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• Patients and clinicians must share healthcare decisions, say experts
• Restricted working hours for new doctors have had little effect in US
• EU trade deal threatens access to life saving drugs for developing countries, experts warn
• Can non-medical factors trigger sick leave?
• Envy holds back agricultural development, study suggests
• Discovery in liver cancer cells provides new target for drugs
• Load up on fiber now, avoid heart disease later
• Youth at risk for obesity show greater brain activity in response to food
• Researchers launch free online atlas of TB vaccination policies from around the world
• Pre-eclampsia: Genetic errors linked to life-threatening pregnancy disorder
• Digital versus analog control over cortical inhibition in the brain
• The killer within: A novel bacterial suicide mechanism
• Number of child diarrhea deaths can be halved with current interventions, experts say
• Plant buffers can slow runoff of veterinary antibiotics
• Smoke-free air law had no effect on off-track betting facility business activity, Indiana study finds
• Research practices must be changed to minimize fraud, deception, physicians argue
• CML patients on imatinib have similar mortality rates to general population, study shows
• More sensitive test for cardiac biomarker may better identify patients who experienced heart attack
• Occasional physical, sexual activity associated with short-term increased risk of heart attack
• Hydrocortisone therapy for trauma patients associated with reduced hospital-acquired pneumonia risk
• Despite uncertain benefit, fibrates commonly used in US, Canada
• Metabolic abnormalities in obese teens may relate to poor diets
• Elderly victims of abuse often use alcohol or drugs, study says
• Pre-conception and early pregnancy iron deficiency harms brain
• Tahoe native fish population declines sharply, invasives on the rise
• Metastasis: Extracellular matrix tugging creates 'come hither' stimulus for cancer migration
• Think you'll ace that test? Think again, then start studying
• Spinal cord processes information just as areas of brain do, research finds
• Only the weak survive? Self-healing materials strengthened by adding more 'give'
• Newly discovered virus implicated in deadly Chinese outbreaks
• Conservationists develop coral 'stress test' to identify reefs more likely to survive climate change
• Good-bye, blind spot: Always keeping robots and humans in view in industrial settings
• For back, neck pain, artificial disc replacement has cost, outcome advantages over fusion surgery
• Protein associated with allergic response causes airway changes in asthma patients
• Cheap catalyst made easy
• Nanomodified surfaces seal leg implants against infection
• Dawn opens its eyes, checks its instruments
• Carbon capture and storage: Carbon dioxide pressure dissipates in underground reservoirs
• Chikungunya: The key role of 'innate immunity'
• The Mekong: Record of the Vietnam War
• First partial sequencing of an Iberian pig
• Experimental radioprotective drug safe for lung cancer patients, says study
• Simulating tomorrow's accelerators at near the speed of light
• Developing strategies in a desert watershed that sustain regional water supplies
• Key trends in water resources research uncovered
• Protein could be used to treat alcohol effects on pancreas
• Conch shell gives nano insights into composite materials
• Rapid etching X-rayed: Physicists unveil processes during fast chemical dissolution
• 'New' welfare reforms in UK hark back to Victorians, historian argues
• Russian women have more pollutants in their breast milk than Norwegian women
• Unknown animals nearly invisible yet there
• The Pacific oyster is in Sweden to stay
• Beetle explorers name new species for Roosevelt
• Sign language users read words and see signs simultaneously
• Good news for meat lovers: Most ready-to-eat meat products contain very few cancerous compounds, study finds
• Gaps in U.S. health care limit options for older adults, expert says
• In the race of life, better an adaptable tortoise than a fit hare
• Forensics: Overweight people really are big-boned
• Hippocampal volume and resilience in posttramatic stress disorder
• European coastal pollution is harmful to seals, study finds

Patients and clinicians must share healthcare decisions, say experts Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:43 PM PDT Clinicians have an ethical imperative to share important decisions with patients, and patients have a right to be equal participants in their care, say a group of experts.

Restricted working hours for new doctors have had little effect in US Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:43 PM PDT Reducing doctors' working hours from over 80 a week does not seem to have adversely affected patient safety and has had limited impact on postgraduate training in the United States, finds a new study.

