Karen Ventii
sciencetolife
Posts by this author
July 29, 2007
A scientist from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has developed a way to make allergen-free peanuts.
The scientist, Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna, found a way to essentially inactivate peanut allergens while maintaining the taste and quality of the nuts.
Peanut and tree nut…
July 25, 2007
An Industrial Design and Technology student from Brunel University in West London has designed an air-filtering cycle helmet and respirator that will filter out air pollutants and contaminants while you ride. It may be useful for those who suffer from severe allergies or hay fever.
Would you wear…
July 23, 2007
Caution for bungee jumping enthusiasts!
The July "Images in Clinical Medicine" section of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) presents a 25-year-old patient who went bungee jumping and developed a hemorrhage in the left eye. The image was contributed by Atul K. Jain, M.D. and Michael…
July 17, 2007
Why is gambling so seductive? Author Jonah Lehrer of The Frontal Cortex explains how the neurotransmitter dopamine plays a role in the lure of gambling. Read his post here.
July 11, 2007
Scientists appear to have evidence of water on a planet outside our Solar System.
The planet is called HD 189733b and orbits a star in the constellation of Vulpecula the Fox.
The international team, which included scientists from University College London, took measurements of the planet's…
July 9, 2007
Researchers from Harvard University and McGill University are conducting research on a drug that appears to be able to "dampen" the psychological and physiological stress associated with remembering traumatic events.
The drug is called propranolol. It has been around for over two decades and the…
July 3, 2007
Bora from A Blog Around the Clock tagged me in the Eight Random Facts Meme.
Here are the rules:
1. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
2. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
3. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been…
June 29, 2007
Here's a mix of recent science stories I found interesting.
Unraveling the puzzle of pain
"Today's pain medications are not always providing as much relief as we would like. We hope these early findings will lead to new drugs, and give some hope to people with chronic nerve pain, or pain from…
June 27, 2007
A while ago I was very graciously awarded a "thinking blogger award" by the blog Nobody Important.
Here's how it works:
1.If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2.Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme
3.…
June 22, 2007
Contrary to earlier reports that estrogen replacement therapy increased the risk of heart attack and stroke, researchers are now saying that it may actually be beneficial for some women.
Here's a little back-story (taken from this LA Times article).
Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy…
June 20, 2007
You may have noticed that there is no banner for this blog. The reason is that I have no artistic talent whatsoever.
At the suggestion of one of my readers I have decided to host a banner design contest.
So here goes:
The banner must be 756 wide by 93 high.
It must represent the link between…
June 17, 2007
Scientists from The Johns Hopkins University have identified two proteins, CCSA-3 and CCSA-4, found in blood that would allow detection of colon cancer and precancerous polyps without the need for a colonoscopy.
Read more about it here and here
June 13, 2007
A consortium of UK researchers has identified genetic markers associated with common diseases like diabetes and coronary disease. The researchers identified small variations in the human genome that appear to be associated with a predisposition to certain diseases.
According to the authors, who…
June 7, 2007
Three different research groups have show that normal mouse fibroblast cells can be reprogrammed to resemble embryonic stem cells. The significance of this accomplishment has been likened to the cloning of Dolly-the first mammal cloned.
Embryonic stem cells are important as therapeutic agents due…
June 6, 2007
My recent posts have focused on different aspects of public health: from exploring the scientific advancements that have shaped global health to discussing a new way of acquiring antibiotic resistance in disease causing bacteria.
To continue the public health theme I invite you to check out…
June 6, 2007
There has been a lot of media attention on drug-resistant bacteria lately. According to the Food and Drug Administration overuse of antibiotics is the primary cause of drug resistance in disease-causing bacteria.
Researchers from Ohio State University have now uncovered another way harmful…
May 29, 2007
Vaccines, indoor plumbing, antibiotics and a better understanding of geography. These are some of the responses I obtained when I posed the following question to a panel of scientists, journalists, authors and public health experts:
What scientific advancements do you think have made the greatest…
May 23, 2007
Scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University claim to have developed a treatment for hepatitis C that can be considered a "cure".
Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of life-threatening liver cancer and cirrhosis in the United States. An estimated 4.1 million Americans…
May 17, 2007
I've always wondered if chocolate is really an aphrodisiac. So when I recently read a knowledgeable response to this question from author Anahad O'Connor I thought I'd share it with you.
He explains:
Most scientists believe that the aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate, if any, can be ascribed to…
May 14, 2007
There is a need for nurses with higher degrees to serve as faculty and train the future generation of nurses. A study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) examined the availability of nursing faculty in North Carolina. It found that nurses are not pursuing advanced…
May 9, 2007
The American Cancer Society is in search of half a million volunteers who do not currently have cancer and are willing to let researchers watch them over the next 20 years to see whether they get the disease. The idea is to try and identify the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that…
May 7, 2007
I was recently sent a book for review-Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife. It's an informative book by Cathryn Jakobson Ramin chronicling her struggle with memory loss and subsequent journey to explore drug and non-drug treatments. I found it a good read and even witty…
April 28, 2007
The latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports that 94% of physicians in the U.S. receive gifts and benefits from pharmaceutical companies in the form of free food, drug samples and sports tickets, to name a few. Despite efforts by several organizations to regulate these…
April 26, 2007
Among some of the latest stories from Science Daily comes two articles highlighting new treatment information for stroke victims.
The first article describes a potential new drug for stroke victims.The research published in the American Journal of Hypertension confirms the safety of a drug,…
April 19, 2007
Researchers from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England are using the nitrogen content of fruits and vegetables to detect falsely labeled organic produce.
The demand for organic produce has been increasing. This Discovery News article explains that "the higher prices obtained by […
April 14, 2007
In this blog post from Trusted.MD Network Keshav Chander MD asks "Why Do We Hesitate To Use Generic Drugs?" Among the responses he heard are:
-Concerns about generic drug quality
-Lower familiarity with generic drugs due to less marketing of such drugs
-Association of drug quality with drug price…
April 13, 2007
There is no scientific evidence that dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, herbs) can improve your health.
This recent CNN Health article, for example, explains that there is no scientific evidence to show that diet supplements can slow the aging process.
Some dietary supplement…
April 9, 2007
I was asked this question a while ago and found it quite interesting.
Can eating grilled meat cause cancer?
The idea that eating the charred part of grilled meat can increase your risk of certain cancers has been around for several years.
The science behind this is that when meat is exposed to…
March 29, 2007
Yesterday I wrote about a research team that has developed a protein to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria by boosting the immune system.
Now another research team from Rockefeller University has developed a modified viral protein called lysin to directly combat bacteria that thrive on a weakened…
March 28, 2007
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, aka superbugs, are a big problem in homes and hospitals everywhere.
Scientists from the University of British Columbia are tackling this problem from a different angle-by enhancing the immune system.
They have developed a small protein that, at least in mice, has…