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How China's Children Have Been Affected By The 'One Child' Policy
Date: Jan-14-2013New research shows China's controversial One Child Policy (OCP) has not only dramatically re-shaped the population, but has produced individuals lacking characteristics important for economic and social attainment. In research published in Science, Professors Lisa Cameron and Lata Gangadharan from Monash University, Professor Xin Meng from the Australian National University (ANU) and Associate Professor Nisvan Erkal from the University of Melbourne examined cohorts of children born just before and after the OCP was introduced...
New Algorithm Assembles Chromosomes From Next Generation Sequencing Data
Date: Jan-14-2013One of the most difficult problems in the field of genomics is assembling relatively short "reads" of DNA into complete chromosomes. In a new paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences an interdisciplinary group of genome and computer scientists has solved this problem, creating an algorithm that can rapidly create "virtual chromosomes" with no prior information about how the genome is organized. The powerful DNA sequencing methods developed about 15 years ago, known as next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, create thousands of short fragments...
Polymer Film Harvests Energy From Water Vapor, Could Be Used In Artificial Muscle And To Power Micro- And Nanoelectronic Devices
Date: Jan-14-2013MIT engineers have created a new polymer film that can generate electricity by drawing on a ubiquitous source: water vapor. The new material changes its shape after absorbing tiny amounts of evaporated water, allowing it to repeatedly curl up and down. Harnessing this continuous motion could drive robotic limbs or generate enough electricity to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices, such as environmental sensors. "With a sensor powered by a battery, you have to replace it periodically...
Herbal And Complementary Medicines For Postmenopausal Symptoms May Be Recommended As An Alternative To HRT
Date: Jan-14-2013Herbal and complementary medicines could be recommended as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for treating postmenopausal symptoms says a new review published in The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (TOG). The review outlines the advantages and limitations of both pharmacological and herbal and complementary treatments for women with postmenopausal symptoms. The menopause is defined as the time after a woman's menstrual periods have ceased (12 months after a woman's final menstrual period)...
Regeneration Of Complex Tissues From Stem Cells Via 3-D Biomimetic Scaffolds
Date: Jan-14-2013Stem cells can be grown on biocompatible scaffolds to form complex tissues such as bone, cartilage, and muscle for repair and regeneration of damaged or diseased tissue. However, to function properly, the cells must often grow in a specific pattern or alignment. An innovative method for creating a stretched polymer scaffold that can support complex tissue architectures is described in an article in Tissue Engineering, Part C, Methods, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Tissue Engineering, Part C, Methods website...
Obese Patients Receiving Surgical And Nonsurgical Lumbar Disc Treatment At Greater Risk For Poorer Outcomes
Date: Jan-14-2013While obese patients are more likely to have surgical treatment for lumbar disc herniation - a slipped or ruptured disc - than nonobese patients, obesity increases operative time, blood loss and length of hospital stay, according to new research published in the January 2013 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery(JBJS). Overall, obese patients had poorer outcomes with surgical and nonsurgical treatments for lumbar disc herniation than nonobese patients...
News From The Journal Blood: January 10, 2013
Date: Jan-14-2013Welcome to "This Week in Blood," a weekly snapshot of the hottest studies from each week's issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), hand-picked by Blood Editor-in-Chief Bob L0wenberg, MD, and Deputy Editor Nancy Berliner, MD. Systemic delivery of a TLR7 agonist in combination with radiation primes durable anti-tumor immune responses in mouse models of lymphoma Dovedi et al. This week's plenary paper offers a promising potential new immunotherapeutic modality for the treatment of lymphoma...
Caught In The Act: Virus Captured Infecting A Cell
Date: Jan-14-2013The detailed changes in the structure of a virus as it infects an E. coli bacterium have been observed for the first time, report researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) Medical School in Science Express. To infect a cell, a virus must be able to first find a suitable cell and then eject its genetic material into its host. This robot-like process has been observed in a virus called T7 and visualized by Ian Molineux, professor of biology at The University of Texas at Austin, and his colleagues...
New Standard Needed To Help Consumers, Organizations Choose Foods Rich In Whole Grains
Date: Jan-14-2013Current standards for classifying foods as "whole grain" are inconsistent and, in some cases, misleading, according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. One of the most widely used industry standards, the Whole Grain Stamp, actually identified grain products that were higher in both sugars and calories than products without the Stamp. The researchers urge adoption of a consistent, evidence-based standard for labeling whole grain foods to help consumers and organizations make healthy choices...
Discovery Of Potential Drug Target To Block Cell Death In Parkinson's Disease
Date: Jan-14-2013Oxidative stress is a primary villain in a host of diseases that range from cancer and heart failure to Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that blocking the interaction of a critical enzyme may counteract the destruction of neurons associated with these neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting a potential new target for drug development. These findings appear in The Journal of Biological Chemistry...
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