EU trade deal threatens access to life saving drugs for developing countries, experts warn Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:43 PM PDT A new trade agreement between India and Europe would block access to life saving drugs for billions of people living in developing countries, warns an expert.

Can non-medical factors trigger sick leave? Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:43 PM PDT According to UK government statistics over 8 million working days per year are lost due to illness and about a third of these are due to minor ailments such as coughs, colds, sickness and diarrhea. Yet two individuals who are equally ill do not necessarily both report sick. New research shows that conflicts and stress at work can trigger taking sick leave.

Envy holds back agricultural development, study suggests Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:43 PM PDT Agricultural innovation in developing countries can be hampered and discouraged by envy, according to new research.

Discovery in liver cancer cells provides new target for drugs Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism in gene regulation that contributes to the development of a form of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Currently, there is virtually no effective treatment for HCC, and this breakthrough identifies a promising new target for therapeutic intervention.

Load up on fiber now, avoid heart disease later Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT A new study shows a high-fiber diet could be a critical heart-healthy lifestyle change young and middle-aged adults can make.

Youth at risk for obesity show greater brain activity in response to food Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT In a novel study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), investigators compared the neural response to food and monetary reward in lean adolescents at risk for obesity relative to lean adolescents not at risk for obesity. Results suggest that the initial vulnerability that gives rise to obesity may be elevated rather than blunted sensitivity of the brain's reward circuitry.

Researchers launch free online atlas of TB vaccination policies from around the world Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT In the days leading up to World TB Day 2011 on March 24, a team of researchers is officially launching the BCG World Atlas: a first-of-its-kind, easy-to-use, searchable website that provides free detailed information on current and past tuberculosis vaccination policies and practices for more than 180 countries.

Pre-eclampsia: Genetic errors linked to life-threatening pregnancy disorder Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT Scientists have identified genetic errors in women with autoimmune diseases that increase the risk of pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs in 10 percent of all pregnancies.

Digital versus analog control over cortical inhibition in the brain Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT In the cerebral cortex, the balance between excitation and inhibition is thought to be mediated by the primary mode of neuronal communication: "all-or-none" action potentials, or spikes. However, researchers in China have discovered a new strategy by which the cortex can maintain this balance, by showing that the amount of inhibition depends on the membrane potentials in pyramidal cells, which represents an "analog" strategy.

The killer within: A novel bacterial suicide mechanism Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT The zeta toxins are a family of proteins that are normally present within various pathogenic bacteria and can mysteriously trigger suicide when the cells undergo stress. Researchers in Germany have now found the mechanism underlying this programmed bacterial cell death.

Number of child diarrhea deaths can be halved with current interventions, experts say Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:22 PM PDT Deaths from diarrhea -- a major killer of young children in poor countries -- could be almost halved if already available interventions such as breastfeeding, hand washing with soap and improved household water treatment were widely implemented, according to experts.

Plant buffers can slow runoff of veterinary antibiotics Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT Field tests support laboratory research indicating that vegetative buffer strips can reduce levels of herbicide and veterinary antibiotics in runoff from farm plots. Plant species tested included tall fescue, switchgrass and native warm-season grasses. Researchers applied three herbicides and three antibiotics, then generated water runoff using a rotating-boom rainfall simulator. All vegetative buffer systems significantly reduced the transport of dissolved and sediment-bound herbicides atrazine, metolachlor and glyphosate in runoff.

Smoke-free air law had no effect on off-track betting facility business activity, Indiana study finds Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT A new study found that a smoke-free air law implemented in an Indiana community did not hurt business at the off-track betting facility in that community.

Research practices must be changed to minimize fraud, deception, physicians argue Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT In a new commentary, two physicians call for changes throughout the research process to adjust expectations for researchers that conduct studies, the journals that publish results and the public that responds to the findings.

CML patients on imatinib have similar mortality rates to general population, study shows Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT Patients taking imatinib (Gleevec) for CML, or chronic myelogenous leukemia, and in remission after two years of treatment, have a mortality rate similar to that of the general population, according to a new study. The article offers the first evidence that a disseminated cancer, not amenable to surgery, can be controlled to the point of giving patients a normal life expectancy.

