ScienceBlog.com

Health

Blood glucose self-monitoring: No benefit for non-insulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes

Contrary to the widely-held belief, there is no proof that non-insulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes benefit from glucose self-monitoring. Moreover, it remains unclear whether an additional benefit is displayed by the blood test compared to the urine test or vice versa, in other words, whether one or other of the tests might offer an advantage to patients.

Jan 7, 2010

Uncategorized

North Korea’s 2009 Nuclear Test Site is Pinpointed with a precision of 140 meters

Since May 25, 2009, when North Korea announced that it conducted a second nuclear test, the exact location of the test site has remained elusive to international organizations, federal agencies, military, and the scientific community, until now.

Jan 6, 2010

Brain & Behavior

Behavioral identification can help stop terrorists like Abdul Mutallab, researcher says

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The effective use of multiple layers of intelligence gathering, including existing behavioral identification programs, could have excluded the murderous Farouk Abdul Mutallab from travel before he got anywhere near Northwest Flight 253. So says University at Buffalo behavioral scientist and security researcher Mark G.

Jan 6, 2010

Earth & Environment

Untouched stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world’s most remote marine sanctuaries

Just too damned depressing. Photos (slow-loading but worth the wait) of albatross chicks and the feast of plastic their parents feed them, thinking it's food. Pollution takes on a whole new meaning. http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11

Jan 6, 2010

Health

Multiple patient samples of an analyte improve detection of changes in clinical status

(Boston) - Clinicians rely on laboratory tests to monitor the progression or remission of disease, or to identify pathologic alterations in physiology that may precede clinical events. Monitoring quantitative laboratory results represents a crucial component in the assessment of response to therapy.

Jan 6, 2010

Health

Commentary: Obese pregnant women should gain less weight than currently recommended

ST. LOUIS -- Recent recommendations by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) call for women who are overweight or obese to gain more weight than they should, a Saint Louis University obstetrician wrote in a January commentary for Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Jan 6, 2010

Health

Lupus Foundation of America Awards New Research Funding to Address Issues Critical to Lupus Patients

Research areas include management of the disease in children and teens, improving health outcomes, underlying genetic causes of male lupus, facilitating greater accuracy in the diagnosis of lupus

Jan 6, 2010

Health

Prenatal ultrasonography has increased 55 percent for pregnant women, even in low-risk pregnancies

Current use of prenatal ultrasounds in women with singleton pregnancies is 55% greater than in 1996, even in low-risk pregnancies.

Jan 5, 2010

Space

New panchromatic capabilities of Hubble reveal an unprecedented view of the universe

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Shown in an extremely broad range of color and showcasing more than twelve billion years of cosmic history, Hubble's recent image is a full-glory cosmic renaissance of the history of the Universe. This image provides a record of the Universe's most exciting formative years, from the birth of stars in the early Universe all the way through the materialization of the Milky Way.

Jan 5, 2010

Health

Report suggests similar effectiveness among options for managing low-risk prostate cancer

A comprehensive appraisal of the management and treatment options for low-risk prostate cancer found that the rates of survival and tumor recurrence are similar among the most common treatment approaches, although costs can vary considerably.

Jan 5, 2010

Health

Scientists create early-warning system to defend rare Jersey cows from continental disease

Scientists from the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, UK Met Office and the Jersey State Veterinary Service and Jersey Meteorological Department, are working together on an early-warning system to help defend cattle against the spread of 'bluetongue' disease, reveals a study published today in Weather.

Jan 5, 2010

Earth & Environment

Restaurant and packaged foods can have more calories than nutrition labeling indicates

St. Louis, MO, January 5, 2010 -- With obesity rising markedly, reliance on the accuracy of food labeling is an important weight management strategy. Since people who are trying to reduce their weight are encouraged to choose meals labeled as "lower in calories" or "reduced-energy" in restaurants and supermarkets, it is essential that the listed data are accurate.

Jan 5, 2010

Health

Sexual function does not continuously decline after radiation therapy treatments for prostate cancer

Sexual function in prostate cancer patients receiving external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) decreases within the first two years after treatment but then stabilizes and does not continuously decline as was previously thought, according to a study in the January 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Ra

Jan 5, 2010

Health

Common anti-inflammatory drug could help prevent skin cancers, Stanford researcher says

STANFORD, Calif. -- A widely-available anti-inflammatory prescription drug can reduce the risk of a common skin cancer in humans, according to a researcher at Stanford's School of Medicine.

Jan 4, 2010