients with FAP.
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