Cumulative Radiation Exposure Shows Increased Cancer Risk For Emergency Department Patients

ScienceDaily for May 30, 2008 reported on the cumulative effects of radiation from medical testing.

According to a new study, patients are receiving estimated doses of radiation from medical diagnostic imaging studies, such as CT (or “CAT”) scans, that may be detrimental to their long term health, putting them at an increased risk of developing cancer. To date, emergency physicians have not been made aware of the cumulative amount of radiation that their patients receive. In fact they currently have no way to know or estimate any given patient’s cumulative dose. A new study hopes to quantify and further explore these concerns.

Organic Free Grazing Cows Are Cream Of The Crop

ScienceDaily for May 30, 2008 reported on milk from cows that free-graze.

The Nafferton Ecological Farming Group study found that grazing cows on organic farms in the UK produce milk which contains significantly higher beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins than their conventional ‘high input’ counterparts.

Sedentary High School Girls Are At Significant Risk For Future Osteoporosis

An article in ScienceDaily for May 30, 2008 reported on low bone density in female high school students.

"Most important and alarming is that 30 percent of the non athletes versus 16 percent of athletes were found to have low bone mineral density putting them at greater risk for developing osteoporosis earlier in life," says Dr. Hoch.

Exercise Cuts Cancer Death In Men

ScienceDaily for May 30, 2008 reported on the effect of exercise on death due to cancer in men.

Over the seven year period of the study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, 3,714 men developed cancer and 1,153 died from the disease. Men who walked or cycled for at least 30 minutes a day had an increased survival from cancer with 33 per cent, than the men who exercised less or did nothing at all.

Parallel: Migrations to the Americas - Part 6

Previous parts to this post have concerned migrations to the American continents. In this part I discuss the DNA analysis of a migration to Europe and its parallel with the migration of the Lehites to the Americas as described in the Book of Mormon.

As explained in Earliest European Farmers Left Little Genetic Mark On Modern Europe, the first settlers in Europe are believed to have been Paleolithic hunter-gatherers who arrived about 40,000 years ago. About 7,500 years ago people migrated to Europe and brought farming to that area. The question thus arises, are modern Europeans descended from the hunter-gatherers, the farmers, or both?

DNA was obtained from skeletons of early farmers, and the DNA contained "genetic signatures that are extremely rare in modern European populations. Based on this discovery, the researchers conclude that early farmers did not leave much of a genetic mark on modern European populations." In fact, '"Our paper suggests that there is a good possibility that the contribution of early farmers could be close to zero," said Science author Peter Forster from the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, UK.'

The situation given in the Science article is that of two migrations to an area, and the DNA of the later migration not occurring in the people presently living in that area. Since Europe, today, is an agricultural society, the early farmers in the later migration had a significant impact on that area, even though they left basically no genetic evidence of their existence. "It's interesting that a potentially minor migration of people into Central Europe had such a huge cultural impact," said Forster."

This is an interesting parallel with the Book of Mormon. Science tells us of early migrations to the Americas from Asia via the Bering Strait. The Book of Mormon tells of a later migration (the Lehites) from the Mediterranean area. However, DNA studies of modern Native Americans show that the Native Americans who were studied have no DNA markers from the Mediterranean area. Apologists for the Book of Mormon have explained that DNA markers from a group of people could die out and thus not be found in modern people (see, for example, Addressing Questions). We now have from science an example of DNA from a later migration not occurring among modern people currently living in that area.

Ancient Eskimos Came from Asia, Study Says

National Geographic News for May 29, 2008 reported on the origin of ancient Eskimos.

The research is based on DNA analysis of ancient hair from a so-called Paleo-Eskimo, which was found preserved in permafrost soil in the Disco Bay area in the 1980s.

Global Food Crisis

National Geographic News for May 27-29, 2008 is discussing the food crisis that is plaguing the world.

VIDEO: World Food in Crisis

"Perfect Storm" in Food Prices Caused by Many Factors

Australia's Long Drought Withering Wheat, Rice Supplies

Court Claim: Chimps Are People, Too

LiveScience for May 29, 2008 discussed a court case to be held in Europe to deteremine if Matthew, a 26-year old chimpanzee is a human.

Animal rights activist and teacher Paula Stibbe, along with the Vienna-based Association Against Animal Factories (AAAF), says she wants the chimpanzee, named Matthew Hiasl Pan, declared a person. That way, Stibbe says she can become the primate's legal guardian if the bankrupt animal sanctuary where Matthew lives closes. (Under Austrian law, only humans are entitled to have guardians.)

Current Vitamin D Recommendations Fraction Of Safe, Perhaps Essential Levels For Children

ScienceDaily for May 28, 2008 reported on new research into safe levels of vitamin D for children.

The current recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D for children is 200 International Units (IUs), but new research reveals that children may need and can safely take ten-times that amount. According to new research this order-of-magnitude increase could improve the bone health of children worldwide and may have other long-term health benefits.

Child Maltreatment Victims Lose 2 Years Of Quality Of Life

An article in ScienceDaily for May 29, 2008 reported on the effect of maltreatment of children.

“We found, with rigorous statistical methods, that there are significant differences in health-related quality of life between people who were maltreated as children and those who were not,” Corso said, “and that holds across all age groups.”

Overweight Men At Risk Of Osteoarthritis Of Both Hip And Knee

ScienceDaily for May 29, 2008 reported on a link between overweight men and osteoarthritis.

People who are overweight are known to be more likely to get osteoarthritis of the knee, but this is the first study to show that being overweight is a risk factor for hip osteoarthritis in men but not women.

Big Earthquakes Spark Jolts Worldwide

ScienceDaily for May 26, 2008 reported on global effects of large earthquakes.

Until 1992, when California's magnitude-7.3 Landers earthquake set off small jolts as far away as Yellowstone National Park, scientists did not believe large earthquakes sparked smaller tremors at distant locations. Now, a definitive study shows large earthquakes routinely trigger smaller jolts worldwide, including on the opposite side of the planet and in areas not prone to quakes.

The World Science article is here.

From Toilet to Tap

Discover for May 23, 2008 reported on a solution to the upcoming water shortage.

In January, public officials and residents of Orange County, California, toasted the culmination of a water supply project more than a decade in the making. But at these festivities champagne took a backseat to the beverage of choice as celebrants lifted glasses of recycled sewage water.

Fixing The Education Digital Disconnect One Video Game At A Time: FAS Launches Immune Attack

An article in ScienceDaily for May 26, 2008 reported on the use of a video game to teach students about immunology.

“My students were very engaged while playing Immune Attack,” said Netia Elam, AP Biology Teacher at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, VA. “The video game provides great visuals and allows the students to interact while playing the game. The kids really wanted to master the game and to do that they needed to learn the immunology concepts.”

Public Schools As Good As Private Schools In Raising Math Scores, Study Says

ScienceDaily for May 27, 2008 reported on a comparison of public and private schools in student development of math skills.

Students in public schools learn as much or more math between kindergarten and fifth grade as similar students in private schools, according to a new University of Illinois study of multi-year, longitudinal data on nearly 10,000 students.

The LiveScience article is here.

Earliest European Farmers Left Little Genetic Mark On Modern Europe

ScienceDaily for November 13 2005 reported on the DNA of early European farmers.

The farmers who brought agriculture to central Europe about 7,500 years ago did not contribute heavily to the genetic makeup of modern Europeans, according to the first detailed analysis of ancient DNA extracted from skeletons of early European farmers.

NASA Mars Lander Prepares To Move Arm

ScienceDaily for May 27, 2008 reported that attempts will be made tomorrow (Wednesday, May 28) to cause the Phoenix lander to move its arm.

Mission scientists are eager to move Phoenix's robotic arm, for that arm will deliver samples of icy terrain to their instruments made to study this unexplored Martian environment.

Cartwheel Coronal Mass Ejection

Science@NASA for May 27, 2008 described an unusual Coronal mass ejection.

Imagine a billion-ton cloud of gas launching itself off the surface of the sun and then ... doing a cartwheel. That's exactly what happened on April 9, 2008, when a coronal mass ejection or "CME" pirouetted over the sun's limb in full view of an international fleet of spacecraft. Even veteran solar physicists were amazed.

Camera On Mars Orbiter Snaps Phoenix During Landing

ScienceDaily for May 26, 2008 published a photograph of the Phoenix lander descending by parachute.

The image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter marks the first time ever one spacecraft has photographed another one in the act of landing on Mars.

The Scientific American article is here. The NewsDaily article is here.

Children's Premature Tooth Loss Can Affect Oral Health For Years To Come

An article in ScienceDaily for May 26, 2008 reported on the impact of premature loss of teeth by children.

The prospect of exchanging a tooth for that coveted reward from the tooth fairy often has kids wiggling teeth with vigor, but what happens when a primary or permanent tooth is lost prematurely due to trauma? According to a study published in the March/April 2008 issue of General Dentistry, parents and caretakers more often than not do not know what to do with a traumatically affected tooth and do not take proper steps to respond to the injury, which can affect their child's oral health permanently.

New Research Forces U-turn In Population Migration Theory

ScienceDaily for May 26, 2008 reported on new theories about migration into Southeast Asia.

Research led by the University of Leeds has discovered genetic evidence that overturns existing theories about human migration into Island Southeast Asia (covering the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysian Borneo) - taking the timeline back by nearly 10,000 years.

NASA Spacecraft Appears to Have Landed on Mars

According to an article in the May 25, 2008 issue of the New York Times, as well as in other publications, the Phoenix space craft has landed on Mars.

At 9:53 p.m., there were more cheers as confirmation came that one more critical event, the unfolding of the solar arrays, had occurred without problem. And then the first pictures arrived: black-and-white images of the solar panels, of one of the lander’s footpads and of surrounding terrain, showing the polygonal fractures caused by repeated thawing and freezing.

Here are links to additional articles.

NASA
ScienceDaily
space.com
LiveScience
World Science
National Geographic News
Washington Post

Here is the NASA site for information updates.

How to BBQ a Healthier Burger

An article in LiveScience reported on a healthier way to cook meat.

Studies show that herbs in the Lamiaceae family — such as rosemary, sage, and oregano — may keep meat from causing cancer. As part of an ongoing Food Safety Consortium project at Kansas State University, researchers found that burgers marinated with rosemary had 70 to 80 percent less heterocyclic amines (HCAs) than those bathed in a plain marinade. HCAs mutate DNA and are suspected carcinogens.

Lifestyle Changes Can Keep Diabetes at Bay for 14 Years

LiveScience for May 23, 2008 reported on changes in life-style and diabetes.

In the trial, called the China Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome Study, 577 adults with high blood sugar levels, at risk for developing diabetes, from 33 clinics in China, were randomly assigned to one of three lifestyle intervention groups. One group relied on diet, a second group on exercise and a third on a combination of diet and exercise. In addition, there was a group that did not participate in any diet or exercise program.

Light Alcohol Consumption May Help Bones

An article in LiveScience for May 23, 2008 reported on the feffect of alcohol on bone development.

"Our study adds to the literature that suggests that moderate alcohol use is beneficial for many diseases," said study author Dr. Karina Berg, an assistant professor of medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Berg added that the study also found that "bone mineral density increased as alcohol consumption increased from abstinence up to about two drinks a day."

However, she said this study isn't a reason for people to start drinking if they don't already do so, and having more than two drinks a day can actually harm your bone health.

Tracing Humanity's Path

ScienceNOW for May 23, 2008 reported on a new, DNA based, theory about migrations out of Africa.

The study came up with two unexpected findings. One is that the people of the Orkney Islands, to the north of Scotland, share some ancestry with Siberians, possibly because some ancestors of modern Orcadians ventured to Asia via the Arctic Circle. The team also found that North and South America were colonized independently by at least two different waves of migration from different parts of Asia, although both waves appear to have arrived via the Bering Strait. This conclusion contradicts the conventional view, which postulates just one migratory wave out of Asia.

Foot-dragging Mars Rover Finds Yellowstone-like Hot Spring Deposits

ScienceDaily for May 23, 2008 reported on deposits of silica found on Mars.

"On Earth, hydrothermal deposits teem with life and the associated silica deposits typically contain fossil remains of microbes," says Jack Farmer, professor of astrobiology in ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Farmer is one of the paper's co-authors.

"But we don't know if that's the case here," Farmer notes, "because the rovers don't carry instruments that can detect microscopic life." He adds, "What we can say is that this was once a habitable environment where liquid water and the energy needed for life were present."

Extreme Life Found a Mile Below Seafloor

LiveScience for May 22, 2008 reported on microbes found below the bottom of the sea.

Scientists have found life about twice as far below the seafloor as has ever been documented before. A coring sample off the coast of Newfoundland turned up single-celled microbes living in searing temperatures about a mile (1,626 meters) below the seafloor.

The National Geographic News article is here.

Failure to Kick Smoking Habit May Put a Drag on Social Life

Scientific American for May 22, 2008 reported on social effects of smoking.

Researchers report in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that an analysis of more than 12,000 smokers (and their friends, families and colleagues) over a 30-year period shows that attempting to quit smoking can serve as a people magnet by becoming a phenomenon among social groups, like a gaggle of college students or co-workers at a small firm.

Irregular Menstrual Cycles In Teens May Be Warning Sign Of Bulimia

ScienceDaily for May 22, 2008 reported on signs of Bulimia in teenage girls

Girls who make themselves throw up to control their weight are putting their health at risk, even if they do so only occasionally and even if their weight is in a healthy range, finds a study published in May's Journal of Adolescent Health. Analyzing data from nearly 2,800 high school girls in the National Eating Disorders Screening Program, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston found that girls who vomited to control their weight just one to three times per month were 1.6 times more likely to have irregular menstrual cycles than girls who didn't report such vomiting. Girls who vomited once per week or more were 3.2 times more likely to have irregular cycles.

High School Knee Injuries By Sport And Gender

An article in ScienceDaily for May 23, 2008 reported on knee injuries from school sports.

Knee injuries, among the most economically costly sports injuries, are the leading cause of high school sports-related surgeries according to a study conducted at the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and published in the June issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Fruit Juice Consumption Not Related To Overweight In Children, Study Suggests

An article in ScienceDaily for May 23, 2008 reported on the effect on body weight of drinking fruit juices.

The statistics about overweight children are alarming. Over the past 20 years, there has been an increased prevalence of overweight and at-risk-for overweight in all ages and ethnic groups. In 2002, 10.3% of children 2-5 years of age were overweight, an increase from 7.2% in 1994. In males and females 12-17 years of age, waist circumference increased by 4.0% and 5.2%, respectively, between 1994 and 2004.