http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/epfd-apb092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Antidepressants plus blood-thinners slow down brain cancer
EPFL scientists have found that combining antidepressants with anticoagulants slows down brain tumors (gliomas) in mice
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Gliomas are aggressive brain tumors arising from the brain's supporting glial cells. They account for about a third of all brain tumors, and hold the highest incidence and mortality rate among primary brain cancer patients, creating an urgent need for effective treatments. Certain antidepressants already in the market could lower the risk of gliomas, but there has been little evidence to support their use in patients. Now, scientists at EPFL have discovered that tricyclic antidepressants combined with anticoagulant drugs can actually slow down gliomas by causing the cancer cells to eat themselves. The study is published in Cancer Cell.
•••••
The results showed that the drugs work together against the cancer cells. Specifically, the drugs disrupt a biochemical pathway in the glioma tumor cells that controls a mechanism known as "autophagy" - which literally means "to eat oneself". Low-level, controlled autophagy is a recycling mechanism that actually helps a cell to survive under stressful conditions. But, at excessively high levels, it can be lethal to cells.
•••••
Although each drug can stimulate autophagy by itself, neither has any significant impact on the mortality of the mice with glioma. But when the EPFL scientists combined the two drugs, the lifespan of the mice doubled.
•••••
"This strategy is at an early stage and requires further more work to assess its full potential." Following up on this, the team is now making plans for early clinical trials.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Women with light beer consumption run lower risk of heart attack
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/uog-wwm092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Women with moderate beer consumption run lower risk of heart attack
University of Gothenburg
Women who drink beer at most once or twice per week run a 30 per cent lower risk of heart attack, compared with both heavy drinkers and women who never drink beer. These are the findings of a Swedish study which has followed 1,500 women over a period of almost 50 years.
•••••
The study shows a statistically significant connection between high consumption of spirits (defined as more frequent than once or twice per month) and an almost 50 per cent higher risk of dying of cancer, compared with those who drink less frequently.
•••••
The study also reveals that women who reported that they drank beer once or twice per week to once or twice per month ran a 30 per cent lower risk of a heart attack than women who drank beer several times per week/daily or never drank beer. Moderate consumption of beer thus seems to protect women from heart attacks.
"Previous research also suggests that alcohol in moderate quantities can have a certain protective effect, but there is still uncertainty as to whether or not this really is the case. Our results have been checked against other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which substantiates the findings. At the same time, we were unable to confirm that moderate wine consumption has the same effect, so our results also need to be confirmed through follow-up studies," explains Dominique Hange, researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy.
•••••
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Women with moderate beer consumption run lower risk of heart attack
University of Gothenburg
Women who drink beer at most once or twice per week run a 30 per cent lower risk of heart attack, compared with both heavy drinkers and women who never drink beer. These are the findings of a Swedish study which has followed 1,500 women over a period of almost 50 years.
•••••
The study shows a statistically significant connection between high consumption of spirits (defined as more frequent than once or twice per month) and an almost 50 per cent higher risk of dying of cancer, compared with those who drink less frequently.
•••••
The study also reveals that women who reported that they drank beer once or twice per week to once or twice per month ran a 30 per cent lower risk of a heart attack than women who drank beer several times per week/daily or never drank beer. Moderate consumption of beer thus seems to protect women from heart attacks.
"Previous research also suggests that alcohol in moderate quantities can have a certain protective effect, but there is still uncertainty as to whether or not this really is the case. Our results have been checked against other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which substantiates the findings. At the same time, we were unable to confirm that moderate wine consumption has the same effect, so our results also need to be confirmed through follow-up studies," explains Dominique Hange, researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy.
•••••
Lower sperm motility in men exposed to common chemical
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/lu-lsm092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Lower sperm motility in men exposed to common chemical
Lund University
Men with higher exposure to the substance DEHP, a so-called phthalate, have lower sperm motility and may therefore experience more difficulties conceiving children, according to a Lund University study.
Phthalates is an umbrella term for a group of substances based on phthalic acid, some of which are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Many phthalates are found in soft plastics in our daily surroundings: wallpaper, sandals, nail polish, perfume, floors, carpets and more.
Since phthalate molecules leak out of plastics, we are exposed to it daily and absorb the chemicals through food, drink, skin contact and inhalation. Phthalate levels can be measured by a simple urine sample.
•••••
As previous research has reported that there is a linear connection also between sperm motility and chances of becoming pregnant, the findings could indicate that the more exposed one is to DEHP, the smaller the chances are of having children.
DEHP is already on the EU's list of substances with particularly hazardous properties, and since earlier this year, you need special authorisation to use substances when manufacturing goods and chemical products in the EU. However, this does not include imported goods.
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Lower sperm motility in men exposed to common chemical
Lund University
Men with higher exposure to the substance DEHP, a so-called phthalate, have lower sperm motility and may therefore experience more difficulties conceiving children, according to a Lund University study.
Phthalates is an umbrella term for a group of substances based on phthalic acid, some of which are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Many phthalates are found in soft plastics in our daily surroundings: wallpaper, sandals, nail polish, perfume, floors, carpets and more.
Since phthalate molecules leak out of plastics, we are exposed to it daily and absorb the chemicals through food, drink, skin contact and inhalation. Phthalate levels can be measured by a simple urine sample.
