Scientific Frontline Communication Center

Researchers Discover 'Green' Pesticide Effective Against Citrus Pests

SFL ORG. Educational News Network — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:54:41 +0000

University of Florida researchers have discovered a key amino acid essential for human nutrition is also an effective insecticide against caterpillars that threaten the citrus industry. The Lime Swallowtail, or Citrus Swallowtail, is a well-known agricultural pest from southern Asia discovered in the Caribbean in 2006, and researchers say its potential impact on the U.S. citrus industry is cause for serious concern.

New clue in the battle against Australian Hendra virus

SFL ORG. Educational News Network — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:47:46 +0000

A new study on African bats provides a vital clue for unraveling the mysteries in Australia's battle with the deadly Hendra virus.

Hereditary Prostate Cancer Risk

SFL ORG. Educational News Network — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:10:51 +0000

After a 20-year quest to find a genetic driver for prostate cancer that strikes men at younger ages and runs in families, researchers have identified a rare, inherited mutation linked to a significantly higher risk of the disease.

NIH Scientists Find Cause of Rare Immune Disease

SFL ORG. Educational News Network — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:49:37 +0000

Investigators at the National Institutes of Health have identified a genetic mutation in three unrelated families that causes a rare immune disorder characterized by excessive and impaired immune function. Symptoms of this condition include immune deficiency, autoimmunity, inflammatory skin disorders and cold-induced hives, a condition known as cold urticaria.

Honeybee Deaths Linked to Seed Insecticide Exposure

SFL ORG. Educational News Network — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:39:50 +0000

Analyses of bees found dead in and around hives from several apiaries over two years in Indiana showed the presence of neonicotinoid insecticides, which are commonly used to coat corn and soybean seeds before planting. The research showed that those insecticides were present at high concentrations in waste talc that is exhausted from farm machinery during planting.

Secondary Stroke Prevention Needs Improvement

SFL ORG. Educational News Network — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:43:32 +0000

Secondary Stroke Prevention Needs Improvement

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

New research finds that one out of 12 people who have a stroke will likely soon have another stroke, and one out of four will likely die within one year. Researchers say the findings highlight the vital need for better secondary stroke prevention. The study is published in the February 16, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

For the study, scientists searched a state hospital discharge database and identified 10,399 people in South Carolina with an average age of 69 who had a stroke in 2002. Of the participants, 23 percent were younger than 65 years old at the time of the initial stroke. Eighteen percent went on to have a recurrent stroke within four years. The study also included the number of heart attacks or deaths within this time period.

The study found 25 percent of people who had a stroke died within one year and eight percent of people had another stroke within one year. The risk for both events rose steadily after one year. The cumulative risk at the end of four years, for example, was: 18.1 percent for recurrent stroke, 6.2 percent for heart attack, 41.3 percent for death by any cause, 26.7 percent for vascular death and 52.5 percent for combined events, any recurrent stroke, heart attack or death, whichever occurred first.

"Furthermore, the risk of recurrent stroke was between three and six times higher than the risk of heart attack at different points during the study," said author Wuwei (Wayne) Feng, MD, MS, with the Department of Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina. "Our findings suggest that South Carolina and possibly other parts of the United States may have a long way to go in preventing and reducing the risk factors for recurrent strokes."

The risk of a recurrent stroke, heart attack or death was higher for African-Americans compared to Caucasians and also increased with age and number of other disorders in addition to stroke itself.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and South Carolina had the second highest stroke death rate in the nation in 2003.

The study was supported by the South Carolina Center for Economic Excellence in Stroke and Health Sciences South Carolina.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 22,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

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Time Stamp: 2/16/2010 at 2:09:08 AM UTC