Northwestern Memorial research shows an aspirin a day may not keep strokes away
Northwestern Memorial researchers have found that nearly half of patients who suffered a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) after having been committed to aspirin therapy were “aspirin resistant,” meaning the aspirin wasn’t producing the antiplatelet (blood-thinning) effect needed to avoid these health threats. Aspirin resistance increased when patients had been taking baby (81 mg) or enteric coa
More and more common antibiotics are losing their effectiveness because they are used too often, allowing bacteria to develop resistance to the drugs. A University of Rhode Island researcher has found a solution to this problem with a natural compound that boosts antibiotic strength from 100 to 1,000 times. While conducting research on infection prevention, URI Microbiology Professor Paul Cohen stumbled upon a compound — lysophosphatidic acid — that is naturally produced in the human body in great
Once dismissed as a nautical myth, freakish ocean waves that rise as tall as ten-storey apartment blocks have been accepted as a leading cause of large ship sinkings. Results from ESA’s ERS satellites helped establish the widespread existence of these ’rogue’ waves and are now being used to study their origins.
Severe weather has sunk more than 200 supertankers and container ships exceeding 200 metres in length during the last two decades. Rogue waves are believed to be the major cause in
Naked oats has proved to be an excellent avian feed in terms of nutritional value. In fact, oat-based feed turned out to be better than expected in nutritional studies. This has aroused great economic interest, especially in the UK, which is the world’s leading developer of naked oats.
Speaking at the International Oat Conference in Helsinki, Cark Maunsel of Oat Services Ltd. said that naked oats are equal to top feed-grade wheat. Naked oats have a high energy content, with the added adv
Using innovative Geographic information system (GIS) technology and land parcel identification systems (LPIS), the European Commission is playing a key role in preventing agricultural subsidy irregularities. Through better monitoring of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms, the Commission is ensuring that subsidies are distributed more efficiently, fairly and reliably.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting in Brussels today will underline that implementing fair CAP reforms is es
Using ESA’s Integral and XMM-Newton observatories, an international team of astronomers has found more evidence that massive black holes are surrounded by a doughnut-shaped gas cloud, called a torus. Depending on our line of sight, the torus can block the view of the black hole in the centre. The team looked `edge on’ into this doughnut to see features never before revealed in such a clarity.
Black holes are objects so compact and with gravity so strong that not even light can escape from
Changes in scientific publishing are “necessary as a matter of urgency” and everyone should have free, open access to UK research findings. So says the UK House of Commons Science & Technology Committee in their report on scientific publishing, published today.
Vitek Tracz, Chairman of the Open Access publisher BioMed Central said: “We welcome this important and forward-looking report which marks the beginning of a new era. Change is essential for science and will benefit society.”
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) has announced the launch of “Young’s Effects Online,” offering instant access to the effects of thousands of diseases, drugs, and herbal remedies on medical lab tests. The new web-based resource will be introduced at the Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Exposition, held in Los Angeles, CA from July 25 through July 29, 2004. Visit the AACC booth #2423 and contact Laura Fillmore for more information (see below).
“Young’s Effects Online”
A therapeutic cancer vaccine being co-developed by the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) and the Australian biotechnology company CSL Limited successfully induced a comprehensive immune response in patients and appeared to delay cancer recurrence, according to a paper published today in the scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.
The study treated 46 patients, most with melanoma, with three monthly doses of the NY-ESO-1/ISCOMATRIXTM vaccine followi
The use of an injectable implant material appears effective and well tolerated by patients undergoing facial soft tissue augmentation, and patient satisfaction with treatment is high, according to an article in the July/August issue of The Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to information in the article, plastic and reconstructive surgery is among several clinical indications for soft tissue augmentation. According to the article, all the compone
Melanotan-1, a synthetic agent similar to the body’s hormone that regulates skin pigmentation, can be combined with UV-B light or sunlight, and appears to act synergistically in the tanning response to light, according to an article in the July issue of The Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Melanotan-1 (MT-1) is a synthetic super-potent derivative of its natural counterpart, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, one of a family of hormones that induce pigmentation
The drugs levodopa and pramipexole both appear to be reasonable options as initial therapy for Parkinson disease, but they are associated with different efficacy and adverse effects, according to an article in the July issue of The Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Parkinson disease is a progressive neurologic disease. It is believed to be related to low levels of the important neurotransmitter (messenger) dopamine in certain parts of the brain. When the drug levodopa
In the first comprehensive survey of gene activity in each cell type composing normal and malignant breast tissue, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified genes in non-cancerous supporting cells that can spur the growth of breast cancer cells.
The findings suggest that aiming chemotherapy at both cancer cells and their genetically normal cellular “microenvironment” might improve the success of breast cancer treatment.
In the July 20 issue of Cancer Cell, the re
Here is a list of Montana State University researchers who are conducting studies in Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone wildlife
Scott Creel, ecology professor, monitors elk-wolf interactions and trends in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. http://www.montana.edu/wwwbi/staff/creel/creel.html#Creel’s
See news story at http://www.montana.edu/commserv/csnews/nwview.php?article=352
Robert Garrott, ecology professor, examines predator-prey dynamics in a wol
An embryonic rift valley in Botswana, the southwestern extension of the East African Rift System, where some of the earliest hominids have been discovered, may also hold answers to continental breakup, according to a University of Missouri-Rolla geologist who is studying how the rift has formed.
“This rift will provide us with an early snapshot of how continental rifting all begins,” says Dr. Estella Atekwana, an associate professor of geology and geophysics at UMR. The study of rift basins
Several Montana State University researchers will present their findings at the 89th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. The Aug. 1-6 meeting in Portland, Ore. is expected to be the group’s largest meeting ever. Some topics that may interest you are listed below.
Camping impacts
Camping in the mountains leads to major ecological changes, including loss of vegetation and trampled soil. Researchers studied disturbed, undisturbed and restored campsites
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