More sensitive test for cardiac biomarker may better identify patients who experienced heart attack Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT In patients with a suspected acute coronary syndrome (or ACS, such as heart attack or unstable angina), use of a more sensitive test to detect the protein troponin in blood was associated with increased diagnosis of a heart attack and improved identification of patients at high risk of another heart attack and death in the following year, according to new study.

Occasional physical, sexual activity associated with short-term increased risk of heart attack Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT An analysis of previous studies that examined whether episodic physical activity and sexual activity can act as a trigger for cardiac events found an association between these activities and a short-term increased risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death, although the absolute risk was small and lessened among persons with high levels of regular physical activity, according to a new article.

Hydrocortisone therapy for trauma patients associated with reduced hospital-acquired pneumonia risk Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT Patients admitted to a hospital with major trauma and treated with the steroid hydrocortisone were less likely to be diagnosed with hospital-acquired pneumonia than patients who received placebo, according to a new study.

Despite uncertain benefit, fibrates commonly used in US, Canada Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT Although recent evidence suggests that the clinical benefit may be uncertain for fibrates, a class of drugs used for the treatment of high lipid levels, use of these drugs is common in the US and Canada, with usage increasing steadily in the last decade in the US, especially for a brand-name fibrate product, according to a new study.

Metabolic abnormalities in obese teens may relate to poor diets Posted: 22 Mar 2011 01:15 PM PDT Obese teens may feel healthy, but blood tests reveal inflammation, insulin resistance and high homocysteine levels, metabolic abnormalities that heighten heart disease risk. Both obese and normal weight teens in the study did not eat enough fresh produce, fiber or dairy products, which resulted in deficiencies in important nutrients.

Elderly victims of abuse often use alcohol or drugs, study says Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:14 PM PDT Victims of severe traumatic elder abuse are more likely to be female, suffer from a neurological or mental disorder, and to abuse drugs or alcohol, according to new research.

Pre-conception and early pregnancy iron deficiency harms brain Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:14 PM PDT A mother's iron deficiency early in pregnancy may have a profound and long-lasting effect on the brain development of the child, even if the lack of iron is not enough to cause severe anemia, according to a new study.

Tahoe native fish population declines sharply, invasives on the rise Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:14 PM PDT In a lakewide study, scientists have found a considerable decline in native fish species density at Lake Tahoe since 1951. They are recommending establishing and implementing a management plan to protect the nearshore zone habitat, which is critical to native fish.

Metastasis: Extracellular matrix tugging creates 'come hither' stimulus for cancer migration Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:14 PM PDT Ninety percent of cancer deaths resulted from metastasis, the spread of cancer to different areas in the body, yet scientific exploration of the possible mechanical factors that promote metastasis has been limited. One researcher, however, is expanding the scientific understanding of what makes malignant tumors spread, and the answer lies within the dense, fibrous matrix that surrounds cancer cells.

Think you'll ace that test? Think again, then start studying Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:14 PM PDT We hold many beliefs about memory -- for instance, if you study more, you learn more. We are also constantly making judgments about particular instances of learning and remembering -- I'll never forget this party! That was easy to understand. I'll ace it on the test.

Spinal cord processes information just as areas of brain do, research finds Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:13 PM PDT Recent research mapping the function and information processing of the spinal cord could improve treatment for spinal cord injuries.

Only the weak survive? Self-healing materials strengthened by adding more 'give' Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:13 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new model of how self-repairing materials function and show that materials with a certain number of easily breakable bonds can absorb more stress, a natural trick found in the resilient abalone shell. The team's findings reveal the previously unknown mechanics and ideal structure of self-healing materials.

Newly discovered virus implicated in deadly Chinese outbreaks Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:13 PM PDT Outbreaks of a mysterious and deadly disease in central China have been linked to a previously unknown virus. Five years ago, large numbers of farmers in central China began falling victim to an mysterious disease marked by high fever, gastrointestinal disorder and an appalling mortality rate -- as high as 30 percent in initial reports.

Conservationists develop coral 'stress test' to identify reefs more likely to survive climate change Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:13 PM PDT Researchers have developed a "stress test" for coral reefs as a means of identifying and prioritizing areas that are most likely to survive bleaching events and other climate change factors. The scientists say that these "reefs of hope" are priorities for national and international management and conservation action.