•••••
As previous research has reported that there is a linear connection also between sperm motility and chances of becoming pregnant, the findings could indicate that the more exposed one is to DEHP, the smaller the chances are of having children.
DEHP is already on the EU's list of substances with particularly hazardous properties, and since earlier this year, you need special authorisation to use substances when manufacturing goods and chemical products in the EU. However, this does not include imported goods.
Climate change consensus extends beyond climate scientists
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/pu-psc092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Purdue study: Climate change consensus extends beyond climate scientists
Purdue University
A Purdue University-led survey of nearly 700 scientists from non-climate disciplines shows that more than 90 percent believe that average global temperatures are higher than pre-1800s levels and that human activity has significantly contributed to the rise.
•••••
Previous studies have shown that about 97 percent of actively publishing climate scientists believe in human-caused climate change, and a review of scientific literature on the existence of climate change indicated that about 97 percent of studies affirm climate change is happening.
•••••
Carlton said the tendency of some media to portray climate change as more controversial among scientists than it actually is could decrease people's certainty in whether climate change is occurring and its potential causes.
•••••
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Purdue study: Climate change consensus extends beyond climate scientists
Purdue University
A Purdue University-led survey of nearly 700 scientists from non-climate disciplines shows that more than 90 percent believe that average global temperatures are higher than pre-1800s levels and that human activity has significantly contributed to the rise.
•••••
Previous studies have shown that about 97 percent of actively publishing climate scientists believe in human-caused climate change, and a review of scientific literature on the existence of climate change indicated that about 97 percent of studies affirm climate change is happening.
•••••
Carlton said the tendency of some media to portray climate change as more controversial among scientists than it actually is could decrease people's certainty in whether climate change is occurring and its potential causes.
•••••
Study shows new forests cannot take in as much carbon as predicted
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/uoia-ssn092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Study shows new forests cannot take in as much carbon as predicted
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
As carbon emissions continue to rise, scientists project forests will grow faster and larger, due to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which fuels photosynthesis. But a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom finds that these projections are overestimated.
By modeling future land cover and land use changes and other factors, the researchers found many forests won't be able to absorb as much carbon dioxide as projected because they'll have a shortage in another vital nutrient for plant growth: nitrogen.
"Forests take up carbon from the atmosphere, but in order for the plants to fix the carbon, it requires a certain amount of nitrogen," said graduate student Prasanth Meiyappan, who conducted the study with atmospheric sciences professor Atul Jain, in collaboration with Bristol geography lecturer Joanna House. "If that ratio of carbon to nitrogen isn't right, even if you add many times more carbon than it gets currently, the forests cannot absorb the extra carbon."
The paper, published in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles, deals specifically with what are called "secondary forests" - places that are regrowing after deforestation, wood harvest and fires.
"Most forested land on Earth is a secondary forest," Jain said. "When the original forested land is disturbed, much of the nitrogen that is in the soil is released into the atmosphere, making growth in these areas slow-going."
"The carbon that is lost from a forest during harvest or fires can be replaced over time if the forest regrows, so net carbon loss is minimal. If forest regrowth is limited due to a lack of nitrogen, then net carbon emissions are higher," House said.
Another issue compounding nitrogen limitation is the removal of plant matter for burning. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected that bioenergy will be needed to meet an anticipated dramatic increase in the world's energy consumption while still limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Forest products and residues - the leaves and sticks below the canopy - and an increase in the range of timber-harvested forests will be a large factor in meeting those energy demands.
"Residue decomposes over time and releases nitrogen for the plants," Jain said. "By taking it out, it further tilts the nitrogen-to-carbon ratio in the future."
The team found that because most climate models included in the IPCC projections don't take into account the effect of nitrogen, they underestimate 21st century net carbon emissions in the land sector by at least 90 percent, and by as much as 150 percent.
"If net land-based emissions are underestimated, it means stronger mitigation action would need to be taken in other sectors such as energy to meet the same mitigation targets," House said
•••••
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Study shows new forests cannot take in as much carbon as predicted
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
As carbon emissions continue to rise, scientists project forests will grow faster and larger, due to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which fuels photosynthesis. But a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom finds that these projections are overestimated.
By modeling future land cover and land use changes and other factors, the researchers found many forests won't be able to absorb as much carbon dioxide as projected because they'll have a shortage in another vital nutrient for plant growth: nitrogen.
"Forests take up carbon from the atmosphere, but in order for the plants to fix the carbon, it requires a certain amount of nitrogen," said graduate student Prasanth Meiyappan, who conducted the study with atmospheric sciences professor Atul Jain, in collaboration with Bristol geography lecturer Joanna House. "If that ratio of carbon to nitrogen isn't right, even if you add many times more carbon than it gets currently, the forests cannot absorb the extra carbon."
The paper, published in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles, deals specifically with what are called "secondary forests" - places that are regrowing after deforestation, wood harvest and fires.
"Most forested land on Earth is a secondary forest," Jain said. "When the original forested land is disturbed, much of the nitrogen that is in the soil is released into the atmosphere, making growth in these areas slow-going."
"The carbon that is lost from a forest during harvest or fires can be replaced over time if the forest regrows, so net carbon loss is minimal. If forest regrowth is limited due to a lack of nitrogen, then net carbon emissions are higher," House said.
