A group of researchers who cracked the codes of two lethal cancers have reported they also tracked the DNA mutations of the melanoma cells.
Published in the journal Nature, the scientists revealed that as a result of their research, they can say a smoker acquires one lung cancer mutation for every 15 cigarettes smoked.
Research teams at the Welcome Trust Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom unveiled how they found 23,000 mutations in lung cancer cells and more than 30,000 in melanoma cells compared to normal tissue from the same individuals.
As a result, the studies suggest the two cancers are largely preventable because the authors found most of the DNA changes were traced to cancer-causing effects of tobacco in lung cancer and ultraviolet light in skin cancer.
The studies also found repeated mutations in the same gene along independent cell lines, adding weight to the idea of targeting cancer-genome sequencing as a new direction for treatment development.
Liquor outlets are associated with different kinds of specific injuries in different age groups, according to a new study.
Published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers obtained hospital discharge data, including addresses and patient age, from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Once the patients were all mapped, researchers collected data on population demographics, place characteristics and data related to alcohol outlets in the area. Youth aged 18 to 20 and young adults aged 21 to 29 were also added to the model.
The research team found both groups sustained greater injuries from accidents, assaults and traffic accidents near establishments such as liquor stores. However, young adults were more likely to sustain injuries from traffic accidents, which were related to restaurants, and assault injuries, which were related to bars.
“For example, when young adults reach the minimum legal drinking age, they begin legally drinking in bars where events such as bar fights are relatively common, and more likely when the density of bars increases,” wrote researcher Richard Scribner.
The density of alcohol outlets, specifically liquor stores, also appeared to have an overall impact.
“The concentration of these types of alcohol outlets in a neighbourhood influences the social networks for both youth and young adults by reinforcing high-risk drinking practices.”
The paper stated a neighbourhood’s alcohol environment might play a role in regulating the risks to which youth and young adults are exposed as they mature.
Daily use of marijuana in Canadian youth has been associated with increased rates of depression, anxiety and irreversible long-term damage to the brain, according to new research.
Published in Neurobiology of Disease, researchers at McGill University Health Centre studied the marijuana use in teenagers and whether or not they became more susceptible to neurological effects when they became adults.
The study showed marijuana affected two important compounds of the brain — serotonin and norepinephrine — which are involved in regulating mood control and anxiety.
As a result, the study found participants had decreased serotonin transmission — which leads to mood disorders — and increased norepinephrine transmission, which leads to greater long-term susceptibility to stress.
The study is the first to demonstrate that marijuana use causes more serious damage in adolescence than in adulthood.
As many as 500 million stem cells can be harvested from a single umbilical cord after the birth of an infant, according to new research published in the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology.
Dr. Bridget Deasy of the Pitt School of Medicine and her team analyzed sections of two-foot-long human umbilical cords that were donated for research. They were looking for cells in the gelatinous material found inside, known as Wharton’s jelly, as well as the blood vessel walls.
Early experiments indicated that the cells, once properly isolated, can be used to produce specialized cells, such as bone and cartilage. The experiments also indicated that at least 21 million stem cells, but potentially as many as 500 million, could be taken from one cord.
Umbilical stem cells also come without the donor age and sex related issues associated with adult stem cell populations.
Some of the best diagnostic machines in the world can’t compare to the results obtained by a skilled physician conducting a routine bedside exam, according to the Journal of Neurosurgery.
Researchers at Loyola University examined the records of 251 patients who received CT scans within 24 hours of surgery. That included 133 patients who received routine scans within seven hours of surgery and 108 patients who received the scan between eight and 24 hours afterwards. Patients also received bedside neurological exams from doctors.
In 10 cases, doctors detected serious problems that warranted an urgent CT scan, three of which were serious enough to warrant an immediate return to the operating room. By comparison, zero per cent of the 241 routine CT scans predicted whether or not the patients would need more surgery.
Students who watch peers endure verbal and physical abuse can become equally distressed — sometimes more so — as the actual victims.
Published in School Psychology Quarterly, researchers surveyed 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 at 14 public schools. Each was presented with a list of bullying behaviours ranging from name-calling to violence and was asked if they had been a victim, witness or perpetrator in the last nine weeks and what the frequency was.
Approximately 63 per cent saw an instance of abuse, 34 per cent said they were victims and 20 per cent claimed responsibility. Girls reported seeing more bullying than boys.
Students also answered questions about feelings of depression, anxiety, hostility or inferiority. The results showed that students who witnessed acts of bullying were more likely to report greater psychological distress than bullies or victims. The results add support to previous research that shows bystanders often feel guilty for not trying to help the victim.
