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News | Archive (27 August 2009) [Page 2]
Disclosing financial conflicts of interest to research participants may not be enough
— 15:21 GMT | HealthDisclosure of financial conflicts of interests to potential participants in research is important, but may have a limited role in managing these conflicts, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins, Duke and Wake Forest. The study's recommendations provide a framework for establishing sound policy and practices for how best to disclose financial conflicts of interests to potential participants in clinical research, said Jeremy Sugarman, M.D., senior author of a paper published in the 27 August issue of The New England Journal of Medicine and the deputy director for medicine at the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins…
Getting wired: How the brain does it
— 15:16 GMT | HealthIn a new study, researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro), McGill University have found an important mechanism involved in setting up the vast communications network of connections in the brain…
A better test to detect DNA for diagnosing disease, investigating crimes
— 15:11 GMT | ChemistryResearchers in Singapore are reporting development of a new electronic sensor that shows promise as a faster, less expensive, and more practical alternative than tests now used to detect DNA. Such tests are done for criminal investigation, disease diagnosis, and other purposes. The new lab-on-a-chip test could lead to wider, more convenient use of DNA testing, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the 2 September issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication…
Nuisance or nutrient? Kudzu shows promise as a dietary supplement
— 15:06 GMT | HealthKudzu, the nuisance vine that has overgrown almost 10 million acres in the southeastern United States, may sprout into a dietary supplement. Scientists in Alabama and Iowa are reporting the first evidence that root extracts from kudzu show promise as a dietary supplement for a high-risk condition - the metabolic syndrome - that affects almost 50 million people in the United States alone. Their study appears in the current issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication…
It's not all in your head: Descending neural mechanisms of placebo-induced pain control
— 15:01 GMT | HealthA new study reveals that when it comes to pain control, the 'placebo effect' involves evolutionarily old pain control pathways in the human brainstem, the part of the brain that is continuous with the spinal cord. The research, published by Cell Press in the August 27th issue of the journal Neuron, provides fascinating mechanistic insight into how and why simply expecting that a treatment will reduce pain can act as an effective analgesic…
Scientists get first close look at stimulated brain
— 14:56 GMT | HealthFor over a century, scientists have been using electrical stimulation to explore and treat the human brain. The technique has helped identify regions responsible for specific neural functions - for instance, the motor cortex and pleasure centre - and has been used to treat a variety of conditions from Parkinson's disease to depression. Yet no one has been able to see what actually happens at the cellular level when the brain is electrically prodded…
Rats' mental 'instant replay' drives next moves
— 14:51 GMT | HealthResearchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have found that rats use a mental instant replay of their actions to help them decide what to do next, shedding new light on how animals and humans learn and remember…
This idea doesn't stink: New tech cuts industrial odours, pollutants
— 14:46 GMT | ChemistryA North Carolina State University researcher has devised a new technology that really does not stink. In fact, it could be the key to eliminating foul odours and air pollutants emitted by industrial chicken rendering facilities and - ultimately - large-scale swine feedlots…
Hankering for molecular electronics? Grab the new NIST sandwich
— 14:41 GMT | TechnologyThe sandwich recipe recently concocted by scientists working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) may prove tasty for computer chip designers, who have long had an appetite for molecule-sized electronic components - but no clear way to satisfy it until now…
Penetrating insights: NIST airframe tests help ensure better shielding for flight instruments
— 14:36 GMT | TechnologyAirline travellers are used to being instructed to turn off computers and cell phones during takeoffs and landings as a precaution against interfering with the plane's navigational equipment, but outside sources of high-energy interference can be even more dangerous. Recent tests by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will provide much needed, independent data on how electromagnetic radiation penetrates aircraft, helping to ensure continued air travel safety…
Scientists get a grip on colliding fermions to enhance atomic clock accuracy
Cosmic heavyweights in free-for-all