Another issue compounding nitrogen limitation is the removal of plant matter for burning. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected that bioenergy will be needed to meet an anticipated dramatic increase in the world's energy consumption while still limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Forest products and residues - the leaves and sticks below the canopy - and an increase in the range of timber-harvested forests will be a large factor in meeting those energy demands.
"Residue decomposes over time and releases nitrogen for the plants," Jain said. "By taking it out, it further tilts the nitrogen-to-carbon ratio in the future."
The team found that because most climate models included in the IPCC projections don't take into account the effect of nitrogen, they underestimate 21st century net carbon emissions in the land sector by at least 90 percent, and by as much as 150 percent.
"If net land-based emissions are underestimated, it means stronger mitigation action would need to be taken in other sectors such as energy to meet the same mitigation targets," House said
•••••
Mexico City's air pollution has detrimental impact on Alzheimer's disease gene
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/ip-mca092415.php
AD: Alzheimer's disease
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Mexico City's air pollution has detrimental impact on Alzheimer's disease gene
Affects parents and their children, according to new study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
IOS Press
A new study by researchers at the Universities of Montana, Valle de México, Boise State, and North Carolina, the Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, and Centro Médico Cozumel heightens concerns over the detrimental impact of air pollution on hippocampal metabolites as early markers of neurodegeneration in young urbanites carrying an allele 4 of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE). This is associated with the risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) and a susceptibility marker for poor outcome in traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery. These findings are published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Mexico City children and their parents have lifetime exposures to concentrations of air pollutants above the current USA standards, including fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). Metropolitan Mexico City is an example of extreme urban growth and serious environmental pollution and millions of children are involuntarily exposed to harmful concentrations of PM 2.5 every day since conception.
•••••
Researchers are very concerned by the young age of the children with evidence of a spectral marker of neurodegeneration that is often seen in adults with mild cognitive impairment, in Alzheimer patients and in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.
Mexico City children, teens, and young adults have shown a key marker of AD: phosphorilated tau along significant brain and intrathecal neuroinflammation, dysregulated immune responses, breakdown of epithelial and endothelial barriers, damage to the neurovascular unit, and brain accumulation of metals associated with combustion. Moreover, these seemingly healthy children have olfaction deficits, dysregulation of feeding regulatory hormones, deficiencies in attention and short-term memory, and below-average scores in Verbal and Full Scale IQ compared to low air pollution children.
•••••
"These results add to growing data suggesting APOE ε4 carriers could have a higher risk of developing early AD if they reside in a polluted urban environment, and unfortunately this statement applies to individuals all around the world with high exposures to air pollutants regardless of ethnicity," added Dr. Calderón-Garcidue?as. The combined effects of residency in a highly polluted city, poor nutrition, urban stress, lower brain and cognitive reserves, and APOE ε4 could lead to an acceleration of neurodegenerative changes.
Air pollution is a serious public health issue and exposures to concentrations of air pollutants at or above the current standards has been linked to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. In the USA alone, 200 million people live in areas where pollutants such as ozone and fine particulate matter exceed the standards. Jung et al., 2015 found a 138% risk of increase of AD per increase of 4.34 μg/m3 in PM 2.5 suggesting long-term exposure to PM 2.5, as well as ozone above the current US EPA standards are associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.
•••••
Medicaid study uncovers rise in costly ER visits due to possible gaps in postpartum care
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/jhm-msu092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Medicaid study uncovers rise in costly ER visits due to possible gaps in postpartum care
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Citing an analysis of more than 26,000 Maryland Medicaid claims, Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence that poor women with recent complications during their pregnancies are using the emergency room (ER) at higher rates after delivery and may not be getting the postpartum care and follow-up they need to prevent further health problems.
•••••
Medicaid, like most forms of insurance, covers a postpartum visit six weeks after childbirth, offering a chance to address health conditions that arose or worsened during pregnancy and steer new mothers toward a healthy recovery. However, says Harris, many women -- particularly those who rely on government-sponsored programs such as Medicaid -- face multiple social and economic barriers that cause them to miss these visits, including lack of childcare, schedule demands, difficulty accessing care and lack of understanding about the long-term health risks associated with pregnancy complications. [They may also have a lack of transportation.]
Rather than receiving care at regular checkups, Harris says, some patients turn to the ER, where care is more costly, less efficient, less equipped to deal with chronic conditions or able to promote long-term preventive health behaviors.
•••••
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Medicaid study uncovers rise in costly ER visits due to possible gaps in postpartum care
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Citing an analysis of more than 26,000 Maryland Medicaid claims, Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence that poor women with recent complications during their pregnancies are using the emergency room (ER) at higher rates after delivery and may not be getting the postpartum care and follow-up they need to prevent further health problems.
•••••
Medicaid, like most forms of insurance, covers a postpartum visit six weeks after childbirth, offering a chance to address health conditions that arose or worsened during pregnancy and steer new mothers toward a healthy recovery. However, says Harris, many women -- particularly those who rely on government-sponsored programs such as Medicaid -- face multiple social and economic barriers that cause them to miss these visits, including lack of childcare, schedule demands, difficulty accessing care and lack of understanding about the long-term health risks associated with pregnancy complications. [They may also have a lack of transportation.]
Rather than receiving care at regular checkups, Harris says, some patients turn to the ER, where care is more costly, less efficient, less equipped to deal with chronic conditions or able to promote long-term preventive health behaviors.
