Small naps a big help for young docs on long shifts
...d nap can provide a significant boost in physician concentration and take away some of the burden of chronic sleep deprivation." The researchers studied 38 first-year medical residents (also known as interns) on the general medicine service at the University of Chicago Hospital from July 2003 to June 2004. For se...Risk for skin lesions increases with low-dose exposure to arsenic in drinking water
...d for arsenic exposure based on well-water arsenic concentration and usage. "Because of the wide range of arsenic exposure in the study population and the relatively large sample size, we were able to estimate and report dose-response relations even at the very low end of the arsenic exposure range. In particular,...Study reveals biochemical signature of cocaine craving in humans
... the lower the bound tracer signal, the higher the concentration of endogenous dopamine. Compared with the neutral video, the cocaine-cues video triggered a significant increase in dopamine in the dorsal striatum, a part of the brain involved in experiencing desire or motivation. The changes in dopamine were assoc...Smoking, eating and thinking: New research on the brain, hormones, and behavior
...cifically of difficulties in maintaining focus and concentration of feeling wooly-headed. But even those with younger and sharper minds are finding the information about estrogen therapy confusing. Some studies on hormone therapy indicate that estrogen supplementation can help boost brain power during the menopa...New insights into the impact of pregnancy on inflammatory arthritis
...ion between arthritis activity and serum fetal DNA concentration over the course of pregnancy and postpartum. Yet, researchers acknowledge the study's limitations, including its small size, and inability to determine whether serum fetal DNA has any direct biologic effect on inflammatory arthritis or therapeutic v...Rutgers/EOHSI builds model to assess World Trade Center fallout
...oduced and conclude, for example, that the maximum concentration of contaminants in Brooklyn and Queens during a few days following the attack was about an order of magnitude less than in Manhattan," Stenchikov said....UB diabetes researchers participate in international study
...ed into one of three risk groups, depending on the concentration of autoantibodies. This risk-assessment method is called "staging" and is considered to be very accurate. Different preventative strategies are being planned depending on results of the staging. "Those determined to have less than 50 percent risk ...The brain, traffic and nano-circuits -- e-Science takes on major challenges
... decisions and local weather conditions affect the concentration of pollutants that individuals are exposed to as they move around. The 3.5m PMESG (Pervasive Mobile Environmental Sensor Grids) project, led by Professor John Polak at Imperial College London, is jointly funded by the EPSRC and the Department for Tr...Measuring proteins in spinal fluid may provide early clue to Alzheimer's disease
... APOE*4 allele, decline in cerebrospinal fluid A42 concentration possibly begins in young adulthood, followed by marked acceleration of this decline beginning in midlife--decades before clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's disease," the authors write. The same relationship did not hold true for A40, which, alth...Sawing the ZZZZZs: getting old needn't keep you awake, Saint Louis University geriatricians say
...erly is associated with decreased memory, impaired concentration and impaired ability to function. It contributes to an increased risk of accidents, falls and chronic fatigue." It's important to address sleep problems, which can make life miserable and frequently can be solved, Dr. Gammack says. She suggests ...Chemical in many air fresheners may reduce lung function
...he population samples had detectable 1,4 DCB blood concentration levels. African Americans had the highest exposure levels and non-Hispanic whites the lowest. This particular VOC, 1,4 DCB, is a white solid compound with a distinctive aroma, similar to mothballs. It is typically used primarily as a space deodora...Keep the baby, toss the bathwater: How kidneys retain proteins, discard waste
...passage of blood proteins. This could increase the concentration of protein passed into the urine without increasing the actual quantity of protein passed. "It may be that the GBM is what determines the absolute amount of protein that's able to cross over into the urine, and the slit diaphragm and related struct...NYPD targets black, Hispanic and poor neighborhoods for arrests for smoking marijuana in public
...attered broadly throughout the city, with a slight concentration in Greenwich Village, Soho and Washington Heights in Manhattan. From 1996 onwards, however, most of the arrests recorded occurred in poor, black or Hispanic areas of NYC. In 2003, the most arrests occurred mainly in two poor Hispanic sections of the ...Imaging study may help point toward more effective smoking cessation treatments
...'s cerebral cortex, and which contains the highest concentration of these nicotine receptors), the brainstem (which controls various automatic functions, such as respiration, heart rate, and arousal), and the cerebellum (the portion of the brain responsible for the coordination of movement and balance). Results of...Mercury pollution threatens health worldwide, scientists say
... Recovery of mercury-contaminated fisheries: The concentration of methylmercury in fish in freshwater and coastal ecosystems can be expected to decline with reduced mercury inputs. The rate of decline ranges from years to centuries, depending on the characteristics of a particular ecosystem. (F1) Socioeconom...New approach assesses risk of water-borne pathogen disease
...ely to cause human disease than water with a lower concentration of Leptospira. "This can have direct policy impl...s research team tested two hypotheses: first, that concentration of more virulent Leptospira would be higher in urban than in rural environmental surface waters; and...Exposure to PCBs may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines in children
...he vaccines. At 18 months, the diphtheria antibody concentration decreased by 24 percent for each doubling of the PCB exposure. At 7 years, the tetanus antibody response showed the strongest response and decreased by 16 percent for each doubling of the prenatal exposure. "Our study raises concern that exposure t...Chronic alcohol exposure can affect brain protein expression
... they are sensitive to alcohol concentrations. The concentration of alcohol used is similar to alcohol levels obser... of being a simple system," he said. "The ethanol concentration and length of exposure can be controlled tightly and applied identically to all subjects. This metho...... of the inhibitory amino acids, and increasing its concentration in the brain has an antiepileptic effect. However, it is impossible to administer it to patients in its natural state, because it does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier that prevents medications from reaching their CNS target sites. Prof. Biale...