|
|
|
|
Obesity is associated with reduced sensitivity to fatNew research found marked differences between obese and lean men in how they respond to the taste of fat. Fat also is less effective in obese men in stimulating certain gut hormones that are released into the bloodstream and normally suppress appetite.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 9:00 am Vaccine-delivery patch with dissolving microneedles eliminates 'sharps,' boosts protectionA new vaccine-delivery patch based on hundreds of microscopic needles that dissolve into the skin could allow persons without medical training to painlessly administer vaccines -- while providing improved immunization against diseases such as influenza.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 9:00 am Major league pitchers 34 percent more likely to be injured than fielders, new study findsWatch out if you are a Major League Baseball pitcher prior to the All-Star break. Pitchers are 34 percent more likely to be injured than fielders, according to new research. The study looked into the epidemiology of MLB players' injuries from 2002-2008. It also found that 77 percent of all injuries to pitchers happen before the All-Star game.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 9:00 am Old males rule the roost even as sex drive fadesOld roosters can still dominate the sexual pecking order even when their ability to fertilize eggs drastically declines, new research has shown.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 9:00 am 'Business as usual' crop development won't satisfy future demand, research findsAlthough global grain production must double by 2050 to address rising population and demand, new data suggests crop yields will suffer unless new approaches to adapt crop plants to climate change are adopted. Improved agronomic traits responsible for the remarkable increases in yield accomplished during the past 50 years have reached their ceiling for some of the world's most important crops.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 9:00 am New principle discovered for how muscle pain is signaledChronic muscular pain may be linked to a previously unknown principle for how pain signals are transmitted in the human body, according to new research from Sweden.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 9:00 am Unusual electrons go with the flowOn a quest to discover new states of matter, a team of scientists has found that electrons on the surface of specific materials act like miniature superheroes, relentlessly dodging the cliff-like obstacles of imperfect microsurfaces, sometimes moving straight through barriers.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 6:00 am HIV/AIDS treatment curbs spread of HIV among drug users, study findsHighly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), currently known for its therapeutic benefits against HIV, also reduced the spread of the virus among people with a history of injection drug use, according to new research.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 6:00 am How cranberry juice fights bacteria at the molecular levelRevealing the science behind the homespun advice, researchers have identified and measured the molecular forces that enable cranberry juice to fight off urinary tract infections. The research illuminates the basic mechanics of E. coli infections, which has implications for developing new antibiotic drugs and infection-resistant materials for invasive medical devices.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 6:00 am Greater obesity in offspring of nursing mothers consuming a high-fat dietThe future health of offspring is more negatively impacted when their mothers consume a high fat diet while nursing compared with high-fat diet consumption during pregnancy, according to animal research.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 6:00 am Model of supersonic car unveiledThe British team hoping to drive a car faster than 1,000mph unveils a full-scale model of the vehicle at the Farnborough air show.Source: BBC News - Science & Environment | 19 Jul 2010 | 3:19 am China begins oil spill clean-upChina launches an operation to clean up an oil spill in the Yellow Sea after two oil pipelines exploded causing a massive fire.Source: BBC News - Science & Environment | 19 Jul 2010 | 2:33 am BP ordered to draft new plan after oil seepage (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 2:00 am Nations to seek clean energy cooperation (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 1:55 am Most vulnerable nations pledge climate action (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 1:34 am Spill probe eyes anomalies in crew's response: report (Reuters)Reuters - U.S. authorities probing BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are looking into why workers missed signs of an impending explosion and have drawn up a list of more than 20 anomalies in the crew's response to them, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 19 Jul 2010 | 1:30 am Testing a 'Cycle Superhighway'The first of London's Cycle Superhighways is being launched, covering an 8.5 mile commuter route from south London into the city centre.Source: BBC News - Science & Environment | 19 Jul 2010 | 12:49 am Vaccination Patch Could Make Immunizations Painless
For most people, the worst thing about getting a vaccination is the big, scary hypodermic needle. So researchers have invented a new vaccine-delivery system that replaces the large single needle with 100 tiny dissolvable ones embedded in a Band-Aid–like patch. The new patch can immunize mice against influenza just as effectively as conventional needle vaccination, its developers report online July 18 in Nature Medicine.
