Delhi to provide Rs.1,000 each to HIV-positive patients |  |
- Delhi to provide Rs.1,000 each to HIV-positive patients
- No Red Ribbon Express in Delhi on World AIDS Day
- Burning more sugar drives super athleticism
- Baker Institute research indicates China's demand for oil will equal US demand by 2040
- National experts from the John Theurer Cancer Center will present 31 studies at the 2011 ASH Meeting
- Israeli public supports middle east nuclear free zone: UMD poll
- India to avert 3 million HIV cases: World Bank
- Collecting carbon in a concrete jungle
- The interplay of dancing electrons
- Going to the dogs: University's newest patent for improving canine health
| Delhi to provide Rs.1,000 each to HIV-positive patients Posted: 01 Dec 2011 10:20 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Dec 1 - The Delhi government Thursday decided to provide financial assistance of Rs.1,000 per month to all HIV-positive people in the capital. 'We are in the process of providing Rs.1,000 to the people affected by HIV. This will help them avail regular treatment at the Anti Retroviral Therapy centres,' Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said at a World AIDS Day event here. Dikshit said the NGOs contribution in bringing down the number of cases has been appreciable. 'Their contribution has proved to be crucial. The problem aggravates in the lack of proper information,' she said. Speaking on the occasion, union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said: 'We are committed to not only reducing the cases of HIV/AIDS but to rooting it out completely. As per a WHO report, there are 3.40 crore HIV affected persons in the world. With proper counselling and treatment, new infection cases have come down by 50 percent in the country.' http://www.rxpgnews.com    |
| No Red Ribbon Express in Delhi on World AIDS Day Posted: 01 Dec 2011 06:46 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Dec 1 - In a departure from tradition, the Red Ribbon Express, a special train which travels across the country to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS, gave the capital a miss on World AIDS Day Thursday. Officials in the National AIDS Control Organisation - said the 'organisation has been busy with projects'. 'This year, everybody was busy with projects and preparations in various parts of the country. We could not plan a timely arrival for the Red Ribbon train,' an official from NACO told IANS on condition of anonymity. The crimson-red-and-pink painted train was flagged off Dec 1, 2008 to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, a disease that affects nearly 2.5 million people in India. The train, with doctors on board, provides testing, counselling and treatment facilities. While officials are tight-lipped about what exactly kept the ministry of health and NACO busy, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the train will be arriving in the national capital Jan 12 on National Youth Day. 'Every year, we have the train either arriving or leaving the capital on World AIDS Day. But this time, we want to dedicate the train to the youth. So it will arrive in January,' Azad said at World AIDS Day celebrations here. According to officials in the health ministry, the train has covered 152 stations and reached out to nearly 80 lakh people. An amount of Rs.10 crore has so far been spent on the train. The ministry now plans to run 'Red Ribbon Buses' on the lines of the express. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Burning more sugar drives super athleticism Posted: 01 Dec 2011 01:54 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Washington, Dec 1 - Muscle fitness drives super athleticism, especially when their cells efficiently utilise sugar as a fuel source, a study reveals. Conversely, exercising improves the muscle's ability to take up sugar from the bloodstream and burn it for energy. On the flip side, conditions that reduce physical activity, such as obesity or chronic disease, reduce the muscle's capacity to burn sugar. A new study from Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute - unravels a mechanism that re-programmes metabolic genes in muscles to boost their capacity to use sugar, the journal Genes & Development reported. When activated in mice, this metabolic re-programming dramatically improves exercise performance, according to a university statement. 'Essentially, these transgenic mice are capable of storing and burning sugars at rates usually only seen in the trained athlete,' said researcher Daniel P. Kelly. Kelly's mice are special because they're engineered to produce the protein PPARB/d in their muscle tissue. Previous studies have shown that mice with high PPARB/d levels in their muscles have increased exercise capacity. Kelly and his team discovered why that is -- the muscles of PPARB/d mice are better than normal mice at taking up sugar from the bloodstream, storing it and burning it for energy. http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Baker Institute research indicates China's demand for oil will equal US demand by 2040 Posted: 01 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Despite aggressive demand-management policies announced in recent years, China's oil use could easily reach levels comparable to today's U.S. levels by 2040, according to a new energy study by the Baker Institute. The study's authors said this finding has timely significance because China's growing energy use could continue to pose a major challenge for global climate deliberations in South Africa this week. The study, The Rise of China and Its Energy Implications, finds that China's recent efforts at centralizing energy policy do not appear to be significantly more successful than the makeshift patchwork of energy initiatives devised by the United States. In fact, the study said, the U.S. system of open and competitive private sector investment is stimulating more innovation in the American energy sector than in the Chinese energy industry, especially in the area of unconventional oil and gas. That, ironically, is attracting Chinese state investment to U.S. shores and prompting Beijing to consider further opening of its oil and gas exploration activities to partnerships with U.S. firms, the study said. China, like the United States, has substantial potential shale gas resources but faces technical, regulatory and market infrastructure challenges that are likely to delay rapid development. Were China to mobilize investments in shale gas more quickly, the study said, it could greatly reduce the country's expected large import needs for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Australia and the Middle East and contribute to a future glut in global natural gas markets. Despite sporadic government policies to discourage private car ownership, the growth in the number of vehicles on the road in China has more than quadrupled in recent years to more than 50 million. The Baker Institute report projects that this number could increase to more than 200 million vehicles by 2020 and 770 million by 2040 under a scenario where China's real gross... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| National experts from the John Theurer Cancer Center will present 31 studies at the 2011 ASH Meeting Posted: 01 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Hackensack, N.J. (December 1, 2011) - The John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, one of the nation's top 50 best hospitals for cancer, will present research updates and clinical trial results of 31 cutting-edge studies at the 2011 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in San Diego from December 10-13. More than half of the John Theurer Cancer Center presentations showcased at the ASH Annual Meeting have been considered exceptionally significant and will be presented orally, including Phase I and Phase II studies, multi-center, international trials in collaboration with leading cancer institutions such as the National Cancer Institute, MD Anderson, Dana-Farber, Mayo Clinic, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Personalizing therapies will certainly play a growing role in the practice of oncology, said Andre Goy, M.D., M.S., chairman and director, chief of lymphoma, and director, clinical and translational cancer research. Our center is part of many studies researching novel therapies as well as the identification of biomarkers predictive of outcomes in cancer. ASH is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatments of blood disorders. The research presented by the John Theurer Cancer Center will include advancements made in research and clinical trials in lymphoma, multiple myeloma, blood and marrow stem cell transplantation and leukemia. Seven John Theurer Cancer Center physicians are first or senior authors, including Dr. Goy; Michele Donato, M.D., collection facility medical director, blood and marrow transplantation; Anthony Mato, M.D., oncologist, lymphoma; Joshua Richter, M.D., oncologist, multiple myeloma; Scott Rowley, M.D., chief, blood and marrow transplantation; David Siegel, M.D., Ph.D., chief, multiple myeloma; and David Vesole, M.D., Ph.D., co-chief and director of research, multiple myeloma. John Theurer Cancer Center experts will also... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Israeli public supports middle east nuclear free zone: UMD poll Posted: 01 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Nearly two-thirds of Israeli Jews, 64 percent, favor establishing a nuclear free zone in the Middle East - even when it was spelled out that this would mean both Israel and Iran would have to forego nuclear weapons - finds a new University of Maryland poll. The research is a joint project of the Anwar Sadat Chair at the University of Maryland and the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA). Pressure for such a nuclear free zone has grown with the potential for Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, possibly leading to a regional arms race, the researchers say. Next year the United Nations will sponsor a conference devoted to the idea. The Israeli government opposes creation of such a zone. In the new poll, fewer than half, 43 percent, support an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Recently, even leading voices within Israel's defense community have said that such a strike would merely slow, but not stop Iran and that Israeli cities would be vulnerable to retaliation. At the same time the Israeli public acknowledges Iran's potential for acquiring nuclear weapons. An overwhelming 90 percent say it is likely that Iran will eventually acquire a nuclear capacity. When asked which would be better - for both Israel and Iran to have nuclear weapons, or for neither to have them - a robust 65 percent say it would be better for neither to have them. Only 19 percent prefer a nuclear armed Israel and Iran. I find the results surprising given the long held assumption that the Israeli public is not prepared to even discuss the nuclear issue given their deep seated sense of insecurity, says Shibley Telhami, the University of Maryland's Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development. If Israel and Iran were to indicate a readiness to join a process toward turning the Middle East into a nuclear free zone this would be a major game changer in negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, adds Steven Kull, director of PIPA, a... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| India to avert 3 million HIV cases: World Bank Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:02 PM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New Delhi, Nov 30 - India is expected to avert 3 million new HIV infections during the period 1995-2015 by using targeted interventions among vulnerable groups, according to a World Bank study released Wednesday. The study, 'Impact of Targeted Interventions on Heterosexual Transmission of HIV in India', evaluated the impact of targeted interventions among female sex workers in four high prevalent states -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The study found a significant decline in HIV prevalence among female sex workers and young women - seeking antenatal care in the high-prevalence southern states. The drop in prevalence is associated with a significant increase in consistent condom use. 'Among the women seeking antenatal care in districts with high intensity of targeted interventions, HIV prevalence declined by more than 50 percent from 1.9 percent in 2001 to 0.8 percent in 2008, compared with low-intensity districts where the infection rate remained constant at 0.9 percent in both 2001 and 2008,' it said. The study shows the cost-effectiveness of these targeted HIV-prevention interventions for female sex workers and estimates that 3 million HIV infections will be averted by this strategic approach during 1995-2015. 'There has been a tremendous scale-up of prevention and treatment interventions under this program, which has led to an overall reduction in new infections and AIDS-related deaths in India,' said Sayan Chatterjee, secretary and director general of National AIDS Control Organisation -. Since the launch of the NACO in 1991, India has worked in close partnership with the World Bank and other development partners to focus on prevention among vulnerable populations at highest risk of contracting HIV. 