Author Archives
In short, I review clinical research on an almost daily basis. What I post tends to be articles that are relevant to the readers in addition to some curiosities that have intriguing potential.
As a hobby, I truly enjoy the puzzle-solving play that statistics and programming as in the python language bring to the table. I just do not enjoy problem-solving, I love problem-solving and the childlike inspiration and exploration of that innocent exhilaration of discovering something new.
Enjoy ;-)
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Advanced maternal age not harmful for adult children
September 06, 2012 Previously existing ideas on how advanced maternal age affects adult health of children have to be reconsidered. It had been thought that mothers delivering later in life have children that are less healthy as adults, because the… Read More ›
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The malaria species rampant in the Asia-Pacific region has been a significant driver of evolution of the human genome, a new study has shown.
‘Benign’ Malaria Key Driver of Human Evolution in Asia-Pacific ScienceDaily (Sep. 4, 2012) Professor Ivo Mueller led a study that showed the malaria species rampant in the Asia-Pacific region has been a significant driver of evolution of the human genome… Read More ›
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Concerns that Britain’s motorists are paying over the odds for fuel are being investigated by the competition watchdog.
Office of Fair Trading investigates UK’s £32bn petrol industry When it costs more to fill your tank than to fly to Rome, something is seriously wrong Photo: ALAMY By Martin Beckford, Home Affairs Editor 10:30PM BST 05 Sep 2012 The… Read More ›
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Neuroscientists successfully control the dreams of rats. Could humans be next?
George Dvorsky Researchers working at MIT have successfully manipulated the content of a rat’s dream by replaying an audio cue that was associated with the previous day’s events, namely running through a maze (what else). The breakthrough furthers our… Read More ›
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Rogue strain of MMR vaccine ’caused deafness’
A rogue strain of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella has been found to have caused deafness in at least two children, it has been claimed. Photo: PA 7:00AM BST 05 Sep 2012 Katie Stephen, who lost the use… Read More ›
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Fish oil may double benefits of exercise for elderly
Eating a portion of oily fish such as salmon or mackerel three times a week could help to protect the muscles from deterioration in old age by doubling the benefits of exercise, experts claim. After our mid-thirties our body’s ability… Read More ›
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Baffling supermarket prices and poor labelling and could be hiking up your shopping bill
Baffling supermarket prices and poor labelling and could be hiking up your shopping bill By Sean Poulter PUBLISHED:18:50 EST, 5 September 2012| UPDATED:19:27 EST, 5 September 2012 Supermarkets are confusing shoppers and pocketing extra profits at their expense by labelling… Read More ›
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Harvard psychology professor ‘faked data and fudged results in monkey experiments’
Marc Hauser, 52, researched evolutionary roots of human abilities Probe by Office of Research Integrity found Hauser responsible for six cases of scientific misconduct Allegedly fabricated data in a paper on monkeys’ ability to learn syllables Currently works with at-risk… Read More ›
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World’s richest woman suggests $2 a day wages for Australian miners
By David Edwards Wednesday, September 5, 2012 9:35 EDT Topics: Australian miners ♦ Gina Rinehart ♦ mining in Australia The world’s most wealthy woman is warning that firms are in danger of having to abandon iron-ore mining in Australia if… Read More ›
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Banks plan outside spending group to influence elections
By Alina SelyukhPosted 2012/09/05 at 4:54 pm EDT WASHINGTON, Sep. 5, 2012 (Reuters) — A major banking industry trade group is planning a foray into the U.S. elections by creating a tax-exempt organization capable of raising unlimited anonymous funds, the… Read More ›
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Consumer group sues FDA over Aricept safety
By LINDA A. JOHNSON | Associated Press – 38 mins ago TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A consumer group pressing the Food and Drug Administration to remove the highest dose of an Alzheimer’s disease drug from the market is suing the… Read More ›
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Jeremy Hunt under fire for stance on NHS tribute, homeopathy and abortion:” Leading scientists have also questioned Hunt’s suitability to be responsible for the NHS because he endorses homeopathy”
