Culture | Science Codex

Coalition changes towards the 'big society' given lukewarm response by SME's, survey shows

Plans by the coalition government for new social enterprises and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to help build the 'big society' have been given short shrift in online surveys of businesses and business advisers run by The University of Nottingham.

Respondents quizzed in the UK Business Barometer and UK Business Adviser Barometer surveys showed a general lack of enthusiasm over the Con-Dem plans to move away from services provided by the public sector towards more social enterprises — firms run for social or environmental gain rather than profit.

Effects of El Nino land South Pacific reef fish in hot water

Effects of El Nino land South Pacific reef fish in hot water

Longevity breakthrough: The metabolic state of mitochondria controls life span

If you think life's too short, then you're not alone. A team of scientists from Texas set out to find what it would take to live a very long life and they made important discoveries that bring longer life spans much closer to reality. A new research report featured on the cover of The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), describes how scientists "activated" life extension in the worm, C. elegans, and in the process discovered a new metabolic state correlating with long life.

Surprising AIDS treatment benefits, prevention strategy in epidemic regions of Africa

Two teams of researchers at UC San Diego and other U.S. and African universities and the World Bank have documented significant spillover benefits of a drug therapy to combat AIDS symptoms and a novel prevention strategy that focuses on girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, an area with two-thirds of the world's HIV infections.

Sleepless soldiers: Study suggests that military deployment affects sleep patterns

DARIEN, IL - A study in the Dec. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found thatdeployment to Iraq and Afghanistan significantly influenced sleepquality and quantity in a population of 41,225 military servicepersonnel. The study suggests that the promotion of healthier sleeppatterns may be beneficial for military service members.

Active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer may offer better quality-of-life

In a study that compared initial treatment strategies for low-risk prostate cancer among men 65 years old, active surveillance showed higher measures on quality of life compared to an initial treatment such as radical prostatectomy, although the optimal strategy was highly dependent on individual patient preferences for surveillance or treatment, according to a study in the December 1 issue of JAMA.

Dosing directions, measuring devices appear inconsistent for many children's liquid medications

An examination of 200 of the top-selling cough/cold, allergy, analgesic and gastrointestinal over-the-counter liquid medications for children finds that there have been high levels of variability and inconsistencies regarding medication labeling and measuring devices, according to a study that will appear in the December 15 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its public health importance.

Instructions on over-the-counter medications for children are found to be confusing

Instructions on boxes and bottles of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for children in the United States are confusing and hard for parents to understand and follow, according to a study in the December 1 issue of JAMA.

5.7 million Californians lack access to job-based coverage

Most Americans receive health insurance coverage through their employer, or through an employed family member's dependent coverage. Yet having a job is no guarantee of coverage, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

Using data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the brief's authors found that one-fifth of Californians under age 65 who lived in households with at least one employed family member — or 5.7 million – had no access to job-based health insurance in 2007.

ASH's 52nd Annual Meeting and Exposition showcases the latest advances in the field

(ORLANDO, November 30, 2010) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will host its 52nd annual meeting at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, December 4-7. More than 20,000 attendees are expected for this event, which will highlight emerging research trends in the diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of blood disorders.

SRC-1 controls liver's 'sweet spot' for glucose production

HOUSTON - (Dec.

Social support is most effective when provided invisibly

New research by University of Minnesota psychologists shows how social support benefits are maximized when provided "invisibly"—that is without the support recipient being aware that they are receiving it.

The study, "Getting in Under the Radar: A Dyadic View of Invisible Support," is published in the December issue of the journal Psychological Science.

In the study, graduate student Maryhope Howland and professor Jeffry Simpson suggest there may be something unique about the emotional support behaviors that result in recipients being less aware of receiving support.

Legalizing child pornography is linked to lower rates of child sex abuse

Legalizing child pornography is linked to lower rates of child sex abuse

Could making child pornography legal lead to lower rates of child sex abuse? It could well do, according to a new study by Milton Diamond, from the University of Hawaii, and colleagues.

Vitamin D and calcium -- updated dietary reference intakes from IOM

Vitamin D and calcium have been the focus of much research since the Institute of Medicine set nutritional reference values for them in 1997. Known as Dietary Reference Intakes, the values for these and other nutrients serve as a guide for good nutrition and provide the scientific basis for the development of food guidelines in both the United States and Canada. Updated DRIs for these two nutrients are presented in a new IOM report, Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D, which will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

Caffeinated alcoholic beverages -- a growing public health problem

San Diego, CA, November 30, 2010 – In the wake of multiple state bans on caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs) and an FDA warning to four companies to remove their products from the marketplace, an article published online today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine delineates the scope of the public health problem and suggests areas of research that might help address it.