Body

Cleaning up the dangerous contaminants — dry-cleaning fluids, solvents and petroleum hydrocarbons — found in underground water presents one of the most urgent challenges facing environmental science. A report issued today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sheds light on a new way to monitor and improve the success of clean-up efforts using a technique developed at the University of Toronto.

A new Science Advisory report from the American Heart Association recommends that omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, are beneficial when part of a heart-healthy eating plan. Consumers should aim for at least 5-10% of energy (calories) from omega-6 PUFAs, and will derive most benefit when omega-6 PUFAs replace saturated or trans fats in the diet. Precise recommended daily servings will depend on physical activity level, age and gender, but range between 12 and 22 grams per day.

2009-01-30. The global climate is changing, and this change is already impacting food supply and security. People living in regions already affected by aridity need plants that can thrive / grow under dry conditions.

Source:

SAN DIEGO, CA, JAN. 30, 2009 — New research that may explain why taking progesterone to prevent preterm birth is only effective for some women was unveiled today at the 29th Annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) meeting – The Pregnancy Meeting™.

The drug, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (or 17P), a synthetic form of the progesterone hormone naturally produced during pregnancy, has been demonstrated in clinical trials to prevent some recurrent preterm births – but not all.

High-school kids who watch too much TV are likely to have bad eating habits five years in the future. Research published in BioMed Central's open access International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity followed almost 2000 high- and middle-school children and found that TV viewing times predict a poor diet in the future.

Tobacco marketing in South Korea has been deliberately aimed at girls and young women. Research published in the open access journal Globalization and Health has shown that transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) are using tactics long used with devastating effect in Western countries to snare new female smokers in Asia.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered a mimic of one of "nature's antibiotics" that can be used to coat medical devices to prevent infection and rejection.

The study, released today in the journal Chemistry and Biology, found that a synthetic form, short tethered cationic antimicrobial peptides (cationic peptide), can protect surfaces, like those of medical devices, killing bacteria and fungi that come into contact with them. Peptides are small proteins.

Chronic hypertension, diabetes and blood clots are more likely in otherwise healthy women who experienced complications due to hypertension such as preeclampsia in their first pregnancies, according to Yale School of Medicine researchers working in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

A pair of studies, led by Medical College of Wisconsin scientists at Children's Research Institute in Milwaukee, may translate into rapid molecular tests to distinguish between hemangiomas and congenital blood or lymph vessel malformations in infants. Hemangiomas are common birthmarks consisting of benign tumors of blood vessels. The studies appear in the January 29, 2009 issue of the journal Blood.

STANFORD, Calif. — Last week, a presidential limousine shuttled Barack Obama to the most important job in his life. Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have now identified a protein that does much the same for the telomerase enzyme — ferrying the critically important clump of proteins around to repair the ends of chromosomes that are lost during normal replication. Without such ongoing maintenance, stem cells would soon cease dividing and embryos would fail to develop.

Although the origin of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear, bioactive proteins known as cytokines, particularly TNFα and IL-6, which are involved in inflammation, play a major role in the disease by contributing to joint and tissue destruction. Placenta growth factor (PIGF), another cytokine, has been thought to be critical for a new blood vessel formation in the placenta to sufficiently deliver oxygen and nutrients to fetus. A new study examined the effects of PIGF on the inflammatory process of RA.

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes disability and is a major public health problem. A new study examined the effect of chondroitins 4 and 6 sulfate (CS) on OA progression and symptoms. CS, unlike other chondroitin sulfate products sold as dietary supplements in the U.S., has been approved as a prescription symptomatic slow acting drug for OA in many European countries. The study was published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/76509746/home).

The self-perceptions and life experiences of young homeless people vary significantly by race, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. The findings underscore the need for a more tailored approach to youth homelessness intervention and prevention programs.

UCSF researchers surveyed 205 white and African American youth in San Francisco who had been homeless in the prior six months, and discovered two groups who told starkly different stories about life on the streets and how they ended up there.

Scientists have uncovered an interesting connection between two important protein kinase signaling pathways that are associated with cancer. The research, published by Cell Press in the January 30th issue of the journal Molecular Cell, may direct new therapeutic strategies for multiple types of cancer.