Periodontitis inhibited by anti-inflammatory activity

Researchers in Canada have found that cranberry juice has anti-inflammatory activity, thus helping fight against periodontitis. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting oral tissues, which occurs when inflammation or infection of the gums (gingivitis) is left untreated or treatment is delayed. As the authors put it:

This suggests that cranberry constituents may offer perspectives for the development of a new therapeutic approach to the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.

Technorati Tags: periodontitis, gingivitis, cranberry, juice, biology, science

Engineers baffled by lack of stereotype

A study by Dr Wendy Faulkner from the University of Edinburgh found that very few engineers fit the classic stereotype. By interviewing 66 men and women engineers working in a range of industries, she found that "women and men engineers alike get excited about technology" and that "many different types of men and women enjoy engineering work".

The study shows in detail how topics of conversation, humour and social activities often reflect men’s interest and ways of bonding. This can leave women on the margins socially, and make it difficult for women to break into the ‘inner circles’ that influence how the job gets done and who gets promoted.

Technorati Tags: women, engineers, engineering, science, technology

Children more at risk of bacterial infection

A new study about the effects of exposure to smoking on children has come up with ominous results: children exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to carry higher levels of harmful bacteria, called Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Researchers in Israel conducted a surveillance study of more than 200 young children and their mothers. They swabbed the noses and throats of the subjects to determine bacterial carriage rates, and then analyzed the data based on the children’s and mothers’ exposure to smoking. They found that smoking mothers and their have higher bacterial counts.

So think twice before smoking near kids!

Technorati Tags: smoking, children, respiratory disease, Streptococcus pneumoniae, medicine, biology, science

Methane, ozone, and human lives in simulation

By running computer simulations looking at methane and ozone levels, Princeton University scientists estimate that approximately 370,000 lives will be saved between 2010 and 2030.

Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to the rising levels of ozone in the atmosphere. By controlling methane emissions, we can control ozone levels. This study looked at health benefits and controlling methane emissions, and found that a mere 20% reduction in methane levels starting in 2010 would save thousands of lives world-wide.

In another encouraging finding, the scientists looked at the cost associated with reducing methane levels and estimated it at approximately $420,000 per saved life (remember, this is over a 20-year period). Without going into the maths too much, they go on to show that the cost is actually very reasonable.

Technorati Tags: methane, ozone, pollution, greenhouse, science

Exams good for students

In a study that has students around the world running in fear, researchers found that tests help students memorize better.

The setup was very simple: In two experiments, one group of students studied a prose passage for about five minutes and then took either one or three tests, receiving no feedback on the accuracy of answers. Another group received no tests in this phase, but was allowed another five minutes to restudy the passage.

Finally, all students were test five minutes, two days or one week later. When the final test was presented five minutes after the last study or testing session, the study-study-study-study (SSSS) group initially scored better, recalling 81% of the passage as opposed to 75% for the repeated-test group.

However, tested just two days later, the study-only group had forgotten much of what they had learned, already scoring slightly lower than the repeated-test group. Tested one week later, the study-test-test-test group scored dramatically better, remembering 61% of the passage as compared with only 40% by the study-only group.

"Taking a memory test not only assesses what one knows, but also enhances later retention, a phenomenon known as the ‘testing effect,’" said Professor Roediger, the lead researcher.

Technorati Tags: memory, learning, psychology, testing effect, students, biology, science

Altruism might be genetic

Why do people help strangers? This question has interesting evoluionary roots: by helping strangers, it’s not immediately obvious what the advantages are in evolutionary terms. Actually, altruism in general is an interesting idea to study from an evolutionary perspective. As confusing as our understanding of it is, there is no doubt it does happen routinely in human life.

So where does human altruism come from? Is it solely due to social pressures, along the lines of ‘you have to be nice’, or does it have genetic roots? To answer that, researchers in Germany studied how babies interact and help each other. Babies as young as 18 months "quite readily help others to achieve their goals in a variety of different situations". This suggests that altruism is genetic, because society has not had time to teach those babies.

