Monthly Archives:: August 2012

Large health gaps found among black, Latino, and white fifth-graders

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

Many racial/ethnic disparities were found for harmful health-related issues in 5,000 fifth graders from Alabama, Texas, and California. Black and Latino children were more likely than white children to witness violence, get less exercise, ride without seat belts in cars, etc. All races and ethnicities did better on health indicators with highly educated parents, higher income and advantages of certain schools. When children with similar advantages compared, racial/ethnic differences for most indicators smaller or even absent.

Native landscaping in urban areas can help native birds

Posted by & filed under Biology, News.

The study is one of the first to use quantitative measures and a systematic approach, with 24-hour video monitoring, to assess and compare foraging behavior of common backyard birds in yards in Phoenix, at the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert.

Native landscaping in urban areas can help native birds

Posted by & filed under Biology, News.

The study is one of the first to use quantitative measures and a systematic approach, with 24-hour video monitoring, to assess and compare foraging behavior of common backyard birds in yards in Phoenix, at the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert.

Archived Guthrie cards find a new purpose

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

Over the last 50 years, the spotting of newborn's blood onto filter paper for disease screening, called Guthrie cards, has become so routine that since 2000, more than 90% of newborns in the United States have had Guthrie cards created. Researchers have now shown that epigenetic information stored on archived Guthrie cards provides a retrospective view of the epigenome at birth, a powerful new application for the card that could help understand disease and predict future health.

Possible cause of immune deficiency cases in Asia

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

A clinical study has identified an antibody that compromises the immune systems of HIV-negative people, making them susceptible to infections with opportunistic microbes such as nontuberculous mycobacteria. In this study conducted at hospitals in Thailand and Taiwan, the researchers found that the majority of study participants with opportunistic infections made an antibody against interferon-gamma, a cell-signaling molecule thought to play a major role in clearing harmful infections.
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