'AIDS remains a critical development issue that is reversing decades of human progress. With 34 million people living with HIV, AIDS continues to decimate communities, stymie economic growth, and... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Collecting carbon in a concrete jungle Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Land unsuitable for tree planting could still be used to reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere thanks to new research. Microscopic tubes that suck in carbon dioxide from the air are being developed by chemists, engineers and medical researchers at the University of Edinburgh, with funding from the RCUK Energy Programme, led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Just one 1m2 unit containing the tiny tubes could adsorb (suck in) the same amount of carbon as 10 average trees. In the future larger versions of the units could be placed alongside places like motorways or on rooftops to make better use of land and spaces in reducing our carbon footprint. If the technical hurdles are successfully overcome, a patentable unit could be developed and available for purchase within five years. Each individual tube will be around 1 micrometre long and just 1 nanometre in diameter (1 micrometre is 1 millionth of a metre, 1 nanometre is 1 billionth of a metre). They will be made of pure carbon with some additional chemical groups that will attract and trap the carbon dioxide. Once saturated with carbon 'used' tubes will be regenerated by a rapid heat pulse generated from a renewable energy source, such as a solar cell, and the carbon dioxide will be concentrated and stored in small canisters. These canisters may be exchanged periodically for fresh ones as part of a regular collection round. The tube material will be specially designed at the nanoscale to be highly porous, in order to adsorb as much carbon dioxide as possible, says Professor Eleanor Campbell, who is leading the project. A key task is to engineer the chemistry of the tubes so that they only adsorb carbon dioxide without taking water vapour, for instance, out of the air as well. The filled carbon dioxide canisters could be transported to a special facility where the carbon can be collected prior to secure disposal deep underground... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| The interplay of dancing electrons Posted: 29 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Negative ions play an important role in everything from how our bodies function to the structure of the universe. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now developed a new method that makes it possible to study how the electrons in negative ions interact in, which is important in, for example, superconductors and in radiocarbon dating. By studying atoms with a negative charge, 'negative ions', we can learn how electrons coordinate their motion in what can be compared to a tightly choreographed dance. Such knowledge is important in understanding phenomena in which the interaction between electrons is important, such as in superconductors, says Anton Lindahl of the Department of Physics at the University of Gothenburg. A negative ion is an atom that has captured an extra electron, giving it a negative charge. Negative ions are formed, for example, when salt dissolves in water. We have many different types of negative ion in our bodies of which the most common is chloride ions. These are important in the fluid balance of the cells and the function of nervous system, among other processes. Increased knowledge about negative ions may lead to a better understanding of our origin. This is because negative ions play an important role in the chemical reactions that take place in space, being highly significant in such processes as the formation of molecules from free atoms. These molecules may have been important building blocks in the origin of life. I have worked with ions in a vacuum, not in water as in the body. In order to be able to study the properties of individual ions, we isolate them in a vacuum chamber at extremely low pressure. This pressure is even lower than the pressure outside of the International Space Station, ISS. Anton Lindahl's doctoral thesis describes studies in which he used laser spectroscopy to study how the electrons in negative ions interact. In order to be able to carry out these... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
| Going to the dogs: University's newest patent for improving canine health Posted: 29 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Make no bones about it, a discovery by a Kansas State University research team could mean a longer and healthier life for man's best friend. University researchers Tonatiuh Melgarejo, an associate professor of human nutrition; Frank Blecha, distinguished professor of immunophysiology; and Yongming Sang and Maria Ortega, former postdoctoral fellows, isolated and characterized a natural antimicrobial peptide that helps dogs to better fight pathogens -- including different bacteria, viruses and fungi. The peptide's characteristics and production method were recently issued as a patent titled Antimicrobial Cathelicidin Peptides to the Kansas State University Research Foundation, a nonprofit corporation responsible for managing the technology transfer activities of the university. Researchers modeled the synthetic canine antimicrobial on a naturally occurring peptide found in the white blood cells of dogs, then tested it against numerous types of viruses, fungi and bacteria. It turned out it's really good at killing these microorganisms, Melgarejo said. We suspected we had something that could really improve animal health, and maybe eventually human health. The study that led to the synthetic antibody began in 2003, as Melgarejo and colleagues intended to find the antimicrobial peptides -- or antibodies -- responsible for canine immunity. Up to that point little data had been collected about the animal's immunology. Every single living creature on Earth -- animals, plants, insects and even bacteria -- produce some type of antimicrobial peptides, Melgarejo said. These peptides are very small molecules that kill microbes like bacteria, viruses and yeast. It's a fairly simple defensive system, and everything from bacteria to humans produce these peptides. According to Melgarejo, the antimicrobial peptides that each species produces are unique and hardwired to an organism's DNA, giving certain species certain... http://www.rxpgnews.com   |
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