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Better care must be taken to prevent or account for missing data in clinical trials
Smaller Estrogen Doses Improve Mood Without Memory Loss
Standing babies stay steady when focused
New gene test detects early mouth cancer risk
Chewing ability linked to reduced dementia risk
New Study Sheds Light on Cancer-Protective Properties of Milk
The mathematics of leaf decay
Not getting sleepy? Research explains why hypnosis doesn't work for all
Expansion of Space Measurement Improved
Discovery leads to new hope against ovarian cancer
Agreement will lead to commercialization of batteries for renewable energy storage
Researchers develop efficient, scalable process for making renewable liquid fuels
Mouse Model of Debilitating Lung Disease Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Suggests Potential Treatment Regimen
Work is more fun if the character fits the bill
Study adds new insight into risk of thromboembolism in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
State-Mandated Planning, Higher Resident Wealth Linked to More Sustainable City Transportation
CPU-GPU optimization could offer big power savings for drones, data centers
Watermelon shown to boost heart health, control weight gain in mice
New Gender Benchmarking Study Finds Numbers of Women in Science and Technology Fields Alarmingly Low in Leading Economies
Home-Based Assessment Tool for Dementia Screening

Better care must be taken to prevent or account for missing data in clinical trials

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:36 AM PDT

Large amounts of missing data in clinical trials can undermine the scientific credibility of the studies, according to a special report by an expert panel commissioned by the National Research Council.

The panel, chaired by Roderick Little, the Richard D. Remington Collegiate Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, also found that common current methods for analysis do not adequately adjust for missing data, sometimes leading to unjustified conclusions about the efficacy of drugs, biologic products and some medical devices.

Smaller Estrogen Doses Improve Mood Without Memory Loss

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:33 AM PDT

Ten years ago, the landmark Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) revealed that women older than 65 increased their risk for memory loss if they took estrogen to relieve the symptoms of menopause.

But new research by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) suggests that estrogen given in smaller doses to younger women just entering menopause does not worsen memory and improves mood and symptoms of depression.

Standing babies stay steady when focused

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:23 AM PDT

Babies learning to stand may look wobbly, but they are really in more control than they appear, especially when they focus and hold on to an object like a toy, according to Purdue University research.

New gene test detects early mouth cancer risk

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 07:04 AM PDT

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.

Chewing ability linked to reduced dementia risk

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:58 AM PDT

Can you bite into an apple? If so, you are more likely to maintain mental abilities, according to new research from Karolinska Institutet.

The population is aging, and the older we become the more likely it is that we risk deterioration of our cognitive functions, such as memory, decision-making and problem solving. Research indicates several possible contributors to these changes, with several studies demonstrating an association between not having teeth and loss of cognitive function and a higher risk of dementia.

New Study Sheds Light on Cancer-Protective Properties of Milk

Posted: 04 Oct 2012 06:52 AM PDT

Milk consumption has been linked to improved health, with decreased risks of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and colon cancer. A group of scientists in Sweden found that lactoferricin4-14 (Lfcin4-14), a milk protein with known health effects, significantly reduces the growth rate of colon cancer cells over time by prolonging the period of the cell cycle before chromosomes are replicated. In a new study, investigators report that treatment with Lfcin4-14 reduced DNA damage in colon cancer cells exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. Their results are published in the October issu

The mathematics of leaf decay

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 02:17 PM PDT

The colorful leaves piling up in your backyard this fall can be thought of as natural stores of carbon. In the springtime, leaves soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, converting the gas into organic carbon compounds. Come autumn, trees shed their leaves, leaving them to decompose in the soil as they are eaten by microbes. Over time, decaying leaves release carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Not getting sleepy? Research explains why hypnosis doesn't work for all

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 02:02 PM PDT

Not everyone is able to be hypnotized, and new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine shows how the brains of such people differ from those who can easily be.

The study, published in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, uses data from functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging to identify how the areas of the brain associated with executive control and attention tend to have less activity in people who cannot be put into a hypnotic trance.

Expansion of Space Measurement Improved

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 12:06 PM PDT

A team of astronomers, led by Wendy Freedman, director of the Carnegie Observatories, have used NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to make the most accurate and precise measurement yet of the Hubble constant, a fundamental quantity that measures the current rate at which our universe is expanding. These results will be published in The Astrophysical Journal and are available online.

