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New research led by the NCIC Clinical Trials Group (CTG) at Queen's University has proven patients with limited stage Hodgkin's lymphoma have a better chance of long-term survival if they undergo a standard chemotherapy regimen as opposed to radiation-based treatment.

Because some clinicians fail to stick to official recommendations for blood pressure monitoring, a number of patients are misclassified, which could have an impact on decisions about their treatment. According to Gretchen Ray and colleagues, from the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, when routine blood pressure monitoring in clinics is compared with measurements based on the latest guidelines, 93 percent of patients have different blood pressure readings. The findings¹ appear online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine², published by Springer.

MURCIA, SPAIN—Salt can have drastic effects on the growth and yield of horticultural crops; studies have estimated that salinity renders an about one-third of the world's irrigated land unsuitable for crop production. Imbalances in soil salinity can cause ion toxicity, osmotic stress, mineral deficiencies, and drastic physiological and biochemical changes in plants. Salt stress can even cause plants to adjust their water usage—to conserve water, some plants close their stomata, thus restricting the entry of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the leaf and reducing photosynthesis.

GETTYSBURG, PA—Research shows that it takes about eight years from the time public research funds are invested in technology development to the time the technology is first implemented. In the agricultural sector it can take as long as 15 years before full adoption by stakeholders occurs. Because many technologies in the agricultural world become obsolete in 15 years, it becomes increasingly important to find ways to move technology more rapidly from research to adoption.

CHICAGO – Although there have been cardiovascular safety concerns about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications because of their ability to increase heart rate and blood pressure levels, an analysis that included more than 150,000 ADHD users found no evidence of an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac death associated with current use compared with nonuse or rare use among young and middle-aged adults, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its public health importance.

OAKLAND, Calif., December 12, 2011 – Researchers have found little evidence of increased risk of heart attack, sudden cardiac death or stroke associated with use of medications used primarily used to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Their population-based study included more than 150,000 adults aged 25-64 years who used ADHD medications.

Dormant seeds in the soil detect and respond to seasonal changes in soil temperature by changing their sensitivity to plant hormones, new research by the University of Warwick has found.

This sensitivity alters the depth of dormancy, indicating to the seed when it is the right time of year to germinate and grow.

The seeds of common weeds can survive in the soil in a dormant state for years, in some cases decades, spelling issues for food security when they emerge to compete with crops.

Zeolites are porous materials with perfectly regular pores and high surface area that can act as molecular sieves. This property has led to important applications including the purification of air or water such as the contaminated seawater around Fukushima. Zeolites are used as catalysts – all gasoline is now made with zeolites – and for the separation and adsorption of numerous substances. While more than 200 zeolites are known today, many require expensive organic structure-directing agents ("templates") as well as high temperature and pressure for their synthesis.

Elephants have long been known to be part of the Homo erectus diet. But the significance of this specific food source, in relation to both the survival of Homo erectus and the evolution of modern humans, has never been understood — until now.

The promise of stem cell research for drug discovery and cell-based therapies depends on the ability of scientists to acquire stem cell lines for their research.

A survey of more than 200 human embryonic stem cell researchers in the United States found that nearly four in ten researchers have faced excessive delay in acquiring a human embryonic stem cell line and that more than one-quarter were unable to acquire a line they wanted to study.

A rare genetic disorder has given researchers at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Exeter, a surprising insight into how the pancreas develops. The finding provides a clue to how it may be possible to 'programme' stem cells – master cells in the body that can develop into specialised cells – to become pancreatic cells.

A review carried out by a group of international specialists has identified several emerging issues that are likely to damage biodiversity in the coming years.

The review was conducted by 22 specialists from 20 institutions, including the University of Cambridge and the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, and aims to provide a 'critical list' of issues that need investigating in the near future.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A study from Rhode Island Hospital is the first to systematically review and analyze the literature on the association between HIV infection and overdose risk. The findings show a 74 percent greater risk of overdose among drug users if they are HIV-infected. The researchers found that reasons for the increased risk are biological and behavioral, but may also include environmental and structural factors. The study is now available online in advance of print in the journal AIDS.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—If you had a family history of developing Alzheimer's disease, would you take a genetic test that would give you more information about your chances?

"Definitely," said Gloria VanAlstine, 60, and Joyce Smith, 79. The two women took a controversial genetic test of a gene called Apolipoprotein E. APOE is a susceptibility gene where certain variants have been found to significantly increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Both women have a family history of Alzheimer's, which increases risk.