American Society of Plastic Surgeons Reports Annual Statistics
Hispanics had nearly 553,000 cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2004, an increase of 49 percent from 2000 and a 7 percent increase from 2003, according to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Hispanics led all minority groups in the number of procedures performed, comprising 6 percent of the 9.2 million cosmetic surgery procedures performed in 2004, followed by African Americ
Experiments on ceria (cerium oxide) nanoparticles carried out at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory may lead to catalytic converters that are better at cleaning up auto exhaust, and/or to more-efficient ways of generating hydrogen — a promising zero-emission fuel for the future. Brookhaven chemist Jose Rodriguez will present results from two studies exploring the composition, structure, and reactivity of these versatile nanoparticles during the 229th National Mee
In the largest and most comprehensive prospective study of its kind, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have concluded that the risk of ischemic heart disease and, ultimately, cardiac death following radiation treatment for breast cancer has steadily declined over the last quarter century, according to a new study published in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
This study offers scientific evidence to what was long
A study in the April issue (currently available online) of Nature Genetics establishes a model that may take scientists closer to understanding how cells in the human body determine their own fate.
Researchers, led by Anthony Firulli, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and of medical and molecular genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine, investigated the interaction of proteins responsible for Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder associated wit
Erik Thiessen’s research also sheds light on why adults may struggle to learn a second language
Adults may feel silly when they talk to babies, but those babies will learn to speak sooner if adults talk to them like infants instead of like other adults, according to a study by Carnegie Mellon University Psychology Professor Erik Thiessen published in the March issue of the journal Infancy.
Most adults speak to infants using so-called infant-directed speech: short, s
Researchers have developed an analytical model that explains why the internet may actually be bad for consumers in some cases.
Many experts had argued that the internet will be a boon to consumers, forcing businesses to compete more aggressively on prices as customers effortlessly compare prices on the web.
There’s just one problem: actual empirical studies have shown mixed results, with prices on the web sometimes no better than brick-and-mortar competitors. “We’re chal
Experiments with liposomes – cell-like “water balloons” composed of artificially created phospholipid bilayers similar to natural cell membranes – have revealed unexpected behavior in the presence of electrical fields that may provide a paradigm-shifting change in science’s understanding of biomembrane function in operating living systems.
Arizona State University chemists Mark Hayes and Michele Pysher have found that liposomes have a tendency to form tube-like extensions in t
Contrary to the prevailing belief that the HIV epidemic in the UK can be traced back to one source, a new study suggests that HIV spread via at least six independent virus introductions and subsequent transmission chains. The findings, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also suggest that antiviral therapy has not had a significant impact on the growth of the epidemic and that changes in sexual behaviour have been more effective in slowing the sp
A new study by Temple University School of Medicine researchers has shown why the pounds melt so quickly on low-carbohydrate diets, and it’s not related to water, metabolism or boredom. The research was conducted in a group of obese patients with type 2 diabetes who followed the Atkins diet.
According to lead researcher, Guenther Boden, M.D., “When carbohydrates were restricted, study subjects spontaneously reduced their caloric intake to a level appropriate for their heigh
A standard drink is generally calculated as a 12-ounce glass of beer, four-ounce glass of wine, or a one-ounce shot of hard liquor. Malt liquor beers (MLBs), which have a higher alcohol content by volume compared to other beers, are typically sold in larger containers, and are priced lower by volume. MLB drinkers are more likely to be homeless, unemployed, receive public assistance, and tend to drink more alcohol, more often, than other types of drinkers. A stand
’Life on the bubble’
A team of researchers, led by an environmental engineer at Washington University in St. Louis, has applied a molecular approach to identify the biological particles in aerosol responsible for making employees of a Colorado hospital therapeutic pool ill. They found: when the bubble bursts, the bacteria disperse, and lifeguards get pneumonia-like symptoms.
Lars Angenent, Ph.D., Washington University assistant professor of chemical engineering, and col
Two University of Iowa researchers were part of a large multi-center study that provides compelling direct evidence of an association between prolonged residential radon exposure and lung cancer risk.
The study, an analysis of data pooled from seven different North American residential radon studies, demonstrates an 11 to 21 percent increased lung cancer risk at average residential radon concentrations of approximately 3.0 picocuries per liter of air, during an exposure period o
UHC study indicates need for new standards and training
Improving the training and standardizing the procedures used by the nation’s eye banks to assess corneal cells may help to select corneas with optimal health for transplantation, according to new study led by Jonathan H. Lass, MD, principal investigator of the study and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Thi
Analysis finds marked differences among countries indicating the importance of cultural and political factors
In most countries around the world, men significantly outnumber women in academic leadership positions. A group of researchers recently set out to explain this disparity, as well as to examine whether this difference reflects the female to male ratio among physicians or whether it reflects country-specific factors. Their findings, published in the March 2005 issue of Ar
Turkey hunters have higher rates of shooting-related injuries than hunters of other species in Pennsylvania, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study. In fact the study found that Pennsylvania hunters’ chances of being shot depend on both what they’re hunting and the hunters’ ages, with the highest injury rates reported in hunters under the age of 20.
“This study examined differences in characteristics and rates of past injuries with the goal of providing information to
The largest, most comprehensive study ever done comparing the effectiveness of hand hygiene products shows that nothing works better in getting rid of disease-causing viruses than simply washing one’s hands with good old-fashioned soap and water.
Among the viruses soapy hand washing flushes down the drain is the one that causes the common cold. Other removable viruses cause hepatitis A, acute gastroenteritis and a host of other illnesses.
A separate key finding was
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