Researchers at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences have developed a new algorithm that enhances the ability to detect a cancer gene, and have applied their algorithm to map the set of tumor-suppressor genes involved in lung cancer. The algorithm uses data from Affymetrix’s gene-chips that can scan hundreds of patients’ genomes to find gains and losses in gene-copies. The findings will appear in the July issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.
The
IQWiG publishes a comparative review of inhaled insulin versus insulin administered subcutaneously
There is currently no evidence available that inhaled insulin (Exubera) in diabetes therapy shows advantages over short-acting human insulin or insulin analogues administered subcutaneously. The available studies do not provide evidence that Exubera would improve the quality of life or treatment satisfaction of diabetes patients in Germany. However, they do provide indications of di
New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has identified and established the substance in grapefruit juice that causes potentially dangerous interactions with certain medications.
For almost a decade, people have been told by their doctors and pharmacists to avoid grapefruit juice if they are being treated with certain medications, including some drugs that control blood pressure or lower cholesterol. Studies have shown that grapefruit juice can cause more
College freshmen under the age of 20 at several colleges in the southeastern U.S. were almost 70 percent more likely to test positive for chlamydia than students between 20 and 24 years of age, according to findings to be presented on May 9 by Adelbert James, PhD, MPH, senior associate in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. James will present results of his data analysis at the 2006 National STD Prevention Conference in Jacksonville, Fla. His effor
Generosity of health insurance plans varies widely by state; Urban states get more for their premium dollar
Employees in the smallest firms (1-9 workers) pay an average 18% more in health insurance premiums than those in the largest firms (1,000+ workers), when actuarial value–the percentage of total medical expenses paid by a health plan–is taken into account, a new Commonwealth Fund-supported study finds.
In this look at employer-provided health coverage, researche
Ghrelin, a hormone long considered a key player in obesity, may instead take a major role in maintaining the balance between insulin and glucose and the development of diabetes, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report in the current issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.
“Everybody has been pushing the connection between obesity and ghrelin,” said Dr. Roy G. Smith, director of the BCM Huffington Center on Aging, “Companies have been developing ghrelin antagonists
A new way to preserve the cells that surround and protect nerves could lead to new treatments for demyelinating diseases such a multiple sclerosis, a research team reports in the May 10, 2006, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
The approach grew out of a novel explanation, quickly gaining followers, for the mechanism of nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis. Instead of concentrating on the alterations that result in autoimmune assaults on the nervous system, researchers l
Michael Schlesinger, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will participate in news conferences in New York City on May 9, and Washington, D.C., on May 10, publicizing the U.S. debut of the book “Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change.”
Published by Cambridge University Press, the book builds upon scientific findings presented at the “Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change” conference held in Exeter, England, in February last year. The conf
The next time someone whispers in your ear, think “cochlea.”
The cochlea is the marvelous structure in the inner ear that is shaped like a snail shell and transforms sounds into the nerve impulses that your brain can process and interpret. You may remember learning about it in elementary school anatomy.
This critical hearing organ consists of a fluid-filled tube about a cubic centimeter (three hundredths of an ounce) in volume. For decades, hearing experts thought that
A team of Los Alamos scientists recently returned from a month-long data-gathering trip to Mexico City as part of an international, multi-agency environmental science collaboration. The March campaign was designed to examine the chemical and physical transformations of gases and aerosols in the polluted outflow from the Mexico City metropolitan area. With a population of 25 million, Mexico City is North America’s largest city, what scientists are calling a megacity. As such, it provides an
Proposed alloy could ’open the door’ in the search for promising electric superconductors
After an exhaustive data search for new compounds, researchers at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering have discovered a theoretical “metal sandwich” that is expected to be a good superconductor. Superconductive materials have no resistance to the flow of electric current.
The new lithium monoboride (LiB) compound is a “binary alloy” consisting of two laye
By stacking layers of ceramic cloth with interlocking nanotubes in between, a team of researchers has created new composites with significantly improved properties compared to traditional materials. The “nanotube sandwiches,” which are described in the May 7 online edition of the journal Nature Materials, could find use in a wide array of structural applications.
“Nanotubes are a very versatile material with absolutely fascinating physical properties, all the way from ballistic conduc
St. Jude investigators discover role of several key genes in retina development
Investigators at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have discovered the role of several key genes in the development of the retina, and in the process have taken a significant step toward understanding how to prevent or cure the potentially deadly eye cancer retinoblastoma. Retinoblastoma is the third most common cancer in infants after leukemia and neuroblastoma (nerve cancer). Retinoblastoma tha
Put a mouse or a rat under stress and what does it do? It stops eating. Humans should be so lucky. When people suffer nontraumatic stress they often head for the refrigerator, producing unhealthy extra pounds.
When Syrian hamsters, which are normally solitary, are placed in a group-living situation, they also gain weight. So scientists at the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience at Georgia State University are using hamsters as a model for human stress-induced obesity. They
How do we succeed in putting our ideas into words, so that another person can understand them? This complex undertaking involves translating an idea into a one-dimensional sequence, a string of words to be read or spoken one after the other. Of course the person on the receiving end might not get the intended point: The effective expression of one’s ideas is considered an art, or at least a desirable and important skill.
A team of scientists that included physicists and language
Cold, wet conditions early in the year mean that 2006 is shaping up as the worst year for California’s butterflies in almost four decades, according to Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis.
That’s a turnaround from last spring, when millions of painted lady butterflies migrated through the Central Valley. But other species have seen steep declines in recent years and could disappear from the region altogether.
“It has been the worst
Feedback
