LS,
RN11 - May 2007
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Strategy for reducing the risk of obesity in children
Nutritious school lunches and a ban on sweets, buns and sweetened
drinks in school caused the relative number of overweight or fat 6 to
10-year olds to fell by 6 per cent in the schools. The control group of
schools that had not introduced specific rules for sweets and
food/drink saw an increase in the relative number of overweight or fat
children of 3 per cent.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070427114223.htm
Genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes
With the aging of the population and the frequent excesses of
modern lifestyles, type 2 diabetes and cardiac risk factors constitute
a looming threat to human health, particularly in industrialized
nations. The DGI study is one of the first large-scale studies of human
genetic variability, aiming to reveal genetic connections to type 2
diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors such as blood insulin
levels, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight. Each of
these traits is considered "complex" because it involves a mix of
inherited, environmental and behavioral factors.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=24275
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=69271&nfid=crss
http://brightsurf.com/news/headlines/30195/Genome-wide_search_unearths_surprising_clues_for_diabetes_and_triglycerides.html
Migraine sufferers have a higher risk of stroke
People with migraines also may be suffering from some brain damage
as brain cells swell and become starved of oxygen . Findings suggest
that migraine sufferers should not simply get pain relief but should
take drugs that prevent the migraine, which is often preceded by a
series of visual disturbances that can include flashes of light or
black spots.
http://health.yahoo.com/news/174605
Migraines Associated With Increased Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease In
Men
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070423185548.htm
Better risk management could cut MRSA infection rates
The larger — and busier — an NHS hospital is, the higher the MRSA
infection rate, research from the Nottingham University Business School
has revealed. The introduction of higher risk management standards,
including hand hygiene and infection control measures, reduced the
incidence of infection in hospitals by between 11 and 20 per cent after
allowing for all other variations in infection rates.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/uon-brm042607.php
Food Preparation May Play A Big Role In Chronic Disease
A class of toxins, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs),
are absorbed into the body through the consumption of grilled, fried,
or broiled animal products, such as meats and cheeses. AGEs, which are
also produced when food products are sterilized and pasteurized, have
been linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, vascular and
kidney disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070424155559.htm
Fossil Arctic animal tracks point to climate risks
Fossil footprints of a pantodont, a plant-eating creature weighing
about 400 kg (880 lb), add to evidence of sequoia-type trees and
crocodile-like beasts in the Arctic millions of years ago when
greenhouse gas concentrations in the air were high.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070424/sc_nm/mine_norway_dc
Bird flu pandemic spells doomsday disaster
The next pandemic may cause very high morbidity and mortality in a
few weeks. It could cause one billion cases and two to seven million
deaths," said Jean-Marc Olive, the organisation's country
representative for the Philippines.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20070424161735681C946068
Map Predicting Spread Of Avian Flu
The 2003 epidemic of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in
the Netherlands is the only recent epidemic of HPAI in the developed
world. Gert-Jan Boender and colleagues have examined the data from this
outbreak and produced a model which can predict the probability of
infection from one farm to another; the 'transmission kernel'.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070418115231.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/plos-mps041807.php
Wi-Fi: Children at risk from ‘electronic smog’
Britain’s top health protection watchdog is pressing for a formal
investigation into the hazards of using wireless communication networks
in schools amid mounting concern that they may be damaging children’s
health.
http://www.health.am/ab/more/wi-fi-children-at-risk-from-electronic-smog/
Public health risks of Salmonella in pigs
Salmonella infects hundreds of thousands of people each year in the
EU mainly due to contaminated food including pig meat. The European
Food Safety Authority has been asked by the European Commission to
quantitatively assess the public health risks of Salmonella in pigs.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/news/fsnews.cfm?newsid=18370
Ethanol Vehicles A Health Hazard
Results of the computer simulations were striking. Stanford
scientists found that E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent
gasoline) vehicles reduce atmospheric levels of two carcinogens,
benzene and butadiene, but increase two others - formaldehyde and
acetaldehyde, as a result, cancer rates for E85 are likely to be
similar to those for gasoline. However, E85 significantly increased
ozone, a prime ingredient of smog.
http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20070318010112data_trunc_sys.shtml
http://health.yahoo.com/news/174218
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/su-evp041207.php
Contamination in GM crop raises concern
Recurring incidents of contamination in various genetically
modified crops such as corn and rice have led to growing concerns about
the consumption safety of genetically engineered varieties. Monsanto’s
MON863, a variety of genetically modified corn, caused signs of liver
and kidney toxicity as well as hormonal changes in rats in a study
conducted by researchers from the Committee for Independent Research
and Genetic Engineering at the University of Caen in France.