•••••
Facebook effect: Research shows comments about candidates have impact on potential voters
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/uod-fer092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Facebook effect: Research shows comments about candidates have impact on potential voters
University of Delaware
When Facebook users see favorable comments on the social media site about a political candidate, those opinions positively influence their own views of the politician, while unfavorable comments have a negative effect, according to a new paper by University of Delaware researchers.
That influence occurred even though the research participants weren't Facebook friends or even acquaintances of the commenters. In fact, the commenters -- like the candidate himself -- didn't even exist.
•••••
Calling the study a first step in researching the effect of social media interactivity in political campaigns, Brewer said that it may have been easier to influence viewers looking at the "blank slate" of a fictitious candidate rather than at a real candidate with whom they may already be familiar. He also noted that the survey group was asked to look at the Facebook page, while in real campaigns, citizens decide for themselves whether to check out a candidate on social media.
•••••
tags: influence
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Facebook effect: Research shows comments about candidates have impact on potential voters
University of Delaware
When Facebook users see favorable comments on the social media site about a political candidate, those opinions positively influence their own views of the politician, while unfavorable comments have a negative effect, according to a new paper by University of Delaware researchers.
That influence occurred even though the research participants weren't Facebook friends or even acquaintances of the commenters. In fact, the commenters -- like the candidate himself -- didn't even exist.
•••••
Calling the study a first step in researching the effect of social media interactivity in political campaigns, Brewer said that it may have been easier to influence viewers looking at the "blank slate" of a fictitious candidate rather than at a real candidate with whom they may already be familiar. He also noted that the survey group was asked to look at the Facebook page, while in real campaigns, citizens decide for themselves whether to check out a candidate on social media.
•••••
tags: influence
Scientists make rubber that can heal itself
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/acs-nmf092415.php
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
No more flat tires? Scientists make rubber that can heal itself (video)
American Chemical Society
Few things will ruin a day faster than a flat tire. But what if you never had to break out that spare again? Scientists have developed a new type of rubber that can heal itself after a tear or break.
•••••
Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
No more flat tires? Scientists make rubber that can heal itself (video)
American Chemical Society
Few things will ruin a day faster than a flat tire. But what if you never had to break out that spare again? Scientists have developed a new type of rubber that can heal itself after a tear or break.
•••••
More than a quarter of Atlanta households spent more than half of their incomes on housing
http://atlantaprogressivenews.com/2015/09/25/ajc-politifact-rates-apn-editors-housing-claim-true/
•••••
“We reached out to Cardinale to ask his source, and he pointed us to a 2015 update of last year’s Atlanta’s housing strategy report,” the AJC wrote.
“A chart on page 10 of the report, shows about 27,000 households that make $20,000 or less and another 13,000 households with incomes between $20,000 and $35,000 spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing in 2012,” the AJC wrote.
“Cardinale would have been on target with an even more dramatic claim: More than a quarter of Atlanta households spent more than half of their incomes on housing,” the AJC wrote.
“For somewhere between $1,400 and $4,000 a month, you can rent in the luxury apartment complex Inman Quarter in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward… But you’ll also need to earn at least $48,000 – and up to $160,000 – a year to afford skyline views without spending more than 30 percent of your income on a (fancy) roof over your head,” the AJC wrote.
“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Census Bureau both consider those who pay more than that to be ‘cost burdened,’ since they may have difficulty paying for other necessities such as food and medical care,” the AJC noted.
“Housing advocates, including Atlanta Progressive News CEO Matthew Charles Cardinale, worry that those people are getting lost in the newly energized Atlanta housing market,” the AJC noted.
•••••
•••••
“We reached out to Cardinale to ask his source, and he pointed us to a 2015 update of last year’s Atlanta’s housing strategy report,” the AJC wrote.
“A chart on page 10 of the report, shows about 27,000 households that make $20,000 or less and another 13,000 households with incomes between $20,000 and $35,000 spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing in 2012,” the AJC wrote.
“Cardinale would have been on target with an even more dramatic claim: More than a quarter of Atlanta households spent more than half of their incomes on housing,” the AJC wrote.
“For somewhere between $1,400 and $4,000 a month, you can rent in the luxury apartment complex Inman Quarter in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward… But you’ll also need to earn at least $48,000 – and up to $160,000 – a year to afford skyline views without spending more than 30 percent of your income on a (fancy) roof over your head,” the AJC wrote.
“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Census Bureau both consider those who pay more than that to be ‘cost burdened,’ since they may have difficulty paying for other necessities such as food and medical care,” the AJC noted.
“Housing advocates, including Atlanta Progressive News CEO Matthew Charles Cardinale, worry that those people are getting lost in the newly energized Atlanta housing market,” the AJC noted.
•••••
Apple warning lists top 25 apps infected in massive App Store malware attack
See the article for the referenced apps, and a link to more apps which have the malware.https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/apple-warning-lists-top-25-apps-infected-massive-132041099.html
Chris Smith
September 24, 2015
After setting up a special help page that provides information about the massive XcodeGhost malware hack on its website, Apple has listed the top 25 iOS apps built using the counterfeit version of Xcode that was capable of injecting malware in apps before they were submitted to the App Store.
•••••
'All About That Bass' writer decries streaming revenue
http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/industries/music/2015/09/22/all-bass-writer-decries-streaming-revenue/72570464/
Nate Rau
September 22, 2015
A co-writer behind the international smash hit "All About That Bass" said he was only paid $5,679 in streaming revenue, crystallizing the plight of songwriters as he spoke to key members of Congress during a roundtable discussion Tuesday about music copyright.