Labour claims health secretary’s apparent attempt to exclude NHS scenes from Olympic ceremony shows lack of support Denis Campbell, health correspondent guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 4 September 2012 13.48 EDT Jeremy Hunt reportedly tried to remove the NHS tribute from Danny… Read More ›
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Report: Liberian forests sold off in secret logging contracts
By Agence France-Presse Wednesday, September 5, 2012 8:04 EDT Forty percent of Liberia’s forests have been sold off in secretive and often illegal contracts, Global Witness said Tuesday, just days after the country’s president announced a probe into the issuing… Read More ›
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Concern about plans to close unique Canadian environmental project
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society The Canadian government’s plans to discontinue in 2013 a unique environmental research project that has yielded insights into water pollution, climate change and other topics for almost 40 years would be a… Read More ›
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Prenatal exposure to pesticide additive linked with childhood cough: piperonyl butoxide (PBO) used in pyrethroid pesticides
Contact: Timothy S. Paul tp2111@columbia.edu 212-305-2676 Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health Cough symptoms at age 5 and 6 appear to be unrelated to asthma or infection Children exposed in the womb to the widely used pesticide additive piperonyl… Read More ›
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Hackers steal details of a MILLION Apple users… but why did the FBI have the information anyway?: Includes FBI’s response below in Post
Questions raised over why the FBI had the data, which is believed to include user names, device names and phone numbers Antisec group claims to have over 12 million IDs – but has not released the most personal data By… Read More ›
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Eurozone demands six-day work week for Greece, set the minimum daily rest to 11 hours
Eurozone demands six-day week for Greece Government in Athens under pressure to introduce a six-day working week as part of the terms for a second bailout Ian Traynor in Brussel guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 4 September 2012 15.37 EDT Terms for… Read More ›
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Paralyzed patients regain some sensory function after neural stem cell treatment
By Michelle Castillo StemCells’ human neural stem cell (Credit: StemCells Inc.) (CBS News) For most people who are paralyzed, there is no treatment available to help them regain full function of their limbs. But, promising new research… Read More ›
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Mass. judge approves sex-change for transgender prison inmate: Serving life in prison for murder
By Eric W. Dolan Tuesday, September 4, 2012 17:00 EDT A federal judge in Massachusetts on Tuesday ordered the state’s Department of Correction to provide a transgender inmate serving life in prison for murder with sex-change surgery. U.S. District Judge… Read More ›
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Former Navy SEAL’s book on Osama bin Laden raid contains classified info that may be dangerous insight into U.S. operations, Pentagon say
By Associated Press PUBLISHED:16:09 EST, 4 September 2012| UPDATED:16:54 EST, 4 September 2012 A former Navy SEAL’s insider account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden contains classified information and may provide enemies with dangerous insight into secretive U.S…. Read More ›
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Facebook has lost more than $50bn in share value – MORE than Lehman Brothers did in year before meltdown
By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED:20:23 EST, 4 September 2012| UPDATED:22:45 EST, 4 September 2012 The botched initial public stock offering of Facebook shares has seen over $50 billion wiped off the tech-giants share price in a little over three months… Read More ›
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Only 2 percent of child drug trials have independent safety checks
Repost from 2008 Contact: Dr. Helen Sammons helen.sammons@nottingham.ac.uk University of Nottingham Only two per cent of paediatric drug trials reported using independent safety monitoring committees that can help lead to the early detection of adverse drug reactions, according to a… Read More ›
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Scientists successfully awaken sleeping stem cells: ” might be possible to turn on the eye’s own resources to regenerate damaged retinas, without the need for transplanting outside retinal tissue or stem cells,”