Good-bye, blind spot: Always keeping robots and humans in view in industrial settings Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:13 PM PDT Particular care must be taken in a production hall where robots and people work together, where even minor carelessness could result in serious accidents or stop production. Researchers are introducing a new prototype for intelligent safety monitoring in industrial workplaces.

For back, neck pain, artificial disc replacement has cost, outcome advantages over fusion surgery Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:12 PM PDT When physical therapy and drugs fail to relieve back or neck pain, patients often turn to spinal fusion surgery as a last resort, but two new studies show that in certain situations, especially when several discs are involved, artificial disc replacement may give better long-term results at lower cost.

Protein associated with allergic response causes airway changes in asthma patients Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:12 PM PDT Changes that occur in the airways of asthma patients are in part caused by the naturally occurring protein interleukin-13 (IL-13) which stimulates invasion of airway cells called fibroblasts, according to a new study. The study is the latest effort by researchers to better understand the processes that are involved in airway remodeling that can cause breathing difficulties in patients with asthma.

Cheap catalyst made easy Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:12 PM PDT Catalysts made of carbon nanotubes dipped in a polymer solution equal the energy output and otherwise outperform platinum catalysts in fuel cells, a team of engineers has found.

Nanomodified surfaces seal leg implants against infection Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:12 PM PDT Researchers have created nanoscale surfaces for implanted materials that mimic the contours of natural skin. The surfaces attract skin cells that, over time, are shown to build a natural seal against bacterial invasion. The group also created a molecular chain that allows an implant surface to be covered with skin cell-growing proteins, further accelerating skin growth.

Dawn opens its eyes, checks its instruments Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:58 AM PDT After a hibernation of about six months, the framing cameras on board NASA's Dawn spacecraft have again ventured a look into the stars. The spacecraft also powered up its visible and infrared mapping spectrometer, which investigates surface mineralogy, and the gamma ray and neutron detector, which detects elemental composition. The reactivation prepares the instruments for the May approach and July arrival at Vesta, Dawn's first port of call in the asteroid belt.

Carbon capture and storage: Carbon dioxide pressure dissipates in underground reservoirs Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:52 AM PDT The debate surrounding carbon capture and storage intensifies as scientists examine the capacity for storing carbon dioxide underground, in a new study.

Chikungunya: The key role of 'innate immunity' Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:52 AM PDT Chikungunya is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. The disease is spreading in the world and periodically sparks new outbreaks. Blood analyses conducted during the 2007 Gabonese epidemic recently showed the key role of innate immunity, the organism's first line of defense, in the clinical course of the infection. Control of the disease thus closely depends on the underlying configuration of each patient's immune system.

The Mekong: Record of the Vietnam War Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:52 AM PDT During the second half of the 20th Century, South-East Asia was the arena of a series of armed conflicts, direct consequences of the Second World War, decolonization and the Cold War, followed by political instability which continued up to the 1990s. The region's history has left its scars: extensive forests erased from the map by bombing, populations displaced or forced to emigrate, entire areas abandoned although vegetation is steadily taking over again. Research scientists recently showed the discharge rate of the Mekong has oscillated in close correlation with the major events that had taken place. Runoff increased by over 50% in southern Laos between 1972 and 1975, at the height of the Vietnam War. Conversely, the north of the country saw it decrease by 30% between 1995 and 2004, following people's exodus from the area to escape from the communist forces' advance. Only the extensive changes in land-use and vegetation pattern can explain such variations in discharge of the Mekong.

First partial sequencing of an Iberian pig Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:48 AM PDT Researchers have published the first partial genome sequencing of an Iberian pig. Using next-generation sequencing techniques, researchers have been able to sequence and analyze 1 percent of the genome.

Experimental radioprotective drug safe for lung cancer patients, says study Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:48 AM PDT Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer can safely take an experimental oral drug intended to protect healthy tissue from the effects of radiation, according to a new study.

Simulating tomorrow's accelerators at near the speed of light Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:48 AM PDT Borrowing a page from Albert Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, scientists have perfected a way to accelerate modeling of laser-plasma wakefield accelerators up to a million times faster. While "tabletop" laser-plasma accelerators promise high energies in short spaces, 3-D simulation of electron acceleration by a laser beam moving through a plasma has presented a computational challenge that until now has been beyond practical solution by supercomputers.