•••••
Producer and songwriter Kevin Kadish, one of the first speakers, zeroed in on financial challenges songwriters face with music streaming services.
"I've never heard a songwriter complain about radio royalties as much as streaming royalties," Kadish said. "That was the real issue for us, like 1 million streams equals $90. For a song like 'All About That Bass,' that I wrote, which had 178 million streams. I mean $5,679? That's my share. That's as big a song as a songwriter can have in their career and No. 1 in 78 countries. But you're making $5,600. How do you feed your family?"
•••••
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia is the lead sponsor of the Songwriter Equity Act, legislation designed to improve royalty payouts to publishers and songwriters such as Kadish.
•••••
http://www.musicrow.com/2015/09/nashville-to-judiciary-committee-were-going-out-of-business-on-the-backs-of-the-digital-services/
“It gave me hope to hear Chairman Goodlatte talk about Nashville as one of the fastest growing economies in the nation but he recognized there’s a depression in the middle of the city: the American songwriter,” said Ben Vaughn, Exec. VP, Warner/Chappell Nashville. “We have lost about 80 percent of professional songwriters creating new music. We are desperately asking for the committee to listen to needs of songwriters.”
Nate Rau
September 22, 2015
A co-writer behind the international smash hit "All About That Bass" said he was only paid $5,679 in streaming revenue, crystallizing the plight of songwriters as he spoke to key members of Congress during a roundtable discussion Tuesday about music copyright.
•••••
Producer and songwriter Kevin Kadish, one of the first speakers, zeroed in on financial challenges songwriters face with music streaming services.
"I've never heard a songwriter complain about radio royalties as much as streaming royalties," Kadish said. "That was the real issue for us, like 1 million streams equals $90. For a song like 'All About That Bass,' that I wrote, which had 178 million streams. I mean $5,679? That's my share. That's as big a song as a songwriter can have in their career and No. 1 in 78 countries. But you're making $5,600. How do you feed your family?"
•••••
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia is the lead sponsor of the Songwriter Equity Act, legislation designed to improve royalty payouts to publishers and songwriters such as Kadish.
•••••
http://www.musicrow.com/2015/09/nashville-to-judiciary-committee-were-going-out-of-business-on-the-backs-of-the-digital-services/
“It gave me hope to hear Chairman Goodlatte talk about Nashville as one of the fastest growing economies in the nation but he recognized there’s a depression in the middle of the city: the American songwriter,” said Ben Vaughn, Exec. VP, Warner/Chappell Nashville. “We have lost about 80 percent of professional songwriters creating new music. We are desperately asking for the committee to listen to needs of songwriters.”
Most Americans Will Be Misdiagnosed at Least Once
No surprise to me and several of my friends.http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/most-americans-will-be-misdiagnosed-at-least-once/?WT.mc_id=SA_BS_20150925
The example in the article are of doctors not getting the results of tests, but a big problem is doctor's not listening to a patient and making needed tests until the patient insists.
By Dina Fine Maron | September 22, 2015
Most people in the U.S. will experience at least one misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis in their lifetimes, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Such mistakes—called diagnostic errors by physicians—could be as simple as failing to forward the results of a medical test showing that a patient recovered from a recent illness. Other errors can have devastating consequences: Perhaps a lung scan that reveals potentially cancerous tissue never makes it to a doctor’s desk where it could receive further scrutiny. If the patient and health care provider discovered lung cancer, the patient could have received earlier treatment that might have saved his or her life.
Researchers know very little about the full extent of such errors or how to fix them. But they are pervasive—and deadly. Investigations over several decades have indicated that diagnostic errors contribute to around 10 percent of patient deaths. Recent work also concluded that some 5 percent of U.S. adults who seek outpatient care experience a diagnostic error—and that is a conservative estimate.
•••••
The committee’s work builds on a 1999 IOM report that found up to 98,000 people a year die because of mistakes in hospitals. One respected estimate projected that medical errors nowadays could contribute to as many as 210,000 to 440,000 patient deaths annually.
To help avoid diagnostic errors going forward, the new IOM recommendations call for more medical school and continuing education training in making diagnoses and communicating them to patients. Medical providers can also help avert such problems by ensuring that patients have access to their electronic medical records and know how to read them.
•••••
Cutting Planned Parenthood Funding Could Cost Taxpayers $130 Million
Fiscal Times
By Eric Pianin
September 24, 2015
It’s not as if Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other congressional Tea Party conservatives care much about this, but their efforts to slash funding for Planned Parenthood could cost taxpayers millions.
The Congressional Budget Office informed the House Republican leadership this week that permanently defunding Planned Parenthood would end up costing the government $130 million over the coming decade, largely because it would result in more unplanned pregnancies and births as some low-income women lose access to contraception and family planning services provided by the beleaguered health care organization. And those unwanted pregnancies and births would put added pressure on federal social services.
While the cut in federal subsidies to the organization would save $520 million in the short-term, according to CBO, the overall cost to the government would increase to $650 million over the coming decade – or a net increase of $130 million. As part of its analysis, CBO took into account Republican proposals to redistribute the Planned Parenthood funds to other health providers that don’t offer abortion services.