Once the microneedles pierce the skin, they dissolve into the surrounding bodily fluid, releasing the vaccine in the process. The whole thing takes anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes, Sullivan says. Since the patch just needs to be slapped on and can be stored at room temperature, medical training and careful handling aren’t required. People could pick up the patches from the pharmacy or even get them in the mail and vaccinate themselves, says Sullivan, who now works for medical device manufacturer Becton, Dickinson and Company. The researchers say that the patch could be used to replace a number of needle vaccinations, including the annual flu shot. “This is an attractive approach,” says vaccinologist Kathryn Edwards of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, who was not involved in the study. But she adds that more studies are needed before this method could be adopted for humans. “As we know, mice are not men. Whether this would be equally effective in humans as in mice is obviously a question that needs to be investigated.”
With the microneedle patch, the vaccine is delivered into the immune-cell–rich skin. A number of studies have shown that skin-based delivery of vaccines is more effective than injections into muscle, says study coauthor Mark Prausnitz of Georgia Tech. Because of this stronger response, the patch might make it possible to get equal protection with lower doses of vaccine. Physician Wilbur Chen of the Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore says the new patch “might prove a powerful public health tool.” Chen points out that the patch might be especially helpful in developing countries, where electricity to keep liquid vaccines cold is in short supply, and needles and trained medical personnel are scarce. The team hasn’t conducted studies to see how long the patches can sit at room temperature, but Sullivan predicts that they would be stable on the order of months. Prausnitz says that the cost of the microneedle patch would be similar to current needle-based vaccines. He adds that the technology is ready for clinical trials, which he anticipates in the next couple of years. Images: 1) A portion of a dissolving microneedle patch compared to a U.S. nickel coin./Sean Sullivan. 2) This sequence of images shows microneedles dissolving into pig skin before, one minute after and five minutes after pressing into the skin./Sean Sullivan. See Also:
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 19 Jul 2010 | 12:46 am US fears Gulf seabed oil seepageUS officials fear oil may be seeping from the ocean floor near the stricken Gulf of Mexico well, and order BP to submit a plan to lessen wellhead pressure.Source: BBC News - Science & Environment | 19 Jul 2010 | 12:45 am Badger cull warning to Wales farmersThe Royal Welsh Show opens in Powys on Monday with a warning to farmers not to think of breaking the law by killing badgers on their land.Source: BBC News - Science & Environment | 19 Jul 2010 | 12:40 am US Orders BP to Report on 'Seep' at Gulf Oil WellHydrocarbons have been detected near the capped gusher, experts are investigating the source.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Jul 2010 | 8:29 pm Flu jab could be replaced by skin patchScientists believe the flu patch could increase influenza vaccination rates in developing countries The conventional flu jab could be replaced by a skin patch applied by patients which would deliver the vaccine through hundreds of microscopic needles that penetrate the outer layer of the skin before dissolving. The scientists behind the development of the patch believe it could significantly increase influenza vaccination in developing countries, as it can be administered by someone with no medical training, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine. The patch is placed on the skin and left for 5-15 minutes, meaning the cost of mass vaccination could be vastly reduced via self-medication. The patches would also eliminate dangers posed by dirty needles, particularly in countries where conditions such as HIV and hepatitis are endemic. Scientists in the US designed a 100-needle patch that was first tested for its ability to penetrate pig skin, which is about the same thickness as human skin. The microscopic needles are made of biodegradable plastic that painlessly inoculate patients then dissolve harmlessly without trace. The patch could greatly enhance flu vaccination programmes in the developing world, where re-use of hypodermic needles leads to the spread of infections such as HIV and hepatitis B, the study proposed. The patches do not need to be stored in refrigerators and would remove the risk of resource-strapped health services re-using dirty needles, as well as the problem of their safe disposal. "We envision people getting the patch in the mail or at a pharmacy and then self-administering it at home," said Dr Sean Sullivan, from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, which carried out the study. "Because the microneedles on the patch dissolve away into the skin, there would be no dangerous sharp needles left over." Flu vaccination is recommended every winter for older people and those vulnerable to complications from an influenza infection, costing the NHS a considerable amount of money. Although the study focused on flu, the scientists believe the technique could also be extended for use with other vaccines. Professor Mark Prausnitz, who led the study, said: "The dissolving microneedle patch could open up many new doors for immunisation programmes by eliminating the need for trained personnel to carry out the vaccination. This approach could make a significant impact because it could enable self-administration as well as simplify vaccination programmes in schools and assisted living facilities." Tests on mice found those vaccinated with the microneedles fought off influenza infections better than those rodents that received traditional hypodermic needle jabs. Prof Prausnitz, said: "We have shown that a dissolving microneedle patch can vaccinate against influenza at least as well, and probably better than, a traditional hypodermic needle." Measuring 650 microns in length – three-hundredths of an inch – the microneedles and are believed to be too short to stimulate the skin's pain receptors but long enough to penetrate its protective layer. More animal trials are required before the patches can be tried on volunteers. It may require many more years of trials before it becomes a routine vaccination. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 18 Jul 2010 | 6:39 pm Scientists to make detailed map of Calif. coast (AP)AP - Scientists will be using laser beams, computer software and airplanes to piece together what they say will be the most detailed map ever assembled of the California coastline.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Jul 2010 | 5:58 pm Vaccine patch may replace needlesA vaccine patch could cut out the need for painful needles and boost the effectiveness of immunisation against diseases like flu.Source: BBC News - Science & Environment | 18 Jul 2010 | 5:34 pm Found: Sri Lankan primate thought to be extinct for 60 yearsResearchers photograph and measure the Horton Plains slender loris, but fear there could be fewer than 100 left alive A mysterious primate driven to the brink of extinction by Britain's taste for tea has been photographed for the first time. The Horton Plains slender loris, found only in Sri Lanka, was for more than 60 years believed to be extinct. Then one was spotted fleetingly in 2002 when a light shone in its eyes and was reflected. Researchers have now managed to get the world's first pictures of the animal. More than 1,000 night surveys were carried out in 120 forested regions by Sri Lankan researchers working in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The loris was found in half a dozen regions and researchers managed to capture three live specimens long enough to measure them. The prime reason for the animal's rarity is the loss of its natural forest habitat, which has been largely destroyed by the drive to create tea plantations. The loss of land to other crops also contributed. Estimates suggest there are just 100 left, putting it among the world's top five most threatened primates. But so little is known about the animal that numbers could be below 60 – which would make it the rarest species. Dr Craig Turner of ZSL said: "There's been a lot of loss of habitat historically. Forest covered much of the south-west area of Sri Lanka, but it's been cleared for agriculture and tea estates. "More recently they've been cleared for firewood collection. We are now left with a very few islands of forest that aren't connected. "Because they [lorises] are so rare and because for many years they were thought to be extinct, virtually nothing is known about them." guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 18 Jul 2010 | 5:06 pm Will our oceans ever recover?Jay Nelson, director of Global Ocean Legacy at the Pew Environment Group, joins us to consider how we can protect the world's oceans and whether islanders are willing to be subjected to tough restrictions. We also discuss the Chagos Archipelago, the UK's most important area of marine biodiversity. It's one small step for a mongrel ... We discover how stray dogs helped Yuri Gagarin make history. Space communications manager Kevin Yates takes us on a tour of the new Space Race exhibition at the National Space Centre in Leicester, which features a canine high-altitude suit designed by the Russians at the height of their battle with the Americans to control space. View our exclusive behind-the-scenes video of the exhibit as the suit is unpacked from its protective box and put on display. As the dust settles on the 'climategate' emails saga, the Guardian assembled an impressive line-up of experts to debate what the affair did - and did not - reveal about research into global warming. Listen to a small section of the 100-minute recording, or hear the debate in its entirety here. Eighty-eight years after Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered by Howard Carter, only a fraction of the 5,000 objects unearthed have been properly studied and published. Hopefully that's about to change thanks to the internet and 15 years of hard work as the excavation notes are published online. Jo Marchant went to the Griffith Institute in Oxford where the archive is now held. Follow the podcast on our Science Weekly Twitter feed and receive updates on all breaking science news stories from Guardian Science. Email scienceweeklypodcast@gmail.com. Join our Facebook group. Listen back through our archive. Subscribe free via iTunes to ensure every episode gets delivered. (Here is the non-iTunes URL feed). Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 18 Jul 2010 | 5:01 pm Inception’s Flawed Science and LogicThe hit film Inception is a interesting mind-bender, but does damage to logic and science along the waySource: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Jul 2010 | 4:55 pm Flash floods stain Singapore's reputation as urban paradise (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Jul 2010 | 4:26 pm NASA telescope made in Utah set to finish survey (AP)AP - A telescope made by Utah State University's Space Dynamics Lab for NASA is on track to complete its first sky survey.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Jul 2010 | 3:35 pm Watching a gene at workHow human proteins are made from DNA can be followed in real time.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/news/rss/today/~4/kz8fv8OPSkk" height="1" width="1"/>Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 18 Jul 2010 | 3:00 pm Geoengineering can't please everyoneAdding aerosols to the atmosphere will not counter global warming in all regions.Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 18 Jul 2010 | 3:00 pm Microneedles may make getting flu shots easier (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Jul 2010 | 2:57 pm Subterranean Living May Await Moon and Mars ColonistsSubsurface lava tubes could provide much-needed shelter for lunar and Mars colonists.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 18 Jul 2010 | 1:46 pm Goldacre on Gillian McKeith, tweeterGillian McKeith claims that Ben Goldacre's book Bad Science is 'lies'. Perhaps the litigious millionaire should be careful who she libels What do you do, as a campaigner for libel reform, when a litigious millionaire calls you a liar? This quandary was presented to me last week when the Twitter account of Gillian McKeith – or to give her full medical title, "Gillian McKeith" – called my book Bad Science "lies". Now, first, there is little doubt that this is actionable, and basically undefendable. "Lies", I know from seven years of exposing dodgy claims, is one word you never use in England: even if you can show that someone was obviously wrong, even that they probably knew they were wrong, you still need to show that they deliberately distorted the truth, and that's almost always impossible, without direct access to their thoughts. So I have a strong case against the litigious millionaire, and a reasonably good reputation for honesty to defend. And although I believe libel laws stifle debate in science at great risk to public health, there's no issue of science here. But I've always believed that in most cases a simple correction, with the same prominence as the initial libel, should be sufficient. That's why I contacted @gillianmckeith to ask: could she please just tweet "Bad Science by Ben Goldacre is not lies." That would be fine with me. But by now all hell had broken loose. @gillianmckeith's Twitter feed was filled with the abuse of a random passing Twitterer, and long tweets explaining how Dr McKeith's PhD from a non-accredited correspondence college was entirely valid. Then they all disappeared. The tone shifted: instead of first person stuff about Gillian's life and family, lots of third person PR tweets appeared. Then they disappeared. Then, as more than 1,000 people were tweeting about her, making it the top trending topic on Twitter, @gillianmckeith announced "do you really believe this is real Twitter site for the GM?" Yes, replied the geeks. The Twitter account @gillianmckeith is linked to gillianmckeith.info, explained some. Then that link was deleted. Ah, explained others: only half-deleted. If you look at the "source code" for the page, the link is there, just temporarily inactivated. And that Twitter account is still linked from gillianmckeith.tv, Gillian's YouTube page. Yes, we believe this is the real Twitter site for the real Gillian McKeith. So if you're going to play silly buggers online, at least do it competently. And don't call investigative journalists liars. You never know: we might sue too. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 18 Jul 2010 | 1:00 pm Night Sky's Great Globular Cluster Visible In Telescopes (SPACE.com)SPACE.com - A fascinating deep sky object called the Great Globular Cluster can currently be found in telescopes looking nearly overhead on clear summer nights, and there's good story behind how it and other objects are classified.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Jul 2010 | 8:32 am Microsoft and NASA Team Up On 3-D Space Images (SPACE.com)SPACE.com - WorldWide Telescope, Microsoft’s galactic version of Google Earth, has been steadily increasing its fidelity ever since it launched in 2008. Now, thanks to a new collaboration with NASA, WorldWide Telescope has produced the most detailed spherical image of the heavens to date, along with a new 3-D, true color map of the surface of Mars.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 18 Jul 2010 | 8:32 am Cages Change Mice Brains, Lab Studies QuestionedResearch results may not be trustworthy.Source: Livescience.com | 18 Jul 2010 | 8:21 am Tough Love: Some Marriages Thrive on Blame and CriticismWhat works for happy couples might not work for those with more problems, new research suggests.Source: Livescience.com | 18 Jul 2010 | 8:07 am
|
