science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Σάββατο 16 Ιουνίου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

Changes needed for oft-ignored prescription warning labels
Low-Dose Vitamin D May Not Prevent Fractures in Healthy Women – What about Higher Doses?
Answer Isn't Always on the 'Tip of the Tongue' for Older Adults
Carnegie Mellon-Led Research Team Finds Knowledge Of Fractions and Long Division Predicts Long-Term Math Success
Cancer’s Next Magic Bullet May Be Magic Shotgun
Smaller forms of amyloid a possible target for Alzheimer's
Researchers use nanotechnology to harness the power of fireflies

Changes needed for oft-ignored prescription warning labels

Posted: 15 Jun 2012 03:23 PM PDT

Each year, an estimated 4 million Americans experience adverse reactions to prescription medications. Many of these reactions, ranging from mild rashes and drowsiness to hospitalization and death, could be avoided if warning labels were more effective, according to a Michigan State University study.

Low-Dose Vitamin D May Not Prevent Fractures in Healthy Women – What about Higher Doses?

Posted: 15 Jun 2012 01:17 PM PDT

Vitamin D and calcium are dietary requirements, but it’s unclear how much is best for us. New draft findings by the United States Preventive Services Task Force conclude that for healthy, postmenopausal women, daily supplementation with low levels of vitamin D — up to 400 international units — combined with 1,000 milligrams of calcium, does not reduce fracture risk.

However, this amount of supplementation is associated with a small but significantly increased likelihood of developing painful kidney stones, according to the task force.

Answer Isn't Always on the 'Tip of the Tongue' for Older Adults

Posted: 15 Jun 2012 12:50 PM PDT

Has your memory failed you today, such as struggling to recall a word that's "on the tip of your tongue?" If so, you're not alone.

New University of Michigan research indicates that "tip-of-the-tongue" errors happen often to adults ages 65-92. In a study of 105 healthy, highly-educated older adults, 61 percent reported this memory mishap.

Carnegie Mellon-Led Research Team Finds Knowledge Of Fractions and Long Division Predicts Long-Term Math Success

Posted: 15 Jun 2012 11:46 AM PDT

From factory workers to Wall Street bankers, a reasonable proficiency in math is a crucial requirement for most well-paying jobs in a modern economy. Yet, over the past 30 years, mathematics achievement of U.S. high school students has remained stagnant — and significantly behind many other countries, including China, Japan, Finland, the Netherlands and Canada.

Cancer’s Next Magic Bullet May Be Magic Shotgun

Posted: 15 Jun 2012 11:33 AM PDT

A new approach to drug design, pioneered by a group of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Mt. Sinai, New York, promises to help identify future drugs to fight cancer and other diseases that will be more effective and have fewer side effects.

Smaller forms of amyloid a possible target for Alzheimer's

Posted: 15 Jun 2012 09:27 AM PDT

In a new study published in the scientific journal Neurology, scientists at Karolinska Institutet show that smaller forms of amyloid known as oligomers may be significant in the development of Alzheimer's disease - and are therefore a possible target for future drugs. These new findings add another piece to the puzzle of the complex dementia disease that affects so many people.

Researchers use nanotechnology to harness the power of fireflies

Posted: 15 Jun 2012 08:37 AM PDT

What do fireflies, nanorods, and Christmas lights have in common? Someday, consumers may be able to purchase multicolor strings of light that don’t need electricity or batteries to glow. Scientists at Syracuse University found a new way to harness the natural light produced by fireflies (called bioluminescence) using nanoscience. Their breakthrough produces a system that is 20 to 30 times more efficient than those produced during previous experiments.