Developing strategies in a desert watershed that sustain regional water supplies Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:48 AM PDT Agricultural scientists are helping meet the water demands of a riparian desert region that is home to a national conservation area and a thriving military base.

Key trends in water resources research uncovered Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:48 AM PDT A new report reveals the increasingly international and strategic nature of water resources research.

Protein could be used to treat alcohol effects on pancreas Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:48 AM PDT A protein provides protection against the effects of alcohol in the pancreas. The findings could lead to the development of new treatments to reduce the chances of people developing pancreatic cancer.

Conch shell gives nano insights into composite materials Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PDT Researchers use the conch shell as an example of 'toughness-by-architecture' in the quest for new synthetic materials for engineering, construction and aerospace applications.

Rapid etching X-rayed: Physicists unveil processes during fast chemical dissolution Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:59 AM PDT Researchers in Europe have achieved a breakthrough in the study of chemical reactions during etching and coating of materials. The scientists have uncovered for the first time just what happens in manufacturing processes, used for the formation of metal contacts thinner than a human hair in modern consumer electronics, such as flat-screen television.

'New' welfare reforms in UK hark back to Victorians, historian argues Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:59 AM PDT A historian draws parallels between past and present medical negligence in the UK.

Russian women have more pollutants in their breast milk than Norwegian women Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:57 AM PDT Russian women living in Northwest Russia are more exposed to environmental toxins than Norwegian women. In spite of this, the researcher who did the study urges Russian women to breastfeed their babies.

Unknown animals nearly invisible yet there Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:57 AM PDT Bryozoans (moss animals) are a group of aquatic invertebrates that are found in great variety throughout the world, with well over 100 species in Sweden alone. Yet little is known about them. Researchers have now studied Swedish bryozoan species using DNA techniques.

The Pacific oyster is in Sweden to stay Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:57 AM PDT The Pacific oyster was discovered in large numbers along the west coast of Sweden in 2007. The mortality rate in some places during the past two winters has been 100%, but researchers who have studied the Pacific oyster can now say that the species copes with cold winters and is here to stay.

Beetle explorers name new species for Roosevelt Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:54 AM PDT A new species of a rugged and dashing darkling beetle was named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt on the 100th anniversary of a speech he gave at Tempe Normal School, now Arizona State University.

Sign language users read words and see signs simultaneously Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:54 AM PDT People fluent in sign language may simultaneously keep words and signs in their minds as they read, according to an international team of researchers.

Good news for meat lovers: Most ready-to-eat meat products contain very few cancerous compounds, study finds Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:54 AM PDT Researchers have shown that ready-to-eat meat products -- such as pepperoni, deli meats and hot dogs -- are relatively free of carcinogenic compounds.

Gaps in U.S. health care limit options for older adults, expert says Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:54 AM PDT There are 50 million family members providing care to older adults. When older persons are hospitalized and discharged, their families face numerous choices about providing care. An eldercare expert says the complexity of this process is intensifying with increasing health care demands and workforce shortages. The study presents a new approach to help families through complicated hospitalization and discharge processes.

In the race of life, better an adaptable tortoise than a fit hare Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:53 AM PDT When it comes to survival of the fittest, it's sometimes better to be an adaptable tortoise than a fitness-oriented hare, an evolutionary biologist says. Scientists show that more adaptable bacteria oriented toward long-term improvement prevailed over competitors that held a short-term advantage.

Forensics: Overweight people really are big-boned Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:53 AM PDT One of the blind spots in forensic science, particularly in identifying unknown remains, is the inability of experts to determine how much an individual weighed based on his or her skeleton. New research moves us closer to solving this problem by giving forensic experts valuable insight into what the shape of the femur can tell us about the weight of an individual.

Hippocampal volume and resilience in posttramatic stress disorder Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT The hippocampus, a brain region implicated in memory and interpreting environmental contexts, has been the focus of a controversy in post-traumatic stress disorder. A new study has found that larger hippocampal volume is associated with recovery of PTSD.

European coastal pollution is harmful to seals, study finds Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:52 AM PDT The bodies of harbor seals, which live in estuaries or along coastlines where industrial activities take place, are highly contaminated. This is the result of a European study, involving Spanish participation, which warns of the danger to these mammals from ports throughout Europe, even in the Mediterranean.

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