LA JOLLA, CA – October 21, 2012 – Biochemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a genetic sequence that can alter its host gene's activity in response to cellular energy levels. The scientists have found this particular energy-sensing switch in bacterial genes, which could make it a target for a powerful new class of antibiotics. If similar energy-sensing switches are also identified for human genes, they may be useful for treating metabolism-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. "This discovery adds a new dimension to our ...

Reflective surfaces polarize light, a phenomenon that fishermen or photographers overcome by using polarizing sunglasses or polarizing filters to cut our reflective glare. However, PhD student Tom Jordan from the Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences and his supervisors Professor Julian Partridge and Dr Nicholas Roberts in Bristol's School of Biological Sciences found that these silvery fish have overcome this basic law of reflection – an adaptation that may help them evade predators. Previously, it was thought that the fish's skin – which contains "multilayer" arrangements ...

PHILADELPHIA — The extensive system of levees along the Mississippi River has done much to prevent devastating floods in riverside communities. But the levees have also contributed to the loss of Louisiana's wetlands. By holding in floodwaters, they prevent sediment from flowing into the watershed and rebuilding marshes, which are compacting under their own weight and losing ground to sea-level rise. Reporting in Nature Geoscience, a team of University of Pennsylvania geologists and others used the Mississippi River flood of the spring of 2011 to observe how floodwaters ...

Washington, D.C.— Solar radiation management is a type of geoengineering that would manipulate the climate in order to reduce the impact of global warming caused by greenhouse gasses. Ideas include increasing the amount of aerosols in the stratosphere, which could scatter incoming solar light away from Earth's surface, or creating low-altitude marine clouds to reflect these same rays. Research models have indicated that the climatic effect of this type of geoengineering will vary by region, because the climate systems respond differently to the reflecting substances ...

A new study in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care suggests that intensive glycemic control does not reduce mortality in neurocritical care patients and could, in fact, lead to more neurological damage. Complicating the picture, poor glucose control also leads to worse recovery and should be avoided. This study suggests that a strategy to maintain intermediate glucose levels would contribute to better outcomes in these patients. Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are common in critically ill patients and are strongly associated with worse outcomes. This is ...

When animals and plants are exposed to influences such as bacterial attack, odour and cold, calcium ions flow into the cells. The calcium provides the cells with a signal about what is going on outside, but as high concentrations of calcium are toxic to the cells, it must be quickly pumped out again. Researchers from the Danish National Research Foundation's PUMPkin Centre at both the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University have now shown that calcium pumps in the cell's outer membrane adjust the pump speed very accurately to the calcium concentration. These findings ...

This press release is available in German. A Danish-British research team has discovered a turbo switch in the vital calcium pump in our body's cells. In studies at the X-ray source DORIS at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotorn DESY in Hamburg and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ESRF in Grenoble the team discovered that the on-off switch of the pump has a previously unknown third position, which switches the pump into a turbo gear. The group of Henning Tidow from Aarhus University and Lisbeth Poulsen from the University of Copenhagen published its studies ...

Cambridge, Mass., and Washington, D.C. - October 21, 2012 - By tailoring geoengineering efforts by region and by need, a new model promises to maximize the effectiveness of solar radiation management while mitigating its potential side effects and risks. Developed by a team of leading researchers, the study was published in the November issue of Nature Climate Change. Solar geoengineering, the goal of which is to offset the global warming caused by greenhouse gases, involves reflecting sunlight back into space. By increasing the concentrations of aerosols in the stratosphere ...

STANFORD, Calif. — The brain's key "breeder" cells, it turns out, do more than that. They secrete substances that boost the numbers and strength of critical brain-based immune cells believed to play a vital role in brain health. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of how resident stem cells and stem cell transplants may improve brain function. Many researchers believe that these cells may be able to regenerate damaged brain tissue by integrating into circuits that have been eroded by neurodegenerative disease or destroyed by injury. But new findings ...

VIDEO: Children diagnosed with mental health disorders were three times more likely to be identified as bullies, according to new research presented Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics National... Click here for more information. NEW ORLEANS – Children diagnosed with mental health disorders were three times more likely to be identified as bullies, according to new research presented Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition ...

NEW ORLEANS – Despite an increase in media attention, as well as national and local efforts to educate athletes on the potential dangers of traumatic brain injuries, a new study found that many high school football players are not concerned about the long-term effects of concussions and don't report their own concussion symptoms because they fear exclusion from play. The abstract, "Awareness and Attitudes of High School Athletes Towards Concussions," was presented on Oct. 22, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. Researchers ...

NEW ORLEANS – State laws that mandate car booster seat use for children at least until age 8 are associated with fewer motor vehicle-related fatalities and severe injuries, and should be standardized throughout the U.S. to optimally protect children, according to new research presented Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. The AAP recommends that children be secured in a belt-positioning booster seat until the child reaches 4 feet, 9 inches in height, sometime between the ages of 8 and 12. While many states ...

