ScienceBlog.com

Health

Patients taking Tysabri report improvement in physical and psychological well-being over time

Düsseldorf, Germany -- Sept. 11, 2009 -- Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) today announced six-month results of an ongoing, one-year longitudinal, observational, patient-reported outcomes study showing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients taking TYSABRI® (natalizumab) experienced an improvement in both their physical function and psychological well-being.

Sep 11, 2009

Health

Lowering sodium consumption could save US $18 billion annually in health costs, study finds

Reducing Americans' average intake of sodium to the amount recommended by health officials could save the nation as much as $18 billion annually in avoided health care costs and improve the quality of life for millions of people, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Sep 11, 2009

Health

Inner workings of molecular thermostat point to pathways to fight diabetes, obesity

PHILADELPHIA -- Best known as the oxygen-carrying component of hemoglobin, the protein that makes blood red, heme also plays a role in chemical detoxification and energy metabolism within the cell. Heme levels are tightly maintained, and with good reason: Too little heme prevents cell growth and division; excessive amounts of heme are toxic.

Sep 11, 2009

Health

First results from major European patient survey show devastating impact of living with breakthrough cancer pain

Lisbon, Portugal 11 September, 2009 -- The first results of the first European survey of cancer patients? experience of breakthrough pain were presented today at the 6th congress of the European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (EFIC).

Sep 11, 2009

Health

Top wheat experts call for scaling up efforts to combat Ug99 and other wheat rusts

ALEPPO, SYRIA (11 September 2009) -- Wheat experts from 26 countries warn that rapidly-moving, wind-borne transboundary wheat diseases continue to threaten food security and wheat genetic diversity worldwide -- particularly in the ancient breadbasket stretching from the Middle East to India -- as they vowed new action to isolate and interrupt the steady march of dangerous wheat rust disease

Sep 10, 2009

Health

Environmental scientists estimate that China could meet its entire future energy needs by wind alone

Cambridge, Mass. -- September 10, 2009 -- A team of environmental scientists from Harvard and Tsinghua University demonstrated the enormous potential for wind-generated electricity in China.

Sep 10, 2009

Health

Scientists discover mechanism to make existing antibiotics more effective at lower doses

New York, NY (September 10, 2009): A new study published in the September 11, 2009 issue of Science by researchers at the NYU School of Medicine reveals a conceptually novel mechanism that plays an important role in making human pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis resistant to numerous antibiotics. The study led by Evgeny A.

Sep 10, 2009

Brain & Behavior

Caltech scientists develop novel use of neurotechnology to solve classic social problem

PASADENA, Calif.

Sep 10, 2009

Brain & Behavior

Don't stand by me: When involving an interested party may not be in your best interest

CHICAGO (September 10, 2009) -- When business leaders leave organizations following poor decisions, constituents often find comfort in replacing them with insiders -- others familiar with the problem and original choices.

Sep 10, 2009

Health

Finding of genetic region controlling cardiovascular sensitivity to anesthetic propofol

Researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have identified the genetic region in rats responsible for cardiovascular collapse during anesthesia.

Sep 10, 2009

Health

Replication at DNA damage sites highlights Fanconi anemia and breast cancer proteins

HOUSTON - While Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare and dangerous disease, new laboratory research at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center shows it may lead researchers toward clues in more common diseases, including highly hereditary types of breast cancer.

Sep 10, 2009

Technology

Louisiana Tech professor's 'metamaterials' research lands cover of international journal

Dr. Dentcho Genov, an assistant professor of physics and electrical engineering at Louisiana Tech University and a Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) Institute fellow, is featured on the cover of the most recent issue of Nature Physics, one of the most respected and prestigious physics journals in the world.

Sep 10, 2009

Health

Changing the course of nature: Are fisheries directing the evolution of fish populations?

For many of the types of fish we buy in stores or order in restaurants, the chance that an individual dies from fishing is several times higher than dying of natural causes.

Sep 10, 2009

Earth & Environment

Early spring time for Edinburgh? Study predicts effect of global warming on spring flowers

Will we soon see the flowers of Edinburgh in full bloom in the depths of winter? This possibility is considered in a new study into the impact of global warming on spring flowering, published today in the International Journal of Climatology.

Sep 9, 2009