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Science6 May 2014

US welfare spending up, but help for the neediest down

Although the nation is spending more on welfare than ever before, most of that money is going to better-off families rather than the very poorest, a researcher found. Robert A. Moffitt, the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Economics at the Johns Hopkins University, found that the United States has become more generous over time in supporting low-income families, spending 74 percent more in inflation-adjusted dollars on welfare programs in 2007 than in 1975. But for the 2.5 million single parent families with the absolute lowest levels of earnings, aid dropped 35 percent ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Scientists convert stem cells to eye tissue

Orlando, Fla. — In two separate studies, scientists have developed methods to convert non-embryonic stem cells into eye cells that could be used to restore sight. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando. In the first method, researchers converted cells taken from the front of a patient's eye into stem cells, which were then programmed to become nerve cells found in the back of the eye. The second study involved introducing stem cells to a single growth factor, which ...

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Technology6 May 2014

New gel-based eye fluid aids post-operative healing

Orlando, Fla. — In an effort to avoid serious side effects suffered after surgery to repair retinal detachment, vision scientists have developed a new product to help stabilize the eye while it heals. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla. In a recent study, Healaflow® a gel based on one of the most common compounds found in the liquid that fills the eye, was tested in rabbit eyes. After surgery to repair retinal detachment in the rabbits, Healaflow® did ...

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Science6 May 2014

First reversible glue bandage could save injured soldiers' vision

Orlando, Fla. — Scientists have developed the first reversible glue that could be used on the battlefield to treat eye injuries, potentially saving soldiers' vision. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla. When applied to a wounded eye, the adhesive warms up and becomes sticky, sealing the wound and minimizing further damage while the soldier is transported for treatment. Upon arriving at a hospital, doctors can simply apply cool saline solution to the glue, ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

WHI reports $37.1B economic return on combined hormone therapy clinical trial

SEATTLE – Economic findings were released today on the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), estrogen plus progestin (E+P) trial. The WHI is one of the largest National Institutes of Health-funded studies ever conducted on women. Housed at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, it is a 15-year, multimillion-dollar study established in 1991, involving more than 160,000 women nationwide, including some 3,500 in Washington. The overall economic return from the WHI E+P trial indicates that changes in practice stemming from the trial provided a net economic return ...

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Science6 May 2014

Novel antioxidant makes old arteries seem young again, CU-Boulder study finds

An antioxidant that targets specific cell structures—mitochondria—may be able to reverse some of the negative effects of aging on arteries, reducing the risk of heart disease, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder. When the research team gave old mice—the equivalent of 70- to 80-year-old humans—water containing an antioxidant known as MitoQ for four weeks, their arteries functioned as well as the arteries of mice with an equivalent human age of just 25 to 35 years. The researchers believe that MitoQ affects the endothelium, a thin layer of cells ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Cataract surgery decreases risk of falls in older patients

Orlando, Fla. — New research finds that cataract surgery dramatically decreases the number of falls individuals suffer due to poor vision. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla. In a study of more than 400 Vietnamese patients who were 50-plus years old with cataracts in both eyes, the number of falls patients suffered before and after cataract surgery was monitored. Researchers found a 78% decrease in the risk of falls the year after patients had cataract ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Simulated model of eye's 3D structure facilitates stem cells transplant

Orlando, Fla. — Scientists have developed a model that mimics the complex structure of the cornea to enable the transplant of healthy corneal stem cells. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando Fla. Used to restore sight, corneal stem cells live in a specific physical environment. Transplanting these stem cells requires accurate mimicry of their natural surroundings during transport. In this work, vision scientists have recreated the 3D architecture where corneal ...

