Body

Important migratory corridor for endangered marine species off north-west Australia

The value of Australia's newly established network of marine parks has been highlighted by an international project that used satellites to track the vulnerable flatback sea turtle.

Researchers from Deakin University, Swansea University (United Kingdom) and Pendoley Environmental consultancy used advanced satellite tracking systems to record the passage of more than 70 flatbacks off the north-west Australian coastline.

Nature and nurture: Baby's development is affected by genes and conditions in the womb

A recent study led by A*STAR's Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) found that genetics as well as the environment in the womb play important roles in the development of the baby. The effort by the international team of scientists and clinicians is the world's first attempt to discover how genetic and environmental factors affect the human epigenome .

Establish the presence for the first time in Alava the fungus that causes potato blight

The experts have been able to confirm that the crossing between the two types leads to variants that are more resistant to conventional fungicides and can survive in adverse conditions of temperature and humidity for months and even years on end.

Terrorism works, but only when governments allow it to

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Terrorism can be a successful strategy for rebel groups during civil war, but only when governments allow it to work, finds a new study by a Michigan State University political scientist.

Responding to acts of terrorism with violence is more likely to prolong the conflict. However, if governments negotiate or use sound counterterrorism efforts, they stand a better chance of bringing about a peaceful resolution, said Jakana Thomas, assistant professor of political science.

Her study appears online in the American Journal of Political Science.

Increasing the diversity of marketable raspberries

COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Raspberries are the third most popular berry in the United States. Their popularity is growing as a specialty crop for the wholesale industry and in smaller, local markets, and U-pick operations. As consumer interest in the health benefits of colorful foods increases, small growers are capitalizing on novelty fruit and vegetable crops such as different-colored raspberries. Authors of a newly published study say that increasing the diversity of raspberry colors in the market will benefit both consumers and producers.

Researchers identify potential new strategy to treat ovarian cancer

Scientists studying cancerous tumour tissues in a laboratory believe they have identified a potential new strategy to treat ovarian cancer – which affects around 7,000 women in the UK each year.

Recently developed drugs have increased patient survival rates by targeting a tumour's blood vessels that supply essential nutrients and oxygen to cancer cells.

However, many patients go on to develop resistance to these therapies and grow new blood vessels that spread the cancer again.

Genetic disorder causing strokes and vascular inflammation in children has been discovered

Academy research fellows from University of Turku (Finland), Andrey and Anton Zavialov, and a team of researches from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, discovered that inherited mutations in a blood enzyme called ADA2 cause a syndrome of sporadic fevers, skin rashes and recurring strokes, beginning early in childhood. The novel genetic disorder was called deficiency of ADA2, or DADA2.

Australian marine reserves provide safe passageway for endangered species

The value of Australia's newly established network of marine parks has been highlighted by an international project that used satellites to track the vulnerable flatback sea turtle. The findings are published in Springer's journal Marine Biology. In the study, researchers from Deakin University (Australia), Swansea University (U.K.) and Pendoley Environmental consultancy (Australia) used advanced satellite tracking systems to record the passage of more than 70 flatbacks off the north-west Australian coastline.

Determining biocontainers' carbon footprint

GRANVILLE, IL – Many efforts to reduce the environmental impacts associated with commercial horticulture production have failed to influence the general public. For example, one recent study showed that the use of organic fertilizers offered no significant marketing advantage to producers of floral crops. In contrast to the promotion of organic products, the use of biocontainers (plant material-based, biodegradable pots) as alternatives to conventional plastic containers has been shown to resonate with many consumers.

Weekly emails to hospital C-suite halt 2 decades of superbug outbreak

Washington, DC, April 28, 2014 – Efforts to reduce and stop the spread of infections caused by a highly resistant organism, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, at a large Florida hospital proved ineffective until they added another weapon – weekly emails from the medical director of Infection Control to hospital leadership, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Applying lessons from NASA helps manage threats and errors in pediatric cardiac surgery

Toronto, ON, Canada, April 28, 2014 – All high-stakes industries that function at very high "6-sigma" safety levels have a pre-occupation with human error. The aviation industry epitomizes this concept; during the 1970s NASA and aviation researchers realized that humans are the least reliable resource in the cockpit. Subsequent research into >30,000 flights has confirmed that human error is inevitable, ubiquitous, and therefore needs to be understood and managed. Mismanaged error leads to cycles of further error and unintended states, with consequent loss of safety margins.

The power of protein at breakfast; higher amounts may deliver more benefits

CHICAGO, Apr. 28, 2014 –Many consumers are aware they should make protein a priority at breakfast, but it may be equally important for them to choose an optimal amount of protein to maximize its benefits, suggests new research presented at the American Society for Nutrition's Experimental Biology conference this week.

Teens who use alcohol and marijuana together are at higher risk for unsafe driving

PISCATAWAY, NJ – Teenagers who drink alcohol and smoke marijuana may be at increased risk for unsafe driving, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Researchers said the findings point to a need for education on the risks of "simultaneous use" of alcohol and marijuana.

The study of U.S. high school seniors found that teens who had used both drugs in the past year had higher rates of traffic tickets/warnings and car accidents.

Unemployment common after breast cancer treatment

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Nearly one-third of breast cancer survivors who were working when they began treatment were unemployed four years later. Women who received chemotherapy were most affected, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Receiving chemotherapy after a breast cancer diagnosis may affect a patient's employment

A new study has found that loss of paid employment after a diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer may be common and potentially related to the type of treatment patients received. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings support efforts to reduce the side effects and burden of treatments for breast cancer and to identify patients who may forego certain treatments, particularly when the expected benefit is low.