NEW ORLEANS – All-terrain vehicle (ATV) manufacturer warning labels aimed at children under age 16 are largely ineffective, and formal dealer-sponsored training is infrequently offered and deemed unnecessary by most young ATV users, according to new research presented at the Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. The study of ATV crashes involving children also found less than 35 percent of children were wearing a helmet when injured in an ATV crash, and nearly 60 percent were riding again within six months. Children ...

NEW ORLEANS – High schools with athletic trainers have lower overall injury rates, according to a new study, "A Comparative Analysis of Injury Rates and Patterns Among Girls' Soccer and Basketball Players," presented Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. In addition, athletes at schools with athletic trainers are more likely to be diagnosed with a concussion. Researchers reviewed national sports injury data on girls' high school soccer and basketball programs with athletic trainers, between the fall of ...

NEW ORLEANS – Despite a new federal law that prohibits the sale of adult-sized all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for use by children under age 16, most ATV sellers are willing to discuss doing so, according to new research presented Oct. 22 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. From 2000 through 2007, a total of 1,160 children less than 16 years of age died in ATV-related crashes according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Since April 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act prohibits ATV manufacturers ...

STANFORD, Calif. — Online health records could be surprisingly useful for at-risk teenagers who cycle through the juvenile justice system. A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center found that these young people have high rates of Internet use and an unexpectedly favorable attitude toward accessing their health records online. Teens who get in trouble with the law could particularly benefit from online health records because they generally have worse health than other adolescents — and no one keeping track of ...

New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) underscores the widespread disparities associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality by state, poverty level, and urban vs rural location. The study, presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that COPD mortality is highest in rural and poor areas. "Many factors contribute to the differences in COPD mortality, including smoking prevalence, air quality, and access to health care," said study co-author James B. Holt, ...

New research suggests that antibiotics are not effective in treating cough due to the common cold in children. The study, presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, found that when children with acute cough were treated with either antitussive medication or antibiotics, antibiotics alone showed a lower percentage of cough resolution. "In our experience, antibiotics are often prescribed by the general practitioner to treat cough in children, many times to pacify parents," said lead study author Francesco de Blasio, MD, FCCP, ...

Fainting after recent air travel could be a sign of pulmonary embolism (PE), a potentially fatal blockage in the lungs. Syncope or fainting is an uncommon symptom of pulmonary embolism; however, new research presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that fainting associated with recent air travel may be a key indicator for PE diagnosis. Fainting as a precursor to PE diagnosis was also associated with a saddle embolism, a larger and more life-threatening form of PE, as well as more abnormal ECG readings. "Fainting ...

High blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, and body mass index—characteristics that are often lumped together as the metabolic syndrome—are jointly linked with an increased risk of dying from prostate cancer. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results suggest that public health recommendations regarding diet and lifestyle to prevent heart disease and diabetes may also decrease a man's likelihood of dying from prostate cancer. Researchers have little knowledge ...

National efforts are underway to reduce 30-day readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, new research suggests that COPD readmissions may be related to risk factors that cannot be modified, including advanced disease and psychosocial factors. Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with primary discharge diagnosis of COPD. Of the 160 patients admitted for a total of 193 hospitalizations, 30 patients were readmitted within 30 days. Patients who were readmitted ...

Roflumilast was associated with significant improvements in lung function in patients with moderate and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after 6 months of treatment compared with placebo. Roflumilast is approved to reduce the risk of exacerbations in patients with severe COPD associated with chronic bronchitis and a history of exacerbations. To examine the drug's impact on lung function, researchers from multiple institutions, including Baylor College of Medicine; Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH; and Forest Research Institute, randomized 4,746 ...

Children with asthma who have their tonsils and adenoids (T&A) removed may experience fewer asthma symptoms. Researchers from Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, California, followed 105 children with asthma (7-21 years) referred for sleep study for suspected sleep apnea. Twenty-four patients with sleep apnea required T&A, of which 11 patients followed through with surgery. Results indicated that asthma scores trended toward improvement with T&A. However, there was no significant increase in the lung function following T&A. This study was presented ...

Although obesity is linked to a variety of health risks, new research indicates that obese patients may have an advantage over nonobese patients in certain health situations, including septic shock and acute asthma exacerbation. In two separate studies presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, researchers compared outcomes in obese (BMI >30) vs nonobese patients with either septic shock or acute asthma exacerbation. Results showed that, although obese patients with asthma are more at risk for asthma exacerbations, near ...

Heavy concentrations of secondhand smoke, such as those found in smoke-filled bars and cars, can lead to airway restriction for bystanders within minutes of exposure. The study, presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, showed that after 20 minutes of exposure to highly concentrated secondhand smoke, participants experienced near immediate physiologic changes, including airway resistance and impedance. "Bars and cars are places where high concentrations of fine particles usually occur because of smoking. Nonsmokers are then ...