Contact: Patti Jacobs pjacobs12@comcast.net 617-868-0077 Schepens Eye Research Institute New hope for regenerating the human retina damaged by disease or injury Boston, MA—Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered what chemical in the eye triggers the dormant capacity of… Read More ›
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What effect does melatonin have in colitis (IBD) ? ” bacterial translocation in postcolitis rats has been reversed by melatonin administration”
Contact: Jing Zhu wjg@wjgnet.com 0086-105-908-0039 World Journal of Gastroenterology In rats with experimental colitis, the marked increase in bacterial translocation in postcolitis rats has been reversed by melatonin administration. This is due to melatonin’s anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects. Using an… Read More ›
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Pneumococcal disease rates down significantly post-vaccine: But One of the non-vaccine strains, 19A showed an increase of 264%
Contact: Jim Sliwa jsliwa@asmusa.org 202-942-9297 American Society for Microbiology Pneumococcal disease rates down significantly post-vaccine Since the approval of a vaccine against pneumococcal bacteria for young children in 2000, rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) are down significantly in all… Read More ›
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Rodent study finds artificial butter chemical harmful to lungs: inhaled diacetyl vapors for three months, developed lymphocytic bronchiolitis
Contact: Robin Mackar rmackar@niehs.nih.gov 919-541-0073 NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences A new study shows that exposure to a chemical called diacetyl, a component of artificial butter flavoring, can be harmful to the nose and airways of mice. Scientists at… Read More ›
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A cup of black tea could be the next line of defense in the threat of bio-terrorism according to international research
Contact: Professor Les Baillie bailliel@cf.ac.uk 029-208-75535 Cardiff University Is a cup of tea really the answer to everything — even anthrax? A cup of black tea could be the next line of defence in the threat of bio-terrorism according to… Read More ›
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New bacteria contaminate hairspray
Contact: Lucy Goodchild l.goodchild@sgm.ac.uk 44-011-898-81843 Society for General Microbiology Scientists in Japan have discovered a new species of bacteria that can live in hairspray, according to the results of a study published in the March issue of the International Journal… Read More ›
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Study finds bacteria may reduce risk for kidney stones: 70 percent reduction in the risk of recurrent kidney stones
Contact: Gina Digravio gina.digravio@bmc.org 617-638-8491 Boston University Boston, MA—Researchers from Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center have found that the bacteria Oxalobacter formigenes (O. formigenes), a naturally occurring bacterium that has no known side effects, is associated with a 70 percent… Read More ›
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26th Health Research Report 19 MAR 2008 – Reconstruction
Editors Top Five: 1. Mayo Clinic proceedings highlights research about cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids 2. Weight loss more effective than intensive insulin therapy for type 2 diabetics 3. Extra vitamin D in early childhood cuts… Read More ›
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Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods,…Stanford Institution Fails to List Conflict of Interest (COI) in Meta analysis: Claimed Pesticide Laden Crops are Organic
Contact: Michelle Brandt mbrandt@stanford.edu 650-723-0272 Stanford University Medical Center STANFORD, Calif. — You’re in the supermarket eyeing a basket of sweet, juicy plums. You reach for the conventionally grown stone fruit, then decide to spring the extra $1/pound for its… Read More ›
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High levels of DDT in breast milk
The highest levels ever of DDT in breast milk have been measured in mothers living in malaria-stricken villages in South Africa. The values lie well over the limits set by the World Health Organization. DDT has been used for many… Read More ›
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Binding sites for LIN28 protein found in thousands of human genes
Contact: Debra Kain ddkain@ucsd.edu 619-543-6163 University of California – San Diego Protein expression also causes changes in gene splicing IMAGE:This is Gene Yeo, Ph.D. Click here for more information. A study led by researchers at the UC San Diego Stem… Read More ›
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Christians should ‘leave their beliefs at home or get another job’:” such as wearing a cross, means they might have to resign and get another job, government lawyers have said”
