Body | Page 3522 | Science Codex

Without competition, island frogs evolve rapidly

Scientists led by Ben Evans of McMaster University have documented the rapid evolution of new fanged frog species on the island of Sulawesi, near the Philippines.

The team found 13 species of fanged frog on the island, nine of which hadn't previously been described. The species differ in body size, amount of webbing in their feet, and even how they raise their young—all in accordance with the demands of their distinct ecological niches. Sulawesi has the same number of fanged frog species as the Philippine archipelago.

More warming needed: New study shows that Florida's reefs cannot endure another 'cold snap'

Remember frozen iguanas falling from trees during Florida's 2010 record-breaking cold snap? Well, a new study led by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science shows that Florida's corals also dropped in numbers due to the cold conditions.

The chilly January temperatures caused the most catastrophic loss of corals within the Florida Reef Tract, which spans 160 miles (260 kilometers) from Miami to the Dry Tortugas and is the only living barrier reef in the continental U.S.

Hand-held unit to detect cancer in poorer countries

EAST LANSING, Mich. — An engineering researcher and a global health expert from Michigan State University are working on bringing a low-cost, hand-held device to nations with limited resources to help physicians detect and diagnose cancer.

Sensor chip for monitoring tumors

A surgery is usually one of the first therapy options in cancer treatment. However, some tumors, such as brain tumors, can be difficult to operate on if there is a risk of damaging surrounding nerve tissue. Other cancerous tumors, such as prostate carcinoma, grow at a very slow rate and primarily affect older patients. Operating in these cases often lowers patients' quality of life without significantly extending their life expectancy.

Results of medication studies in top medical journals may be misleading to readers

Studies about medications published in the most influential medical journals are frequently designed in a way that yields misleading or confusing results, new research suggests.

Investigators from the medical schools at UCLA and Harvard analyzed all the randomized medication trials published in the six highest-impact general medicine journals between June 1, 2008, and Sept. 30, 2010, to determine the prevalence of three types of outcome measures that make data interpretation difficult.

Children with congenital heart disease at risk from harmful toxins

Babies and toddlers with congenital heart disease are at an increased risk of having harmful toxins in their blood, particularly following surgery, according to research by a team at Imperial College London.

The study, published today in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that children with high levels of toxins from gut bacteria in their blood are likely to take longer to recover from surgery and spend more time in intensive care.

Herbal plant for illegal abortions also stops lethal bleeding after birth

A number of plants which are used for illegal abortions in Tanzania can make the uterus tissue contract and so can also be used to stop lethal bleedings after birth. This new knowledge can be conveyed in rural Tanzania where access to medicine often is limited.

Degrading proteins to divide cells

From bacteria to humans, all forms of life are based on the capacity of one cell to divide into two or more identical daughter cells. In doing so, cells have to produce a copy of their genetic material (DNA) and separate it into two identical sets, one for each daughter cell. Immediately after duplication and before its segregation, DNA is packed in chromosomes that consist of two identical strands joined at a point along their length, called centromeres.

Single parents and gay couples face rental housing discrimination: UBC study

A new University of British Columbia study finds single parents and male gay couples face significant discrimination in the Metro Vancouver rental housing market, compared to straight couples.

Overall, the study finds that same-sex male couples are nearly 25 per cent more likely to be rejected by landlords seeking renters, while single parents are approximately 15 per cent more likely to be rejected.

Child-care facilities can do more to promote healthy eating and physical activity among preschoolers

Philadelphia, PA, August 26, 2011 – Eating and physical activity habits for a lifetime can develop at an early age. As the use of preschool child care increases and the prevalence of childhood obesity is at an all-time high, the opportunity to positively impact eating and exercise habits within this setting presents itself. A review in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association describes and evaluates research addressing opportunities and strategies for the prevention of obesity among preschool children in child-care settings.

Prognostic indicator - new scoring can tell doctors how long cancer patients have left to live

A new scoring system can more reliably predict whether patients with advanced cancer are likely to survive for "days", "weeks" or "months" finds a study.

Patients with advanced cancer and their carers often wish to know how long they have left to live. This information is also important for clinicians to help them plan appropriate care. Clinician predictions of survival are the mainstay of current practice, but are unreliable, over-optimistic and subjective.

Vitamin A supplements for children could save 600,000 lives a year

Children in low and middle income countries should be given vitamin A supplements to prevent death and illness, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.

The researchers argue that the effectiveness of vitamin A supplementation is now so well-established that further trials would be unethical, and they urge policymakers to provide supplements for all children at risk of deficiency.

Government-led efforts targeting eating habits of children needed to curb worldwide obesity epidemic

Boston, MA – The global obesity epidemic has been escalating for decades, yet long-term prevention efforts have barely begun and are inadequate, according to a new paper from international public health experts published in the August 25, 2011 edition of the journal The Lancet. Noting that many countries lack basic population-wide data on children's weight and height, the authors call on governments around the world to launch a coordinated effort to monitor, prevent, and control obesity, and the long-term health, social and economic costs associated with it.

Cell receptor could allow measles virus to target tumors

Canadian researchers have discovered that a tumor cell marker is a receptor for measles virus, suggesting the possible use of measles virus to help fight cancer. Their findings appear in the Open Access journal PLoS Pathogens on August 25th.

Viruses cause infection by attaching to specific proteins on cell surfaces called receptors. Dr. Chris Richardson of Dalhousie Medical School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and colleagues found that the tumor cell marker, PVRL4 (Nectin 4), is a receptor for measles virus.

Research shows heat in chili peppers can ease sinus problems

CINCINNATI—Hot chili peppers are known to make people "tear up," but a new study led by University of Cincinnati allergy researcher Jonathan Bernstein, MD, found that a nasal spray containing an ingredient derived from hot chili peppers (Capsicum annum) may help people "clear up" certain types of sinus inflammation.