Tips from the journals of the American Society for Microbiology
...tient with rheumatoid arthritis. The samples were analyzed and one strain was identified as Nocardia farcinica, while the other revealed unique properties distinguishing it from other established Nocardia strains. All data collected indicated a new Nocardia species now referred to as Nocardia arthritidis. ...New York City study shows newborns more susceptible to pollution than their mothers
...l Harlem and the South Bronx. The researchers then analyzed the samples for the presence of two key biomarkers -- carcinogen-DNA adducts, which are protein complexes formed when a chemical binds to molecules of DNA, and cotinine, a measure of second-hand tobacco smoke exposure, since the mothers were all nons...North Shore-LIJ research collaboration with Correlogic Systems to advance ovarian cancer blood test
...red women over the next two years. Samples will be analyzed immediately to expand validation of the blood test, and in subsequent months to provide additional information that may help extend clinical use of the test. The North Shore-LIJ Health System, the parent of the North Shore-LIJ Research Institute, tre...Ecology drives the worldwide distribution of human diseases
...ological diversity on the planet, few studies have analyzed the factors affecting the spatial distribution of these organisms or attempted to quantify their contribution to biodiversity. In this issue, Vanina Guernier, Michael Hochberg, and Jean-Francois Guegan address the influence of ecological factors on t...Calcium supplements associated with decreased risk of large bowel polyps
...th Medical School in Lebanon, N.H., and colleagues analyzed data from 913 patients enrolled in the Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients took either a 1200 mg calcium supplement or a placebo and had a follow-up colonoscopy 1 and 4 years after enrolling ...Changes to insect-seeking calls of horseshoe bats may drive new species formation
...ference -- that of species divergence. When they analyzed the recorded echolocation calls of the bats, Kingston and Rossiter found each size variant calls at a different acoustic variation of one fundamental frequency: 13.5 kHz. They found the large form calls at 27 kHz, the medium one at 40.5 kHz, and the...All ecosystems are equally productive under drought conditions
...bara. At the workshops, the scientists studied and analyzed the data. What they found surprised them. One hypothesis was that ecosystems that have great variabilty in precipitation, such as grasslands, would be the most responsive to rainfall. More predictable regions, such as deserts or w...Study finds that only half of a commonly used cancer drug is activated in cancer patients
...he University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, analyzed data from 31 cancer patients given 30-minute infusions of gemcitabine to determine what percentage of the drug dose was associated with concentrations that exceeded the body's ability to activate the drug. He found that while approximately 50 percent...Earstones tell fishes' tale of early life in the Colorado River estuary
... off bits of otolith one layer at a time. She then analyzed each layer for different forms of oxygen, called isotopes, to see where the fish lived each year of its life. Fresh water has relatively more of the lighter form of oxygen, oxygen-16, so layers with more oxygen-16 represented years that the fish had ...Researchers identify two potential protein targets for new drug therapies for pancreatic cancer
...or outcome," Cohen explained. The researchers analyzed 29 tumor specimens from patients who had curative surgery, comparing them to normal and borderline tumor samples. Pancreatic cancer is characterized by a dense surrounding desmoplasia, or inflammatory reaction, which they hypothesized may contribute...Researchers identify genetic markers to predict response to chemotherapy for colorectal cancer
...affected response and side effects, the laboratory analyzed DNA in blood samples taken during a multi-site clinical trial to test an investigational combination chemotherapy regimen for metastatic colorectal cancer. The patients received intravenous irinotecan once a week and twice-daily tablets of the drug ...UW-Madison scientists find a key to cell division
...late midbodies from hamster ovary cells. They then analyzed and identified more than 500 proteins contained in...nserved the process of cell division is." The team analyzed 160 key proteins - including 103 not previously known to function in cell division - and found that ...U-M scientists use 21st-century technology to probe secrets of M. tuberculosis
...r initial infection with the bacteria. When they analyzed the results of the computer simulation, Kirschner and her research team found new clues to the immune system's containment process: - Granulomas that were unable to contain TB bacteria were packed with inactive macrophages, making it impossible for T...Many scientists believe the dog genome holds information that will benefit human health
...or each of the 85 varieties of purebreds that were analyzed as well as similarities between certain breeds. The researchers expect that understanding these genetic relationships will help them uncover the genes responsible for the physical features and behaviors unique to each breed as well as the diseases to...First genetic comparison of purebred domestic dogs produces surprises
...dog shows and directly from owners. "While we only analyzed eighty-five breeds of the hundreds of recognized b...strations." To compare the breeds, the researchers analyzed the DNA samples from the cheek-swabs for subtle differences in genetic signposts, called microsatell...Without words, bullfrogs communicate through stutters in their croaks
...calls from 32 male bullfrogs in natural chorus and analyzed the number of croaks in each call and the number of stutters in each croak. It is known that the male bullfrog's call attracts females for mating, maintains territorial boundaries with other males, and indicates that the frog is healthy and aggressiv...Many physicians misperceive radiation risks to developing fetuses from X-rays and CT scans
... Toronto in Canada. For the study, the researchers analyzed the results of a survey of 273 family physicians and obstetricians in Ontario. The survey showed that 36% of the doctors estimated the risk of a major fetal malformation from abdominal X-rays to be 5% or greater, and 55% estimated the risk from CT to...Drug combo effective in advanced breast cancer
...Slamon and Dr. Mark Pegram, the laboratory studies analyzed Herceptin for interaction with nine chemotherapy drugs commonly used to treat breast cancer. Researchers found that the chemotherapy agents Taxotere, Navelbine, Cyclophosphamide and the platinum salts Cisplatin and Carboplatin increased the activity ...Gene discovered for Cornelia de Lange syndrome, a disabling genetic disease
...the disease. In the current study, the researchers analyzed the genomes (the entire genetic makeup in an individuals DNA) of 12 families having more than one member with CdLS. Through a process of elimination, they were able to identify four candidate regions for the CdLS gene. Further analysis narrowed the s......basal transcription level of SREBP-1c. The authors analyzed the SREBP-1c promoter using luciferase assays to show that SREBP-1c expression was attenuated via the FXR/SHP cascade. Finally, SHP/ mice as well as LXR_/_/ mice showed no decrease in TG levels upon cholic acid treatment, further supporting this tran...