Montreal, September 29, 2008 – Parents who smoke cigarettes around their kids in cars and homes beware – second-hand smoke may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in children. The findings are published in the September edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors in a joint study from nine Canadian institutions.
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CLEMSON, SC — Nursery and greenhouse operations depend on the use of fertilizers, growth regulators, insecticides, and fungicides. Growers also rely on the use of soilless media, or substrate, in the production of container crops. Concerns arise when excessive irrigation of the container crops grown in soilless media leads to leaching and loss of nutrients and chemicals in runoff. The resulting runoff can escape from production areas and have a negative impact on surface and ground water.
RALEIGH, NC - The Fraser fir is gaining popularity among American consumers looking for beautiful, long-lasting Christmas trees. Consumers favor Fraser fir for its conical shape, dark green foliage, pleasant aroma, and excellent needle retention.
LAS CRUCES, NM– Pecan and other hickory woods are the third most popular hardwood group in the United States, behind only black walnut and black cherry. Used in production of beautiful hardwood flooring and furniture, pecan is highly valued for its durability and strength.
KENTVILLE, NOVA SCOTIA — Cranberries are tart, tiny fruits packed with powerful antioxidants. The small, red berries offer a wide variety of health benefits. Not only are cranberries a healthy, low-calorie snack, but they can also play a significant role in preventing urinary tract infections, reducing the risk of gum disease and much more. In fact, studies show that the significant amounts of antioxidants in cranberries may help protect against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
Web-based academic discussions could well be the way forward for cost-effective and tailored continuing education for health professionals. China's interactive Orthochina.org wiki project for orthopaedic surgeons is an example of the potential of such internet training for continuing medical education. Zhen-Sheng Ma of the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, China, and his colleagues thoroughly evaluated this online tool and will publish their results (1) in the October issue of Springer's journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Jeroen Bominaar set out to improve the new measurement technique, apply it and study its effect. The method involves directing a focused laser beam in a single line in an airflow, which results in some of the nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the line being converted into nitric oxide molecules. Shortly afterwards the line of new molecules is irradiated with a second laser and this causes the molecules to fluoresce. As these molecules move with the airflow, the speed of the airflow can be accurately measured.
Ann Arbor, Mich. – Physical activity is the cornerstone of any healthy lifestyle – and especially for people with osteoarthritis as exercise helps maintain good joint health, manage their symptoms, and prevent functional decline. Osteoarthritis, however, often makes physical activity, such as exercise, and even performing daily activities, a challenge.
Rugby players may get more than just the ball out of a scrum – herpes virus can cause a skin disease called "scrumpox" and it spreads through physical contact. Researchers have studied the spread of the disease among sumo wrestlers in Japan and have discovered that a new strain of the virus could be even more pathogenic, according to an article published in the October issue of the Journal of General Virology.
Viruses dramatically increase cellular metabolism, and existing anti-obesity drugs may represent a new way to block these metabolic changes and inhibit viral infection, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, has invented a unique user-friendly gel that can liquefy on demand, with the potential to revolutionize three-dimensional (3D) cell culture for medical research.
NASA's Phoenix Scout Lander reached Mars on May 25,, opened a soils lab, and started looking for water. Phoenix uses a robotic scoop arm to deliver regolith samples to the suite of instruments aboard the Lander--with one exception. The thermal and electrical conductivity probe designed by a team of research scientists at Decagon Devices Inc. is actually mounted on the robotic arm and makes direct contact with the regolith. It measures thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, electrical conductivity, and dielectric permittivity of the regolith, as well as vapor pressure of the air.
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient involved in vision, growth, cellular differentiation, and immune function. Because vitamin A is fat-soluble, it is chaperoned through the body on carrier proteins. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a study funded by USDA and NIH, discovered that not only was one of the carrier proteins for vitamin A, retinol-binding protein (RBP), elevated in obese individuals compared to leaner controls, but some of it was not attached to retinol, the main circulating form of the vitamin.
ALEXANDRIA, VA, September 25, 2008 — The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging female athletes — particularly soccer players — to consider a new warm-up program to help lower their growing risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The announcement comes as APTA celebrates National Physical Therapy Month this October, an annual observance designed to educate the public about the important role physical therapists and physical therapist assistants play in the health care system.
ARGONNE, Ill. (September 25, 2008) – A light-transmitting compound that could one day be used in high-efficiency fiber optics and in sensors to detect biological and chemical weapons at long distance almost went undiscovered by scientists because its structure was too difficult to examine.