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Space6 May 2014

Astronomers harness the galaxy's biggest telescope

An international team of astronomers has made a measurement of a distant neutron star that is one million times more precise than the previous world's best. The researchers were able to use the interstellar medium, the 'empty' space between stars and galaxies that is made up of sparsely spread charged particles, as a giant lens to magnify and look closely at the radio wave emission from a small rotating neutron star. This technique yielded the highest resolution measurement ever achieved, equivalent to being able to see the double-helix structure of our genes from the ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

A novel transgenic mouse model of Chinese Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2L

Dr. Ruxu Zhang and colleagues from Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China previously found that the K141N mutation in heat shock protein B8 (HSPB8) was responsible for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2L in a large Chinese family. Therefore, they generated a transgenic mouse model bearing the K141N mutation in the human HSPB8 gene, and to determine whether this K141NHSPB8 transgenic mouse model would manifest the clinical phenotype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2L, and consequently be suitable for use in studies of disease pathogenesis. The K141NHSPB8 ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Regulatory effects of glial cells on retinal synaptic plasticity

Different types of retinal damage could induce plastic changes of retinal synapses, which might precede the serious damage of neuron soma. These morphological and functional changes to synapses after retinal injury could explain why many intervention measures protected neurons from death but failed to fully recover the damaged visual function. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate both the protection of synapses as well as protecting neurons from death. Dr. Lihong Zhou and co-workers from Central South University in China suggested that retinal glial cell activation ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

The Pael-R gene does not mediate the changes in rotenone-induced PD model cells

Currently, the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is not entirely clear, but it has been generally considered to be the result of interactions among various genetic and environmental factors. Ting Zou and coworkers from Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China previously found that Parkin mutation causes Parkin-associated endothelin receptor-like receptor (Pael-R) protein deposition, and the associated cytotoxicity leads to dopaminergic neuronal apoptosis. These researchers speculated that the Pael-R gene is possibly involved in the action of rotenone ...

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Social Science6 May 2014

AMPK and inflammatory mediators are involved in postoperative cognitive dysfunction

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is associated with neuronal apoptosis, which may result from post-surgery inflammation, the phosphorylation of tau protein and the accumulation of amyloid in aged people. 5′adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) can be involved in anti-inflammation, neuronal repair and anti-inflammation of the body through different downstream proteins and pathways. In addition, the activation of AMPK regulates tau protein phosphorylation and reduces amyloidogenesis in neurons. Yanlin Bi and co-workers from the Affiliated Qianfoshan ...

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Social Science6 May 2014

Danish social workers have become the moral agents of the state

"We are turning the professional social workers into moral agents. This development recalls a time before the welfare state, when we had poor relief and when the extent to which the state could help you depended on your own dignity." This is the assertion by Marie Østergaard Møller, who is associate professor at the Department of Political Science and Government, Aarhus University regarding the labour market policy that has been carried out in Denmark since the 1990s. More specifically, since 1994 the opportunities for citizens to get relief from the state have been reduced. ...

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Environment6 May 2014

Hotspots of climate change impacts in Africa: Making sense of uncertainties

Overlapping impacts of climate change such as drought or flooding, declining crop yields or ecosystem damages create hotspots of risk in specific parts of Africa. These are for the first time identified in a study now published by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The uncertainties in assessing the impacts do not necessarily hamper but can inform development strategies, according to the scientists. Likelihood and potential severity of impacts can be weighed to decide on suitable adaptation measures. "We found three regions to be amongst those most at ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Nanocellulose sponges to combat oil pollution

All industrial nations need large volumes of oil which is normally delivered by ocean-going tankers or via inland waterways to its destination. The most environmentally-friendly way of cleaning up nature after an oil spill accident is to absorb and recover the floating film of oil. The Empa researchers Tanja Zimmermann and Philippe Tingaut, in collaboration with Gilles Sèbe from the University of Bordeaux, have now succeeded in developing a highly absorbent material which separates the oil film from the water and can then be easily recovered, "silylated" nanocellulose sponge. ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Molecular switches age-related memory decline? Genetic variant protect against brain aging

Philadelphia, PA, May 6, 2014 – Even among the healthiest individuals, memory and cognitive abilities decline with age. This aspect of normal aging can affect an individual's quality of life and capability to live independently but the rate of decline is variable across individuals. There are many factors that can influence this trajectory, but perhaps none more importantly than genetics. Scientists are seeking to identify key molecular switches that control age-related memory impairment. When new molecules are identified as critical to the process of memory consolidation, ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Yawning to cool the brain

