Researchers Assess Risks Associated With Living In Low-lying Coastal Areas May 16, 2006
Low-elevation coastal zones, those regions of the planet within 100km of a coast and below 10m in elevation, account for only about 2 percent of the world’s land area, but are home to roughly 10 percent of the world’s population, more than half of which live in urban areas. These regions are in danger of flooding in the face of rising sea level and increasing storm activity.
Holes In Heart Not A Common Cause Of Stroke In General Population, Study Finds
Having a hole in the upper chamber of the heart is not as significant in causing stroke in the general population as previous studies have suggested, finds a new Mayo Clinic study. The findings call into question the need for surgeries to close the holes in many such patients.
Newly Discovered Protein Could Hold Key To Preventing Heart Disease
A newly discovered gene known as MCPIP could provide scientists with the key to developing treatments for preventing inflammation that can cause heart disease, University of Central Florida researchers have discovered.
Polycystic Kidney Disease: MRI Provides An Early Alert To Progression
A new method using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accurately tracks structural changes that predict functional changes earlier than standard blood and urine tests in people with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). PKD is a common inherited condition characterized by cysts that grossly distort the kidneys and liver and by high blood pressure and brain aneurysms (bulges in arteries). Findings are in the May 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Plant Protection From Cold Decoded
In response to cold, plants trigger a cascade of genetic reactions that allow them to survive. University of California, Riverside Professor of Plant Cell Biology Jian-Kang Zhu has described how a little-known biochemical reaction regulates that genetic cascade.
Ancient Tomb Sheds New Light On Egyptian Colonialism
In approximately 1550 B.C., Egypt conquered its southern neighbor, ancient Nubia, and secured control of valuable trade routes. But rather than excluding the colonized people from management of the region, new evidence from an archaeological site on the Nile reveals that Egyptian immigrants shared administrative responsibilities for ruling this large province with native Nubians.
South Pacific Plant May Be Missing Link In Evolution Of Flowering Plants
A new University of Colorado at Boulder study involving a "living fossil plant" that has survived on Earth for 130 million years suggests its novel reproductive structure may be a "missing link" between flowering plants and their ancestors.
Study Indicates Widely-used Nutritional Supplement Does Not Improve Cholesterol Levels
A new study suggests that use of the nutritional supplement policosanol does not lower cholesterol levels any more than placebo, apparently contradicting the results of previous studies, according to a study in the May 17 issue of JAMA.
Tobacco Smoke Linked To Allergic Rhinitis In Infants
University of Cincinnati (UC) epidemiologists say it’s environmental tobacco smoke — not the suspected visible mold — that drastically increases an infant’s risk for developing allergic rhinitis by age 1.
Targeting Lung Cancer
As reported in the June 1 issue of G&D, Drs. Katerina Politi, Harold Varmus and colleagues at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York have developed a novel animal model of lung adenocarcinoma that will be of great use in testing the efficacy of targeted therapies against human lung cancer.
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