•••••
The administration and independent financial experts estimated that the 16-day government shutdown two years ago cost the economy billions of dollars and seriously disrupted government services to millions of Americans and business activities.
•••••
With no way of knowing whether Congress can overcome the current crisis, the administration has ordered agencies to begin preparing for the worst, according to The Washington Post. That would mean, among other things, preparing to shutter Yellowstone National Park and 407 other federal parks across the country; furloughing of hundreds of thousands of “non-essential” federal workers; cutting back Social Security Administration services and curtailing the activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
•••••
By Eric Pianin
September 24, 2015
It’s not as if Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other congressional Tea Party conservatives care much about this, but their efforts to slash funding for Planned Parenthood could cost taxpayers millions.
The Congressional Budget Office informed the House Republican leadership this week that permanently defunding Planned Parenthood would end up costing the government $130 million over the coming decade, largely because it would result in more unplanned pregnancies and births as some low-income women lose access to contraception and family planning services provided by the beleaguered health care organization. And those unwanted pregnancies and births would put added pressure on federal social services.
While the cut in federal subsidies to the organization would save $520 million in the short-term, according to CBO, the overall cost to the government would increase to $650 million over the coming decade – or a net increase of $130 million. As part of its analysis, CBO took into account Republican proposals to redistribute the Planned Parenthood funds to other health providers that don’t offer abortion services.
•••••
The administration and independent financial experts estimated that the 16-day government shutdown two years ago cost the economy billions of dollars and seriously disrupted government services to millions of Americans and business activities.
•••••
With no way of knowing whether Congress can overcome the current crisis, the administration has ordered agencies to begin preparing for the worst, according to The Washington Post. That would mean, among other things, preparing to shutter Yellowstone National Park and 407 other federal parks across the country; furloughing of hundreds of thousands of “non-essential” federal workers; cutting back Social Security Administration services and curtailing the activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
•••••
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Beijing Puts Ball Back in Washington’s Court on Climate Change
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/world/asia/beijing-puts-ball-back-in-washingtons-court-on-climate-change.html?partner=MYWAY&ei=5065&_r=0
By CORAL DAVENPORTSEPT. 25, 2015
When President Obama tried to tackle climate change in his first term, he pushed Congress to limit and put a price on carbon pollution, but the so-called cap-and-trade bill died in the Senate in 2010. Among the chief reasons: Lawmakers from both parties feared that any law to cut greenhouse gas emissions would harm the nation’s competitiveness compared with China, which was then emerging as the world’s largest polluter.
Since then, Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates have repeatedly cited China’s lack of action on climate change as the chief reason that the United States should not take stronger action.
On Friday in the Rose Garden, the story of how Washington and Beijing will fight climate change took a stunning turn as President Xi Jinping of China stood with Mr. Obama and announced that China would put in place its own national cap-and-trade system in 2017. Environmentalists hailed the announcement as historic and said that China’s move should effectively end Republicans’ main objection to enacting a domestic climate change policy.
•••••
By CORAL DAVENPORTSEPT. 25, 2015
When President Obama tried to tackle climate change in his first term, he pushed Congress to limit and put a price on carbon pollution, but the so-called cap-and-trade bill died in the Senate in 2010. Among the chief reasons: Lawmakers from both parties feared that any law to cut greenhouse gas emissions would harm the nation’s competitiveness compared with China, which was then emerging as the world’s largest polluter.
Since then, Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates have repeatedly cited China’s lack of action on climate change as the chief reason that the United States should not take stronger action.
On Friday in the Rose Garden, the story of how Washington and Beijing will fight climate change took a stunning turn as President Xi Jinping of China stood with Mr. Obama and announced that China would put in place its own national cap-and-trade system in 2017. Environmentalists hailed the announcement as historic and said that China’s move should effectively end Republicans’ main objection to enacting a domestic climate change policy.
•••••
Adolescent brain may be especially sensitive to new memories, social stress, and drug use
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/cp-abm091615.php
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
Adolescent brain may be especially sensitive to new memories, social stress, and drug use
Cell Press
Adolescence, like infancy, has been said to include distinct sensitive periods during which brain plasticity is heightened; but in a review of the neuroscience literature published on September 23 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, University College London (UCL) researchers saw little evidence for this claim. However, a small number of studies do support that memory formation, social stress, and drug use are processed differently in the adolescent brain compared to other periods of life.
•••••
The ability to form memories seems to be augmented during adolescence, one example for how it may be a sensitive period. Memory tests in different cultures show a "reminiscence bump"; at 35 or later, we are more likely to recall autobiographic memories from ages 10 to 30 years than memories prior or subsequent. The recall of music, books, films, and public events from adolescence is also superior compared with that from other periods.
•••••
Many mental illnesses have their onset in adolescence and early adulthood, possibly triggered by stress exposure. The UCL team explored studies indicating that both social stress and social exclusion have a disproportionate impact during adolescence. They also argue that adolescence may be a vulnerable period for recovery from these negative experiences.
"Adolescents are slower to forget frightening or negative memories," says Fuhrmann. "This might mean that some treatments for anxiety disorders, which are based on controlled exposure to whatever a patient is afraid of, might be less effective in adolescents and alternative treatments might be needed."
•••••
Finally, studies showed that adolescence is also a time of heightened engagement in risky health behaviors, such experimenting with alcohol and other drugs. Young adolescents seem to be particularly susceptible to peer influence on risk perception and risk taking compared with other age groups. Research in rodents also supports that adolescent brains might have an increased sensitivity to marijuana.