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c.php?leftnm=10&autono=281628
Nanoparticles Can Damage DNA, Increase Cancer Risk
Nanoparticles are small enough to penetrate cell membranes and
defenses, yet they are large enough to cause trouble by interfering
with normal cell processes. Tissue studies indicate that nanoparticles,
engineered materials about a billionth of a meter in size, could damage
DNA and lead to cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417154357.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=66815&nfid=crss
New Satellite Coverage In South America To Limit Effects Of Natural
Disasters
South Americans, and millions more in the Western Hemisphere, are
benefitting from the reposition of NOAA's GOES-10 spacecraft, a move
designed to lessen the effects of natural disasters in the region.
NOAA's GOES satellites orbit Earth's equator at a speed matching the
planet's rotation, allowing them to hover over one position. They
provide scientists with detailed weather measurements and frequent
imagery used to develop short-term forecasts that help protect life and
livelihoods.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070415122022.htm
Study adds data that vegetables reduce cancer risk
A large study of 500,000 American retirees has found that just one
extra serving of fruit or vegetables a day may reduce the risk of
developing head and neck cancer.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-04-16T134016Z_01_N15230797_RTRUKOC_0_US-CANCER-VEGETABLES.xml
Millions At Risk Of Hunger And Water Stress In Asia
Food and water shortages are likely to increase in Asia unless
action is taken to curb the rise in greenhouse gases according to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Increasing
temperatures and extreme weather patterns are already taking their toll
on crop yields which are declining in many parts of the Continent.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070410134724.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6532323.stm
U.S. details risk from China satellite debris
The United States, Australia and Canada have voiced concerns to
China over the first known satellite-killing test in space in more than
20 years.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16689558/
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-04-11T033113Z_01_N10445766_RTRUKOC_0_US-SPACE-USA-CHINA.xml
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17952518/
Biosafety labs urged to report accidents and near misses
A prominent US biosecurity think tank has called for labs that deal
with high-risk biological agents to be far more thorough in reporting
their accidents and near-misses.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/news/fsnews.cfm?newsid=18283
Solar bursts may threaten GPS
The Global Positioning System, relied on for everything from
navigating cars and airplanes to transferring money between banks, may
be threatened by powerful solar flares. Solar activity has 11-year
cycles, with the next peak expected in 2011.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17950932/
Radiation risk 'like pollution'
Air pollution may be a bigger risk to health than exposure to
radiation, such as that after the Chernobyl disaster, a study suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6518125.stm
EU fuel push 'may damage forests'
The EU recently announced plans to double the biofuel total by
2020. One government official told the BBC: "The policy is running
ahead of the science; we have to be very careful that this doesn't all
go badly wrong." The problem is the scale of the enterprise. Many
biologists warn there is simply not enough land on the planet to feed a
growing number of people who are hungry for more protein, but also want
to run cars on fuel from plants.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6516893.stm
Tuna populations at risk of collapse
The quota for this season’s fishery is more than double that
recommended by scientists to avoid the high risk of collapse. The
global conservation organization is calling on the EU to voluntarily
heed scientific advice and hold back 50 per cent of its quotas to help
conservation.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070330223539.htm
Risk of schizophrenia linked to genetic locus
A team of scientists uncovered evidence of a novel genetic locus
that appears to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. The
work, which covered roughly 500,000 SNPs, revealed that a locus
(rs4129148) near the CSF2RA and IL3RA gene was significantly associated
with schizophrenia. Those two genes produce receptors for two
cytokines, GM-CSF and interleukin-3.
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=14921058&source=genwire
compiled by PBP
risk (-at-) sciencemedia.eu