Interestingly, by doing the same study on chimpanzees, the researchers found that chimps also have the same altruistic signs, but they were not as clear as in humans. These results follow from an earlier study on chimpanzee collaborations.

So where do things stand? Well, given that altruism is a fact of life, and now there is evidence that it might be genetic, we need to look really hard at why it happens. We cannot ignore the question any more in the face of all this mounting evidence. Whatever the answer turns out to be, finding it will force us to explore many interesting evolutionary questions.

Technorati Tags: altruism, evolution, humans, chimpanzees, genetics, biology, science

Dermatitis allergens according to Mayo Clinic

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have published a top ten list of skin allergens that cause contact dermatitis.

Contact dermatitis is common among all age groups and can cause minor annoyance to more severe handicaps, according to Mark Davis, M.D., Mayo Clinic dermatologist and lead study researcher. "Patients with contact dermatitis can get a very itchy rash from head to toe, or in a confined area," he says. "If it’s on the hands and feet it can be disabling, and patients at times can’t do their jobs."

Studying 3,854 patients over five years, they produced this list:

• Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate): metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing
• Gold (gold sodium thiosulfate): precious metal often found in jewelry
• Balsam of Peru (myroxylon pereirae): a fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions, derived from tree resin
• Thimerosal: a mercury compound used in local antiseptics and in vaccines
• Neomycin sulfate: a topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments, also found occasionally in cosmetics, deodorant, soap and pet food
• Fragrance mix: a group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes and dental products
• Formaldehyde: a preservative with multiple uses, e.g., in paper products, paints, medications, household cleaners, cosmetic products and fabric finishes
• Cobalt chloride: metal found in medical products; hair dye; antiperspirant; objects plated in metal such as snaps, buttons or tools; and in cobalt blue pigment
• Bacitracin: a topical antibiotic
• Quaternium 15: preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish and sunscreen or in industrial products such as polishes, paints and waxes

Technorati Tags: allergens, dermatitis, Mayo Clinic, biology, science

EU Directive having negative impact on cancer research

One of the interesting intersections of science and society is how governments regulate scientific research. It can range from who gets funding to regulations about what research can be done, and what research cannot be done. Laws and regulations are particularly tricky: if you ban some kinds of research, you lose competitive advantage, but if you laws are too lax, you might end up wasting money.

The EU, it now transpires, might have messed up cancer research with a directive implemented in 2004. The directive’s goals "were to improve the protection of patients and the reliability of research reporting and to harmonise and increase the competitiveness of European clinical research.". However, it seems to have misfired. Writing in the British Medical Journal, experts have sounded a grave warning: the number of new trials fell from 19 in 2004 to 7 in 2005 (63% decrease), a third fewer patients were enrolled, trial costs increased by 85%, insurance costs doubled to 140 million euros, and patients’ access to new treatments has been hindered.

As ever, all is not lost. The EU is currently drafting new directives, and hopefully, this will all be fixed.

Technorati Tags: EU, cancer, cancer research, clinical trials, biology, science

MRSA hides in amoeba and gets antibiotic resistance

MRSA, which stands for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a kind of bacteria that is resistant to most known antibiotics (hence its nickname of ‘Superbug’). It causes problems in hospitals and elsewhere because it is very difficult to treat.

Researchers have been focusing on how MRSA develops antibiotic resistance, how it avoids antibiotics in the first place, and how it persists in the environment (outside the body). Now, scientists at the University of Bath, UK, report that amoebae promote persistence of epidemic strains of MRSA. Basically, this means that the MRSA bacteria hide inside amoeba cells. Worse, amoeba have a mechanism to disperse widely in the envornment: they form tiny cysts (think of them as dust) that are easily blown away. The ameoba and their cysts also stick to common objects such as walls.

What does this mean? We now know about a new and important mechanism of MRSA spread. This will help us in fighting the emergence of antibiotic resistance bacteria and hopefully help in its eradication.

Technorati Tags: MRSA, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, biology, science