Common belief is that yawning helps to increase the oxygen supply. However, previous research has failed to show an association between yawning and blood oxygen levels. New research by a team of researchers led by Psychologist Andrew Gallup of SUNY College at Oneonta, USA now reveals that yawning cools the brain. Sleep cycles, cortical arousal and stress are all associated with fluctuations in brain temperature, Yawning subsequently functions to keep the brain temperature balanced and in optimal homeostasis. According to this theory, yawning should also be easily manipulated ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Exenatide has potential as a disease modifying agent in Parkinson's disease

Amsterdam, NL, 5 May 2014 – A follow-up study of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who participated in an earlier "proof of concept" clinical trial using exenatide showed that improvements persisted twelve months after discontinuing exenatide therapy. These data provide strong encouragement for the further study of this drug in patients with PD, report researchers in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease. Several recent discoveries have highlighted common cellular pathways that potentially relate neurodegenerative processes with abnormal mitochondrial function and abnormal ...

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Science6 May 2014

Genetic risk factor for premature birth found

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a genetic risk factor for premature birth. The risk factor is related to a gene that codes for a protein that the scientists have found helps the body's immune cells recognize and fight Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria. These bacteria are found in the vagina or lower gastrointestinal tract of approximately 15 to 20 percent of healthy women, but may cause life-threatening infections, such as sepsis or meningitis in newborns, especially those born prematurely. The study is published ...

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Medicine6 May 2014

Hypertension related to new cancer therapies -- a new syndrome emerges

Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2014 – New cancer therapies, particularly agents that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling, have improved the outlook for patients with some cancers and are now used as a first line therapy for some tumors. However, almost 100% of patients who take VEGF inhibitors (VEGFIs) develop high blood pressure, and a subset develops severe hypertension. The mechanisms underlying VEGF inhibitor-induced hypertension need to be better understood and there is a need for clear guidelines and improved management, say investigators in a review ...

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Science6 May 2014

After single moms get laid off, their kids may suffer for years

When single mothers lose their jobs, their children suffer significant negative effects as young adults, according to a new study by researchers at the California Center for Population Research at UCLA. The study focused on two sets of outcomes for the children — educational achievement and social-psychological well-being. Specifically, researchers evaluated whether those in the study had graduated from high school by age 19, attended college by age 21 and graduated from college by age 25; and whether they exhibited symptoms of depression between the ages of 20 and 24 ...

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Science6 May 2014

UCLA's 'Laughter Guy' dissects features of counterfeit chortling

Ever wonder how often you fool your boss or in-laws by pretending to laugh at their dumb jokes? The answer is probably just over one-third of the time, according to new research by a UCLA communication expert who has conducted research on fake laughs. When your fake laughs fall short of convincing, tiny subtleties of your breathing are probably giving you away, suggests Greg Bryant, an associate professor of communication studies at UCLA. "Quite a few fake laughs sound pretty good, but listeners seem to pay attention to certain acoustic features that are really hard ...

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Science6 May 2014

The new face of tofu

Tofu has long been a favorite among vegetarians and families with eastern ancestry. But now Tofu is becoming a bigger part of western diets, especially with 20-something women who want dishes that are quick, easy to cook and that can help keep them trim. A new Cornell study, published in Eating Behaviors, involving 502 young women (20-35 years old) showed that tofu lovers saw it as a great source of light, inexpensive, energizing protein. "Importantly, they also believed you could cook firm Tofu just like chicken, but you didn't have to worry about it spoiling," said ...

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Science6 May 2014

Study finds ADHD and trauma often go hand in hand

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – When children struggle with focusing on tasks, staying organized, controlling their behavior and sitting still, they may be evaluated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Clinicians, however, shouldn't stop there, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Researchers found that many children with ADHD also face challenges such as poverty, divorce, neighborhood violence and substance abuse among family members. "Our ...

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