Culture | Page 2733 | Science Codex

What are coral reef services worth? $130,000 to $1.2 million per year

Experts concluding the global DIVERSITAS biodiversity conference today in Cape Town described preliminary research revealing jaw-dropping dollar values of the “ecosystem services” of biomes like forests and coral reefs – including food, pollution treatment and climate regulation.

Undertaken to help societies make better-informed choices, the economic research shows a single hectare of coral reef, for example, provides annual services to humans valued at US $130,000 on average, rising to as much as $1.2 million.

News in red and blue: Messages about social factors and health can backfire

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Here's a health idea that Democrats and Republicans agree on: when given information on the genetic factors that cause diabetes, both parties equally supported public health policies to prevent the disease.

But a study designed by the University of Michigan showed Republicans were less supportive of such policies after reading news reports that people with diabetes got their illness because of social or economic factors in which they live, such as lack of neighborhood grocery stores or safe places to exercise.

Physical therapists play integral role in prevention, risk reduction, and treatment of lymphedema

ALEXANDRIA, VA – As breast cancer awareness month is observed during October, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is hoping to shine a spotlight on lymphedema, a chronic, debilitating and often irreversible side effect of cancer treatment. According to APTA, breast cancer patients who seek the services of a physical therapist can reduce their risk of lymphedema, as it can be prevented or more effectively managed if caught in its earliest stages and treated by a physical therapist.

Fruit fly pest identified in wine grapes

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A newly recognized pest in Oregon continues to concern fruit growers and researchers with the recent discovery of a Spotted Wing Drosophila fly in a sample of Willamette Valley wine grapes.

Misuse of antibiotics not the only cause of resistance says report

The perception that antibiotic resistance is primarily the undesirable consequence of antibiotic abuse or misuse is a view that is simplistic and inaccurate, according to a recent report by the American Academy of Microbiology. The reasons behind the spread of resistance are much more complex, including appropriate antibiotic use, lack of proper sanitation and hygiene, and even the environment.

Patent challenges reduce pharmaceutical innovation and productivity, researchers suggest

The development of new and innovative pharmaceuticals is being stifled by a U.S. law and successful patent challenges that embolden generic competition, according to an article published in this week's issue of the journal Science.

Losing local soldiers impacts Americans' foreign policy opinions

COLUMBUS, Ohio –Americans think locally when they consider whether the loss of U.S. troops overseas warrants troop withdrawals, a new nationwide study suggests.

Researchers found that people were more likely to support withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq if one or more soldiers from their home state were killed there within the past two to three weeks.

That was true regardless of how many soldiers from other parts of the country had been killed recently, or how many total national casualties had occurred.

Are girls aware of HPV vaccine's benefits?

Contrary to concerns that the human papillomavirus vaccine might promote promiscuity, a national survey of girls and young women found that the majority of respondents did not believe the HPV vaccine protected them against other sexually transmitted infections.

The study, conducted by University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Chicago researchers, appears online and in the November issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Public urges government intervention to reduce socio-economic health Disparities

HOUSTON—October 15, 2009—As Congress debates the public health care option, a recent study reveals greater public support for reducing health care disparities among socio-economic groups (i.e. by income or education) than among racial groups. The respondents to the survey experiment, published in an upcoming issue of Social Science Quarterly, voiced strong concern about economic-based disparities and suggested government intervention would help to alleviate this imbalance.

Smoking bans promote heart health, study finds

WASHINGTON -- Smoking bans are effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks and heart disease associated with exposure to secondhand smoke, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The report also confirms there is sufficient evidence that breathing secondhand smoke boosts nonsmokers' risk for heart problems, adding that indirect evidence indicating that even relatively brief exposures could lead to a heart attack is compelling.

Europe's number 1 scientific network signs off with launch of new report

Med-Vet-Net, arguably the EU's foremost Network of Excellence, has drawn the final curtain on five years of EC funding with the launch of a new report entitled, Building a European Community to Combat Zoonoses.

The report details Med-Vet-Net's long list of scientific achievements across the spectrum of its thematic disciplines from epidemiology and surveillance to risk research and disease control.

Are the FCC's current rules constitutional and efficient?

CORAL GABLES, FL (October 14, 2009) – University of Miami Law Professor Lili Levi has recently authored a research paper titled "A 'Pay or Play' Experiment to Improve Children's Educational Television."

Children's short stay hospital admissions on the rise

The number of children being admitted to hospitals in England for short stays increased by 41 per cent between 1996 and 2006, according to research published in PLoS One today. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London, say this increase may be linked to a shortfall in out-of-hours primary care services, but further research is needed before they can draw any firm conclusions.

Color of fruits and veggies as important as quantity consumed, study suggests

Grand Rapids, Mich., Oct. 15, 2009 – While it is a well-known fact that most Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, a new report shows the color of fruits and veggies eaten can be as important as the quantity. Eight in 10 Americans are missing out on the health benefits of a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, resulting in a phytonutrient gap with potential health consequences, according to America's Phytonutrient Report released today.

Flu surveillance boosts control, treatment options, says UAB travel-clinic chief

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Because pandemics unfold in unpredictable ways, surveillance of travel-related illness is among the most powerful tools health officials and doctors can use to detect and respond to new pathogens like the novel H1N1 influenza, says the physician who heads the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Travelers' Clinic.

"Being able to track disease outbreaks in real time enables you to know, in real-time, what works and what doesn't work in terms of treatment," says David Freedman, M.D., director of the clinic.