Body | Page 610 | Science Codex

Chondroitin + glucosamine sulfate may provide no benefits for patients with knee osteoarthritis

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) plus glucosamine sulfate (GS) was no better than placebo for reducing pain and function impairment in a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of 164 patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Although the use of CS and GS has been recognized since the 1970s, there has been limited data concerning their efficacy for treating knee osteoarthritis. Additional research may provide valuable insights on what role CS+GS therapy might play in the management of osteoarthritis.

Combat exposure may jeopardize the behavioral health of women in the military

In a recent study, combat exposure among Army enlisted women was associated with an increased likelihood of developing behavioral health problems post-deployment, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and at-risk drinking.

UTHealth research shows that Brighter Bites helps children, families eat healthier

HOUSTON - (Aug. 1, 2016) - Brighter Bites, a school-based program that combines the distribution of donated produce with nutritional education and a fun food experience for low-income families in food desert areas, was successful in improving the intake of fruits and vegetables in first-grade children and their parents, according to a new study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Food desert areas are defined as neighborhoods with limited access to fresh produce.

Research targets number one killer of under-5s

Oxford researchers are developing a tool to make it much easier and cheaper to diagnose pneumonia -- the number one killer of children under 5. Their latest research is published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

Currently, correctly diagnosing pneumonia and understanding how severe it is requires specialist doctors and expensive equipment like X-ray machines. Neither is available to community health workers in developing nations, where 99% of the annual 1.1 million childhood pneumonia deaths happen.

Flow diagnostics breakthrough for hydraulic capsule pipeline

PIPELINES that carry capsules containing almost any type of freight over long distances have the potential to become an important, cost-effective and environmentally friendly form of transportation. Now, research by a University of Huddersfield scientist has led to the development of mathematical models that can ensure new pipeline systems are designed to be as economic and efficient as possible.

Experts assess changes to breast cancer screening recommendations

A new article discusses the evidentiary support for the recent changes made by the American Cancer Society in its recommendations for breast cancer screening. In addition to modifying the suggested ages for annual and biannual mammography, the new recommendations also focus on patient preference in decision making.

Ultracompact photodetector

Data traffic is growing worldwide. Glass-fiber cables transmit information over long distances at the speed of light. Once they have reached their destination, however, these optical signals have to be converted into electrical signals for subsequent processing in the computer. KIT researchers have now developed a novel type of photodetector that needs far less space than conventional ones. The component has a base area of less than one millionth of a square millimeter without the data transmission rate being affected adversely. The corresponding article is published in the Optica journal.

Hidden tooth infections may predispose people to heart disease

Hidden dental root tip infections are very common: as many as one in four Finns suffers from at least one. Such infections are usually detected by chance from X-rays.

"Acute coronary syndrome is 2.7 times more common among patients with untreated teeth in need of root canal treatment than among patients without this issue," says researcher John Liljestrand.

Clinical usefulness of bone turnover marker concentrations in osteoporosis

A new review published by a joint scientific working group of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) finds that current evidence continues to support the potential for bone turnover markers (BTMs) to provide clinically useful information for monitoring osteoporosis treatment. (1)

The IFCC-IOF Working Group for the Standardization of Bone Marker Assays concluded that:

How 5-star online customer reviews can backfire

It may be counterintuitive, but the more positive online reviews a product gets may actually lead to a net negative profit for the retailer. That's the conclusion of new research by a team of marketing experts from a Dutch and a German university that will be published in the September 2016 issue of the Journal of Retailing.

Colonel Sanders was ahead of his time

Instilling trust among first-time customers has been a problem for online retailers since the dawn of e-commerce. Now research shows that sometimes the simplest of fixes can reassure would-be buyers.

Child's home address can help guide health care

A child's home address may be enough information to identify children and families at risk for more severe cases of asthma due to social and economic hardships. In fact, the home address could guide risk assessment starting the moment a family arrives and registers in the hospital or at the doctor's office.

Treatment strategy under development has 2 arms to get a secure grip on cancer

AUGUSTA, Ga. (Aug. 2, 2016) - Scientists have engineered a sort of biological barbell that can get inside cancer cells and do damage to two proteins that work independently and together to enable cancer's survival and spread.

Their therapeutic strategy includes a molecule on either end called an aptamer that targets, in this case, prostate cancer. Sandwiched in between are two smaller molecules, called siRNAs, that, once delivered inside the cell, can destroy the messenger RNA making those proteins.

Cardiac complications from energy drinks? Case report adds new evidence

August 2, 2016 - The high levels of caffeine in energy drinks may lead to cardiac complications, suggests a case report in the July/August Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

The oceans are full of barriers for small organisms

Subtle and short-lived differences in ocean salinity or temperature function as physical barriers for phytoplankton, and result in a patchy distribution of the oceans' most important food resource. The new research from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen may help explain the large biodiversity in the sea.