Christians should leave their religious beliefs at home or accept that a personal expression of faith at work, such as wearing a cross, means they might have to resign and get another job, government lawyers have said. Nadia Eweida Photo:… Read More ›
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Witch hunts targeted by grassroots women’s groups: Yes, Actual Witch Hunts ( India )
Contact: Andy Henion, Media Communications, Office: (517) 355-3294, Cell: (517) 281-6949, Andy.Henion@cabs.msu.edu; Soma Chaudhuri, Sociology, Office: (517) 353-0874, chaudh30@msu.edu Published: Sept. 04, 2012 EAST LANSING, Mich. — Witch hunts are common and sometimes deadly in the tea plantations… Read More ›
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Smoking and natural disasters: Christchurch residents increase tobacco consumption post-earthquake
Contact: Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@europeanlung.org European Lung Foundation Vienna, Austria: The prevalence of smoking in Christchurch, New Zealand, increased following the 2010 earthquake, according to a new study. The results of the study will be presented today (4 September 2012) at… Read More ›
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Pheromone from the summer cypress Killed Mosquitoes (West Nile virus) in trials Everytime
*Reposted at Request, data known since 1999…. The government will not justify the expense in regards to human life and the environment…Engineering Evil Contact: Claire Bowles claire.bowles@rbi.co.uk 44-171-331-2751 New Scientist A burning bush could smite New York’s mosquitoes An ornamental bush… Read More ›
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Type 2 Diabetics, May be Highly Susceptible to West Nile Virus
Impaired Virus Clearance, Compromised Immune Response and Increased Mortality in Type 2 Diabetic Mice Infected with West Nile Virus Abstract Clinicoepidemiological data suggest that type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of West Nile virus encephalitis (WNVE). However, no… Read More ›
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EPA pesticide exposure test too short, overlooks long term effects: EPA only test Pesticides health effects over 4 days
Contact: Morgan Kelly mekelly@pitt.edu 412-624-4356 University of Pittsburgh Pitt research suggests EPA pesticide exposure test too short, overlooks long term effects PITTSBURGH—The four-day testing period the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commonly uses to determine safe levels of pesticide exposure… Read More ›
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Organic diets lower children’s exposure to two common pesticides
Contact: Tia McCollors tia.mccollors@emory.edu 404-727-5692 Emory University Health Sciences Center Organic diets lower children’s dietary exposure to two common pesticides used in U.S. agricultural production, according to a study by Emory University researcher Chensheng “Alex” Lu, PhD. The substitution of… Read More ›
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Organic and sustainable foods have more polyphenolics linked to health benefits
Contact: Andy Fell ahfell@ucdavis.edu 530-752-4533 University of California – Davis Organically or sustainably grown berries and corn contain up to 58 percent more polyphenolics, natural antioxidants that are a natural defense for plants and may be good for our health,… Read More ›
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Research at Great Lakes meeting shows more vitamin C in organic oranges than conventional oranges
MINNEAPOLIS, June 2 — Organically-grown oranges contain up to 30% more vitamin C than those grown conventionally, it was reported today at a Great Lakes Regional meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society. The Great Lakes… Read More ›
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A new study by Newcastle University proves that organic farmers who let their cows graze as nature intended are producing better quality milk
Contact: Sarah Cossom press.office@ncl.ac.uk 01-912-226-067 Newcastle University UK’s organic cows are cream of the crop A new study by Newcastle University proves that organic farmers who let their cows graze as nature intended are producing better quality milk. The Nafferton… Read More ›
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Scientists find organic farms have higher quality fruit, better soil, lower environmental impact
Contact: Jen Laloup jlaloup@plos.org 415-624-1220 Public Library of Science A press release from PLoS ONE Side-by-side comparisons of organic and conventional strawberry farms and their fruit found the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil… Read More ›
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Private Manned Mars Mission Gets First Sponsors
A Dutch company that aims to land humans on Mars in 2023 as the vanguard of a permanent Red Planet colony has received its first funding from sponsors, officials announced this week. Mars One plans to fund most of its… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 