Body

Are we really communicating uncertain climate risks?

Explaining climate change risk to non-scientists – citizens and politicians - has not been as effective as it should be, according to a new collaborative research paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change this week.

Despite much research that demonstrates potential dangers from climate change, public concern has not been increasing. One theory is that this is because the public is not intimately familiar with the nature of the climate uncertainties being discussed, and as such it does little to support decision-making and change behaviour.

More organs for transplant when icu docs help take care of brain dead donors, says UPMC

PITTSBURGH, March 31 – More than twice as many lungs and nearly 50 percent more kidneys could be recovered for transplant operations if intensive care physicians were to work with organ procurement organization (OPO) coordinators to monitor and manage donor bodies after brain death has occurred, according to an analysis by UPMC and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine physicians that is now in the online version of the American Journal of Transplantation.

STUDY: 3 square meals a day paired with lean protein help people feel full during weight loss

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Eating fewer, regular-sized meals with higher amounts of lean protein can make one feel more full than eating smaller, more frequent meals, according to new research from Purdue University.

Misreading faces tied to child social anxiety

Children suffering from extreme social anxiety are trapped in a nightmare of misinterpreted facial expressions: They confuse angry faces with sad ones, a new Emory University study shows.

"If you misread facial expressions, you're in social trouble, no matter what other social skills you have," says Emory psychologist Steve Nowicki, a clinical researcher who developed the tests used in the study. "It can make life very difficult, because other people's faces are like a prism through which we look at the world."

Patients with severe non-inflammatory respiratory disease face anemia risk

A study of nearly 600 patients with severe non-inflammatory respiratory disease has found that a significant percentage also suffered from anaemia, according to the April issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

Human impacts on the marine ecosystems of Antarctica

A team of scientists in the United Kingdom and the United States has warned that the native fauna and unique ecology of the Southern Ocean, the vast body of water that surrounds the Antarctic continent, is under threat from human activity. Their study is published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

A new signaling pathway of the immune system is elucidated

A new signaling pathway, which is important for the regulation of the immune response and inflammation, was discovered by an international team of scientists led by prof Ivan Dikic from the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. The scientists studied the involvement of ubiquitin, a universally present signaling protein in the cell. In today's issue of the scientific journal "Nature" the scientists report a novel type of modified ubiquitin chains involved in regulation of various processes within the cell.

Adding protein, like lean pork, may help dieters curb late-night munchies

DES MOINES, Iowa (March 30, 2011) – Dieters trying to stick to their diets, may want to look no further than lean protein, according to two studies published in the prestigious journal Obesity1,2. Including protein, such as lean pork, in three daily meals could reduce late-night desires to eat, increase feelings of fullness and decrease distracting thoughts about food, according to the research.

OHSU Doernbecher discovers new approach to drug resistance in aggressive childhood cancer

PORTLAND, Ore. — Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital have identified a promising new approach to overcoming drug resistance in children with an extremely aggressive childhood muscle cancer known as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Their findings are published online this week in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and will be featured on the cover of the journal's print edition next month.

IOVS publishes consensus findings on meibomian gland dysfunction

The first global consensus report on meibomian gland dysfunction — a major cause of lid disease and evaporative dry eye — has been published in a special issue of the Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) journal. The report is the result of findings from a two-year-long workshop composed of more than 50 leading clinical and basic research experts from around the world.

HIV protein unveils vaccine target

An international study headed by a UC Davis scientist describes how a component of a potential HIV vaccine opens like a flower, undergoing one of the most dramatic protein rearrangements yet observed in nature. The finding could reveal new targets for vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. A paper describing the work was published online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Results show benefits in using acute kidney injury criteria in the diagnosis of cirrhosis

The first clinical study investigating the use of the AKIN criteria (Acute Kidney Injury Network) in cirrhosis has shown significant benefits that have the potential to change future diagnosis, according to results from a Spanish study presented today at the International Liver Congress.

Innovation in science

Berlin, Germany, Thursday 31 March 2011- New data presented at the International Liver CongressTM today show the existence of novel interactions between T cells and hepatocytes that are regulated by HCV infection, providing a novel understanding of how HCV persists in the liver.

The nature of the T cell-hepatocyte interactions alter CD4+ T-cell trafficking and cytokine expression, and may have an impact on T-cell effector function and the outcome of anti-viral immune responses.

Becoming a responsible citizen

Across the globe, adolescence and early adulthood are considered important periods for the development of civic involvement. Civic involvement, in turn, has been shown to promote adolescents' development of initiative, empathy, social relations and skills, and personal growth.

Civic involvement by teens is considered important, and efforts to promote it are widespread. In this context, it's important to gain more insight into this type of involvement to inform efforts to boost youths' participation.

Hunger in North America: Risky environments for children and their families

Food security is defined by access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States and Canada, the number of households considered food insecure has increased more than 50 percent over the past four years, with one in three households in the United States experiencing very low food security. Young children and households headed by women are disproportionately affected.