Student | Page 32 of 45 | SpiritIndia.com

Health Care :: More aid required for chronic conditions in low income countries

Chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer result in more deaths and account for more years of healthy life lost than most communicable diseases, and yet little international aid is focused on preventing or treating these conditions. Cardiovascular disease causes 30 percent of all deaths globally and 27 percent of deaths in low income countries. By comparison, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, combined, account for 10 percent of all deaths globally and 11 percent of death in developing countries.

Malaria :: Researchers discover surprising drug that blocks malaria

Northwestern University researchers have uncovered how malaria parasites break into red blood cells and how to block the invading parasites with a commonly prescribed high-blood pressure medication. This opens the door for important new drugs to which the parasites are much less likely to become resistant. Malaria is surging worldwide because of drug resistance and the lack of an effective vaccine. Jamaica, which had eradicated the disease for 50 years, recently reported an outbreak.

Wrinkle :: Nanotechnology shows promise as next wrinkle fighter

The next big idea in preventing wrinkles is very, very small.Nano small.A Michigan State University chemical engineer has discovered that nanoparticles can stop thin polymer films from buckling and wrinkling, and that could well work to join the war by warding off dreaded buckles in human skin.

Vasectomy :: Popularity of vasectomy in New Zealand

A study at The University of Auckland is looking at the reasons behind New Zealand?s high rate of vasectomies.

Smoking :: Association between tobacco smoking and increased risk of tuberculosis

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found consistent evidence that smoking is associated with an increased risk of TB. They also found that passive smoking (secondhand smoke) and the burning of biomass fuels was associated with an increased TB risk.

Gene :: Researchers first to map gene that regulates adult stem cell growth

A new discovery in stem cell research may mean big things for cancer patients in the future. After being the first to genetically map and identify a gene that regulates adult stem cells, the researchers investigated the gene’s protein product, Latexin, which can be used to ramp up the body’s stem cell count. The team’s findings are being published in Nature Genetics.

Fruit :: Fruit at meal times boosts iron levels in toddlers

Toddlers should eat fruit at meal times to make sure they have enough iron for proper development of their brains. A study at The University of Auckland has been looking at dietary habits and iron status in children aged between 6 and 23 months.

Disaster :: Rural America more prepared for disaster

From winter storms, to earthquakes, to terrorism — when a disaster strikes a community, who fares better, a rural community or an urban one? A new study at the University of Illinois attempts to understand the differences in how rural and urban citizens across the US respond to disaster. Preliminary results show that although rural residents may be more directly involved in responding to crisis, their location also makes them more vulnerable.

Blood :: Exploring the molecular origin of blood clot flexibility

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences have shown that a well-known protein structure acts as a molecular spring, explaining one way that clots may stretch and bend under such physical stresses as blood flow. This knowledge will inform researchers about clot physiology in such conditions as wound healing, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Stock options may cost shareholders much less than previously thought

Controversial stock options for company executives may be much less costly to shareholders than current mathematical models suggest, according to research presented January 5 by Tim Leung of Princeton’s Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering.