Body

Highly colored industrial waste water is a serious environmental problem as it seriously discolors waterways as well as blocking sunlight for photosynthesizing plant species in the water. Now, researchers in Algeria have discovered that nothing more sophisticated than orange peel could be used to remove acidic dyes from industrial effluent. They describe their findings in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Environment and Pollution.

Researchers have identified a gene critical for the development of the lymphatic system in a discovery that will have implications for treatment of cancer and lymphatic disorders and other diseases.

The team, led by Professor Peter Koopman and Dr Mathias François from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland (UQ), found that a single gene - Sox18 - triggers the development of the lymphatic vessels.

A new study indicates that educational literature can influence young women's use of indoor tanning, not by raising their fear of skin cancer but by changing their attitudes about indoor tanning and promoting healthier alternatives for changing appearance. The study is published in the December 1, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Socioeconomic factors and the type of treatment received have an impact on a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patient's risk of dying. That is the finding of a new study published in the December 1, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study reveals that poorer socioeconomic status increases a patient's risk of dying, while receiving chemotherapy reduces the risk.

Low birth weight is the most significant factor for the development of infantile hemangiomas, a common birthmark, according to a new study by researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Research Institute.

The study, led by Beth Drolet, M.D., professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the Medical College and medical director of pediatric dermatology and birthmarks and vascular anomalies clinic at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, is published in the November 2008 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.

ST. LOUIS -- Researchers are one step closer to finding a vaccine that better protects against tuberculosis. An investigational vaccine for TB tested at Saint Louis University appears likely to offer significantly better protection against the potentially fatal disease than the one in current use.

Put steel under a powerful microscope, revealing its microstructure, and prepare to be surprised. Known for its strength, the metal will appear pitted and pocked.

"It is intrinsic to the material," says Carolyn Aita, a Wisconsin Distinguished Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM). "A pit can begin to develop from a physiochemical defect in the steel itself."

The pitting is cause for concern for industry because it can progress and lead to corrosion. But Aita's research can help.

A single vaccine could be used to protect chickens, cats and humans against deadly flu pandemics, according to an article published in the November issue of the Journal of General Virology. The vaccine protects birds and mammals against different flu strains and can even be given to birds while they are still in their eggs, allowing the mass vaccination of wild birds.

Simply installing toilets where needed throughout the world and ensuring safe water supplies would do more to end crippling poverty and improve world health than any other possible measure, according to an analysis released today by the United Nations University.

The analysis says better water and sanitation reduces poverty in three ways.

In a disease like ALS - one that's always fatal and that has a long history of research-resistant biology - finding a proof of principle in animal models is significant.

This week, Johns Hopkins researchers report that transplanting a new line of stem cell-like cells into rat models of the disease clearly shifts key signs of neurodegenerative disease in general and ALS in particular - slowing the animals' neuron loss and extending life.

BOSTON, Mass. (Oct. 19, 2008) – Researchers have discovered a mechanism for the rapid growth seen in infantile hemangioma, the most common childhood tumor.

Researchers at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology have developed tiny polymer beads that can slowly release anti-inflammatory drugs and break down into non-toxic components.

When injected into rats' hearts after a simulated heart attack, the drug-embedded "microparticles" reduce inflammation and scarring, the researchers found.Injecting the particles could cut the area of scar tissue formed after the heart attack in half and boost the ability of the heart to pump blood by 10 percent weeks later.

More than four in 10 parents with underweight and overweight children mistakenly believe their children are in the average weight range, according to University of Melbourne research.

The study also finds that different methods of assessing children's weight – such as BMI or waist circumference – result in different rates of children being identified as overweight or underweight. According to BMI, more children were classified as overweight, than compared to waist circumference.

DALLAS – Oct. 17, 2008 – A single molecule in the intestinal wall, activated by the waste products from gut bacteria, plays a large role in controlling whether the host animals are lean or fatty, a research team, including scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center, has found in a mouse study.

When activated, the molecule slows the movement of food through the intestine, allowing the animal to absorb more nutrients and thus gain weight. Without this signal, the animals weigh less.

Washington, DC. – Involving men in family planning, partner communication about sex and sexual health, and tailoring teen specific reproductive health services are among the cutting-edge topics being presented by researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center's Institute for Reproductive Health at the American Public Health Association's 136th Annual Meeting Oct. 25-29 in San Diego – the world's largest public health gathering.