Tech | Page 1710 | Science Codex

Race, obesity affect outcomes among diabetics following prostatectomy

DURHAM, N.C. – Obese white men who have both diabetes and prostate cancer have significantly worse outcomes following radical prostatectomy than do men without diabetes who undergo the same procedure, according to research from Duke University Medical Center appearing in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Many studies have shown that diabetes is associated with a lower risk of developing prostate cancer -- at least in white men -- but the effect of diabetes on outcomes after prostate cancer surgery has not been as clear.

Bering Strait influenced ice age climate patterns worldwide

BOULDER--In a vivid example of how a small geographic feature can have far-reaching impacts on climate, new research shows that water levels in the Bering Strait helped drive global climate patterns during ice age episodes dating back more than 100,000 years.

Quantum computer calculates exact energy of molecular hydrogen

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- In an important first for a promising new technology, scientists have used a quantum computer to calculate the precise energy of molecular hydrogen. This groundbreaking approach to molecular simulations could have profound implications not just for quantum chemistry, but also for a range of fields from cryptography to materials science.

Super cyclone Edzani staying safely at sea spawning super swells

It's a good thing that Cyclone Edzani is far away from land and will stay that way this weekend, because it's a powerful cyclone. In fact it's a Category 4 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale generating waves almost as tall as a three-story building!

On January 8 at 10 a.m. ET (1500 UTC), Cyclone Edzani had maximum sustained winds near 155 mph! That's 135 knots or 250 kilometers per hour, and it has higher gusts. Edzani's powerful hurricane-force winds extend out 40 miles from its center, while tropical storm-force winds extend up to 130 miles from the center.

Blood glucose self-monitoring: No benefit for noninsulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes

ACP To Congress: 'Health reform bill must help ensure supply of primary-care physicians'

Washington, January 7, 2010 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) today sent a letter to key legislators urging them to ensure that the final health care reform bill includes provisions to support the primary care workforce.

"Recent studies show that the U.S. faces a shortage of more than 40,000 primary care physicians, even before taking into account increased demand for primary care associated with increased coverage," said ACP President Joseph W. Stubbs, MD, FACP in the letter.

New system helps explain salmon migration

RICHLAND, Wash. – A new acoustic telemetry system tracks the migration of juvenile salmon using one-tenth as many fish as comparable methods, suggests a paper published in the January edition of the American Fisheries Society journal Fisheries. The paper also explains how the system is best suited for deep, fast-moving rivers and can detect fish movement in more places than other tracking methods.

Staying safe in snow

The inviting expanse of shimmering snow contrasts with the benign blue sky above. The ski instructor briefly goes over the planned run, his first charge glides off into the distance … and sets off a slab avalanche. The group all look on helplessly as their friend is buried under a wall of snow. Bernhard Budaker of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA knows this kind of scenario is all too common.

Echinoderms contribute to global carbon sink

The impact on levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere by the decaying remains of a group of marine creatures that includes starfish and sea urchin has been significantly underestimated.

"Climate models must take this carbon sink into account," says Mario Lebrato, lead author of the study. The work was done when he was at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS) and affiliated with the University of Southampton's School of Ocean and Earth Science (SOES); he is now at the Leibniz Institute of Marine Science in Germany.

Volunteering may prevent the elderly from becoming frail

Frailty is a geriatric condition marked by weight loss, low energy and strength, and low physical activity. UCLA researchers followed 1,072 healthy adults aged 70 to 79 between 1988 and 1991 to determine if productive activities — specifically volunteering, paid work and child care — prevent the onset of frailty.

UF urologists use robot to shave time off vasectomy reversal

University of Florida urologists have used robot-assisted surgery to cut about 20 minutes off average surgery time for conventional vasectomy reversal using a microscope.

Sperm count after surgery is comparable over a year for the two procedures, but the robotic procedure appears to result in a quicker return of sperm count.

"For a couple that's trying to get pregnant, this is a big deal," said Sijo Parekattil, M.D., director of male infertility and microsurgery at UF, who led the study.

ACP To Congress 'Health reform bill must help ensure supply of primary-care physicians'

Washington, January 7, 2010 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) today sent a letter to key legislators urging them to ensure that the final health care reform bill includes provisions to support the primary care workforce.

"Recent studies show that the U.S. faces a shortage of more than 40,000 primary care physicians, even before taking into account increased demand for primary care associated with increased coverage," said ACP President Joseph W. Stubbs, MD, FACP in the letter.

Study finds increased presence, severity of coronary artery plaques in HIV-infected men

A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) study has found that relatively young men with longstanding HIV infection and minimal cardiac risk factors had significantly more coronary atherosclerotic plaques – some involving serious arterial blockage – than did uninfected men with similar cardiovascular risk. The investigation appearing in the January 2010 issue of the journal AIDS is the first to use CT angiography to identify coronary artery plaques in HIV-infected participants.

IU study: Screening and treating girls doesn't reduce prevalence of chlamydia in teens

INDIANAPOLIS – Frequent testing and treatment of infection does not reduce the prevalence of chlamydia in urban teenage girls, according to a long term study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers published in the January 1, 2010 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Blood glucose self-monitoring: No benefit for non-insulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes

This release is available in German.