Discovery leads to new hope against ovarian cancer

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:49 AM PDT

Scientists at USC have discovered a new type of drug for the treatment of ovarian cancer that works in a way that should not only decrease the number of doses that patients need to take, but also may make it effective for patients whose cancer has become drug-resistant.

The drug, which so far has been tested in the lab on ovarian cancer cells and on mice tumors, was unveiled last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Agreement will lead to commercialization of batteries for renewable energy storage

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:41 AM PDT

A Washington state firm with a 27,000 square foot manufacturing and design facility in Mukilteo has signed a license agreement with Battelle to further develop and commercialize a type of advanced battery that holds promise for storing large amounts of renewable energy and providing greater stability to the energy grid.

The agreement with UniEnergy Technologies LLC is intended to advance and commercialize "redox flow" battery technology.

Researchers develop efficient, scalable process for making renewable liquid fuels

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Using simple technology developed primarily for producing electricity from hydrogen, a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology of South Korea has developed what could be a commercially viable, continuous process for converting biomass and electricity into renewable liquid transportation fuels.

Mouse Model of Debilitating Lung Disease Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Suggests Potential Treatment Regimen

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:15 AM PDT

LAM, short for pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis, affects about 1 in 10,000 women of childbearing age and is characterized by proliferation of smooth muscle-like cells in the lung, destruction of lung tissue, and growth of lymphatic vessels. The disease is caused by inactivation of either of two genes, TSC1 or TSC2, but to date no animal model has been able to replicate the pathologic features those mutations produce in humans.

Work is more fun if the character fits the bill

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:06 AM PDT

Anyone who can apply his or her personal character strengths in his or her career experiences more enjoyment, flow and meaning at work. These people are also more satisfied with their job and perceive it more as a calling. This is the result of two large-scale studies conducted by a team of psychologists from the University of Zurich. The studies provide key insights for the selection of personnel and human resources development.

Study adds new insight into risk of thromboembolism in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 11:00 AM PDT

Earlier studies have shown that people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to develop blood clots in the legs or lungs - venous thromboembolism - especially in conjunction with hospitalisation. It has therefore been suggested that people with RA be given routine anticoagulants when admitted to hospital. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now shown in a large-scale registry study that although this patient group is indeed more likely to develop thromboembolisms, the risk is different to what was previously feared.

State-Mandated Planning, Higher Resident Wealth Linked to More Sustainable City Transportation

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 10:55 AM PDT

Transportation practices tend to be more environmentally friendly in wealthier metropolitan areas located within states that mandate comprehensive planning, new research suggests.

The study involved an examination of 225 U.S. metropolitan areas between 1980 and 2008 to gauge how sustainable their transportation practices were and determine what kinds of socioeconomic factors appeared to influence those practices.

CPU-GPU optimization could offer big power savings for drones, data centers

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 09:47 AM PDT

The speed boost that a powerful computer processor can provide seems great, but the electric bill can be a real shocker. Not unlike choosing between a Ford Mustang and a Toyota Prius, faster processors require more energy to run, making them more expensive for their users.

While speed versus power consumption is an ever-present tradeoff in designing computer processors, Nam Sung Kim is optimizing processors in a way that delivers both speed and energy efficiency and, for example, could save billions of dollars in electrical costs for data centers.

Watermelon shown to boost heart health, control weight gain in mice

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 09:40 AM PDT

Eating an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but eating watermelon may just keep the cardiologist at bay.

A study from Purdue University and University of Kentucky showed that mice fed a diet including watermelon juice had lower weight, cholesterol and arterial plaque than a control group. The findings, reported in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, suggest that citrulline, a compound found in watermelon, plays a role in cardiovascular health.

New Gender Benchmarking Study Finds Numbers of Women in Science and Technology Fields Alarmingly Low in Leading Economies

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:10 AM PDT

In the first study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields are alarmingly low in the world’s leading economies, and are actually on the decline in others, including the United States. The study maps the opportunities and obstacles faced by women in science across the US, EU, Brazil, South Africa, India, Korea and Indonesia.

Home-Based Assessment Tool for Dementia Screening

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:05 AM PDT

With baby boomers approaching the age of 65 and new cases of Alzheimer’s disease expected to increase by 50 percent by the year 2030, Georgia Tech researchers have created a tool that allows adults to screen themselves for early signs of dementia. The home-based computer software is patterned after the paper-and-pencil Clock Drawing Test, one of health care’s most commonly used screening exams for cognitive impairment.