Biofuel :: York-Sichuan link to study biodiesel production
Biologists at the University of York have established new research links with Chinese scientists to investigate biodiesel — a cleaner, more environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum.
University
Youth are receiving shorter inpatient stays for mental health treatment
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers have found that the inpatient length of stay for youth with mental illness fell more than sixty percent between 1990 and 2000, despite concurrent increases in illness severity and self-harm, and declining transfers to intermediate and inpatient care within the same population.
Feeling tired? You may be less likely to get hurt, MU researcher says
Sleepiness and sleep deprivation have long been associated with an increased risk of injury. However, the results of a recent study by a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher suggest that this commonly accepted theory might not be true.
X-ray evidence supports possible new class of supernova
Evidence for a significant new class of supernova has been found with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton. These results strengthen the case for a population of stars that evolve rapidly and are destroyed by thermonuclear explosions. Such “prompt” supernovas could be valuable tools for probing the early history of the cosmos.
Diabetes :: Risk factors for diabetes following liver transplant
A new study on risk factors of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) following liver transplant found that a history of obesity, impaired fasting glucose and hepatitis C infection (HCV) paired with the use of a particular immunosuppressant are associated with an increased risk of NODM. Since all of these factors can be detected prior to undergoing a transplant, treatment should be tailored to the patient’s risk.
Repetitive motion speeds nanoparticle uptake
Newly published research by Rice University chemists and North Carolina State University toxicologists finds that repetitive movement can speed the uptake of nanoparticles through the skin. The research is based on in vitro experiments involving animal skin that was exposed to buckyball-containing amino acids. It appears in the January 10 issue of the American Chemical Society’s journal Nano Letters.
Smoking :: Should smokers be refused surgery?
Last year a primary care trust announced it would take smokers off waiting lists for surgery in an attempt to contain costs. In this week’s BMJ, two experts go head to head over whether smokers should be refused surgery.
Pregnancy :: Pregnant women in the dark on prenatal screening
Soon-to-be mums admit they feel “left in the dark” when it comes to being told about the possible implications of prenatal screening – tests which could lead them down a path where they have to make difficult decisions about their unborn child.
Stroke :: Bottleneck in blood supply makes brain vulnerable to strokes
A team of University of California, San Diego physicists and neuroscientists has discovered a bottleneck in the network of blood vessels in the brain that makes it vulnerable to strokes. The finding may explain the origin of the puzzling damage to the brain?s gray matter often detected in brain scans, especially among the elderly.
Parkinson’s Disease :: Parkinson’s drug rotigotine shows promise
Research led by a team from UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) has shown that a dopamine agonist called rotigotine could be effective in treating symptoms of Parkinson?s disease (PD). In a study published Jan. 3 in the online edition of Neurology, rotigotine significantly improved symptoms in patients with early-stage PD.