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
Adolescent brain may be especially sensitive to new memories, social stress, and drug use
Cell Press
Adolescence, like infancy, has been said to include distinct sensitive periods during which brain plasticity is heightened; but in a review of the neuroscience literature published on September 23 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, University College London (UCL) researchers saw little evidence for this claim. However, a small number of studies do support that memory formation, social stress, and drug use are processed differently in the adolescent brain compared to other periods of life.
•••••
The ability to form memories seems to be augmented during adolescence, one example for how it may be a sensitive period. Memory tests in different cultures show a "reminiscence bump"; at 35 or later, we are more likely to recall autobiographic memories from ages 10 to 30 years than memories prior or subsequent. The recall of music, books, films, and public events from adolescence is also superior compared with that from other periods.
•••••
Many mental illnesses have their onset in adolescence and early adulthood, possibly triggered by stress exposure. The UCL team explored studies indicating that both social stress and social exclusion have a disproportionate impact during adolescence. They also argue that adolescence may be a vulnerable period for recovery from these negative experiences.
"Adolescents are slower to forget frightening or negative memories," says Fuhrmann. "This might mean that some treatments for anxiety disorders, which are based on controlled exposure to whatever a patient is afraid of, might be less effective in adolescents and alternative treatments might be needed."
•••••
Finally, studies showed that adolescence is also a time of heightened engagement in risky health behaviors, such experimenting with alcohol and other drugs. Young adolescents seem to be particularly susceptible to peer influence on risk perception and risk taking compared with other age groups. Research in rodents also supports that adolescent brains might have an increased sensitivity to marijuana.
Horse owners can manage flies with wasps instead of pesticides
When I allowed wasp nest that did not attack me to remain in place, I stopped having problems with biting flies.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/esoa-hoc091715.php
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
Horse owners can manage flies with wasps instead of pesticides
Entomological Society of America
Horses need help when it comes to insect pests like flies. But, unfortunately, horse owners are in the dark about how best to manage flies because research just hasn't been done, according to a new overview of equine fly management in the latest issue of the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, an open-access journal that is written for farmers, ranchers, and extension professionals.
One fly-management method that is gaining ground is the use of wasps that are parasitoids of fly pupae. The female wasp inserts an eggs into the fly puparium, and when the egg hatches, the wasp larva eats the fly pupa.
•••••
If you're sitting down, don't sit still, new research suggests
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/uol-iys092115.php
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
If you're sitting down, don't sit still, new research suggests
University of Leeds
New research suggests that the movements involved in fidgeting may counteract the adverse health impacts of sitting for long periods.
In a study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a team of researchers, co-led by the University of Leeds and UCL, report that an increased risk of mortality from sitting for long periods was only found in those who consider themselves very occasional fidgeters.
They found no increased risk of mortality from longer sitting times, compared to more active women, in those who considered themselves as moderately or very fidgety.
•••••
Study co-lead author Professor Janet Cade, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds said: "While further research is needed, the findings raise questions about whether the negative associations with fidgeting, such as rudeness or lack of concentration, should persist if such simple movements are beneficial for our health."
Even among adults who meet recommended physical activity levels and who sleep for eight hours per night, it is possible to spend the vast majority of the day (up to 15 hours) sitting down.
The study builds on growing evidence suggesting that a sedentary lifestyle is bad for your health, even if you are physically active outside work.
Breaks in sitting time have previously been shown to improve markers of good health, such as body mass index and your body's glucose and insulin responses.
•••••
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
If you're sitting down, don't sit still, new research suggests
University of Leeds
New research suggests that the movements involved in fidgeting may counteract the adverse health impacts of sitting for long periods.
In a study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a team of researchers, co-led by the University of Leeds and UCL, report that an increased risk of mortality from sitting for long periods was only found in those who consider themselves very occasional fidgeters.
They found no increased risk of mortality from longer sitting times, compared to more active women, in those who considered themselves as moderately or very fidgety.
•••••
Study co-lead author Professor Janet Cade, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds said: "While further research is needed, the findings raise questions about whether the negative associations with fidgeting, such as rudeness or lack of concentration, should persist if such simple movements are beneficial for our health."
Even among adults who meet recommended physical activity levels and who sleep for eight hours per night, it is possible to spend the vast majority of the day (up to 15 hours) sitting down.
The study builds on growing evidence suggesting that a sedentary lifestyle is bad for your health, even if you are physically active outside work.
Breaks in sitting time have previously been shown to improve markers of good health, such as body mass index and your body's glucose and insulin responses.
•••••
Almost one-third of families of children with cancer have unmet basic needs during treatment
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/dci-a1o092115.php
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
Almost one-third of families of children with cancer have unmet basic needs during treatment
Study may underestimate extent of hardship
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Almost one-third of families whose children were being treated for cancer faced food, housing or energy insecurity and one-quarter lost more than 40 percent of household income, according to a new study from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The study follows emerging research in pediatric oncology finding that low-income status predicts poor adherence to oral chemotherapy and decreased overall survival.
•••••
"What it says is that even at a well-resourced, large referral center, about a third of families are reporting food, housing or energy insecurity six months into treatment," says lead author Kira Bona, MD, MPH, a pediatric oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's. "If anything, the numbers in our study are an underestimate of what might be seen at less well-resourced institutions, which was somewhat surprising to us."
•••••
Researchers defined low-income as 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Other findings include:
At diagnosis, 20 percent of families were low-income; six months later an additional 12 percent suffered income losses that pushed their income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
By six months after diagnosis, most (56 percent) of adults who supported their families experienced a disruption of their work. This included 15 percent of parents who either quit their jobs or were laid off as a result of their child's illness. An additional 37 percent cut their hours or took leaves of absence. Only a third (34 percent) were paid during their leave.
At six months after diagnosis, 29 percent of families reported at least one material hardship - up from the 20 percent who reported material hardship at the time of diagnosis. Six months after their child's diagnosis, 20 percent of families reported food insecurity, 17 percent reported energy insecurity, and 8 percent reported housing insecurity.
•••••
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
Almost one-third of families of children with cancer have unmet basic needs during treatment
Study may underestimate extent of hardship
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Almost one-third of families whose children were being treated for cancer faced food, housing or energy insecurity and one-quarter lost more than 40 percent of household income, according to a new study from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The study follows emerging research in pediatric oncology finding that low-income status predicts poor adherence to oral chemotherapy and decreased overall survival.
•••••
"What it says is that even at a well-resourced, large referral center, about a third of families are reporting food, housing or energy insecurity six months into treatment," says lead author Kira Bona, MD, MPH, a pediatric oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's. "If anything, the numbers in our study are an underestimate of what might be seen at less well-resourced institutions, which was somewhat surprising to us."
•••••
Researchers defined low-income as 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Other findings include:
At diagnosis, 20 percent of families were low-income; six months later an additional 12 percent suffered income losses that pushed their income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
By six months after diagnosis, most (56 percent) of adults who supported their families experienced a disruption of their work. This included 15 percent of parents who either quit their jobs or were laid off as a result of their child's illness. An additional 37 percent cut their hours or took leaves of absence. Only a third (34 percent) were paid during their leave.
At six months after diagnosis, 29 percent of families reported at least one material hardship - up from the 20 percent who reported material hardship at the time of diagnosis. Six months after their child's diagnosis, 20 percent of families reported food insecurity, 17 percent reported energy insecurity, and 8 percent reported housing insecurity.
•••••
Earth's oceans show decline in microscopic plant life
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/nsfc-eos092315.php
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
Earth's oceans show decline in microscopic plant life
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
The world's oceans have seen significant declines in certain types of microscopic plant-life at the base of the marine food chain, according to a new NASA study. The research, published Sept. 23 in Global Biogeochemical Cycles, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, is the first to look at global, long-term phytoplankton community trends based on a model driven by NASA satellite data.
Diatoms, the largest type of phytoplankton algae, have declined more than 1 percent per year from 1998 to 2012 globally, with significant losses occurring in the North Pacific, North Indian and Equatorial Indian oceans. The reduction in population may reduce the amount of carbon dioxide drawn out of the atmosphere and transferred to the deep ocean for long-term storage.
"Phytoplankton need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, just like trees," said oceanographer and lead author Cecile Rousseaux, of Universities Space Research Association and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere dissolves in cold ocean water. During a phytoplankton bloom, which can span hundreds of miles and be seen from space, the tiny organisms take up the dissolved CO2 and convert it to organic carbon - a form that animals can use as food to grow, the essential base of the marine food web. Then when the phytoplankton cell dies, it sinks to the ocean floor, taking with it the carbon in its body.
Because they are larger than other types of phytoplankton, diatoms can sink more quickly than smaller types when they die. A portion will circulate back to the surface because of ocean currents, and, like fertilizer, fuel another phytoplankton bloom. But the rest will settle on the sea floor miles below, where they will accumulate in sediment and be stored for thousands or millions of years. The process is one of the long-term storage options for carbon removed from the atmosphere.
•••••
Public Release: 23-Sep-2015
Earth's oceans show decline in microscopic plant life
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
The world's oceans have seen significant declines in certain types of microscopic plant-life at the base of the marine food chain, according to a new NASA study. The research, published Sept. 23 in Global Biogeochemical Cycles, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, is the first to look at global, long-term phytoplankton community trends based on a model driven by NASA satellite data.
Diatoms, the largest type of phytoplankton algae, have declined more than 1 percent per year from 1998 to 2012 globally, with significant losses occurring in the North Pacific, North Indian and Equatorial Indian oceans. The reduction in population may reduce the amount of carbon dioxide drawn out of the atmosphere and transferred to the deep ocean for long-term storage.
"Phytoplankton need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, just like trees," said oceanographer and lead author Cecile Rousseaux, of Universities Space Research Association and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere dissolves in cold ocean water. During a phytoplankton bloom, which can span hundreds of miles and be seen from space, the tiny organisms take up the dissolved CO2 and convert it to organic carbon - a form that animals can use as food to grow, the essential base of the marine food web. Then when the phytoplankton cell dies, it sinks to the ocean floor, taking with it the carbon in its body.
Because they are larger than other types of phytoplankton, diatoms can sink more quickly than smaller types when they die. A portion will circulate back to the surface because of ocean currents, and, like fertilizer, fuel another phytoplankton bloom. But the rest will settle on the sea floor miles below, where they will accumulate in sediment and be stored for thousands or millions of years. The process is one of the long-term storage options for carbon removed from the atmosphere.
•••••
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
