SCIENCE-NEWS for Commoner.

[gaddeswarup]

Biodegradable plastics. Pl. check:
http://www.indiatogether.org/2006/jun/env-plastics.htm

[gaddeswarup]

Mind over matter:
http://www.physorg.com/news69039322.html

[gaddeswarup]

http://www.physorg.com/news69694294.html
Caution: I and my wife grew up in Indian villages. So far my immune sysetem seems OK but my wife developed asthma. We had pets but one of the children developed asthma and it turned out that my wife is allergic to cats and dogs. So, like all latest news, this should be taken with a grain of salt.

[gaddeswarup]

I hpoe that these are true:
http://www.physorg.com/news70114112.html
http://www.physorg.com/news70386548.html
http://www.physorg.com/news70201487.html

[RP]

Outbreaks of chikungunya fever, which is transmitted by mosquito bites, have been reported from the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Symptoms include fever, joint pains, muscle aches, headache, and rash. The disease is almost never fatal, but may be complicated by protracted fatigue and malaise. Rarely, the infection is complicated by meningoencephalitis, which is usually seen in newborns and those with pre-existing medical conditions. There is no vaccine for chikungunya fever. Insect protection measures are strongly recommended. http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/2006...unya_india.htm

[Anoushka]

* Startling variety in planetary birthplaces:
Astronomers once thought the dusty clouds that spawn
planets all looked pretty much the same. But no more.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...628_planet.htm


* Best way to build children's brains: play with
them
Love beats trendy toys, classes or music as brain
food for preschoolers, a report says.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060626_play.htm


* Radioactive scorpion venom deemed safe cancer
treatment:
Scientists are exploring an unusual new treatment
for an aggressive brain cancer.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060626_venom.htm


* Human-dolphin partnership inspires gov't
protection:
The government of Myanmar has moved to safeguard a
dolphin-fisherman collaboration.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...26_dolphin.htm


* The science of sniping on eBay:
A despised practice of placing last-second bids is
actually the best strategy in online auctions,
according to scientists.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060625_snipe.htm

[dsath]

* Best way to build children's brains: play with
them
Love beats trendy toys, classes or music as brain
food for preschoolers, a report says.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060626_play.htm

Nice one Anu.

[gaddeswarup]

This is from EurekAlert, July 1 and may be useful to older people. I am not sure how to give the exact URL.

Pomegranate juice helps keep PSA levels stable in men with prostate cancer


Drinking an eight ounce glass of pomegranate juice daily increased by nearly four times the period during which PSA levels in men treated for prostate cancer remained stable, a three-year UCLA study has found.

The study involved 50 men who had undergone surgery or radiation but quickly experienced increases in prostate-specific antigen or PSA, a biomarker that indicates the presence of cancer. UCLA researchers measured "doubling time," how long it takes for PSA levels to double, a signal that the cancer is progressing, said Dr. Allan Pantuck, an associate professor of urology, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and lead author of the study.

Doubling time is crucial in prostate cancer, Pantuck said, because patients who have short doubling times are more likely to die from their cancer. The average doubling time is about 15 months. In the UCLA study, Pantuck and his team observed increases in doubling times from 15 months to 54 months, an almost four-fold increase.

"That's a big increase. I was surprised when I saw such an improvement in PSA numbers," Pantuck said. "In older men 65 to 70 who have been treated for prostate cancer, we can give them pomegranate juice and it may be possible for them to outlive their risk of dying from their cancer. We're hoping we may be able to prevent or delay the need for other therapies usually used in this population such as hormone treatment or chemotherapy, both of which bring with them harmful side effects."

The study appears in the July 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Association of Cancer Research.

"This is not a cure, but we may be able to change the way prostate cancer grows," Pantuck said. "We don't know yet the specific factors behind this response - that's our next step in this research. We want to find out what cell signaling pathways might be affected, what is happening to keep PSA levels stable."

Pomegranate juice is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and high levels of anti-oxidants, which are believed to protect the body from free-radical damage. It also contains poly-phenols, natural antioxidant compounds found in green tea, as well as isoflavones commonly found in soy, and ellagic acid, which is believed to play a role in cancer cell death.

"There are many substances in pomegranate juice that may be prompting this response," Pantuck said. "We don't know if it's one magic bullet or the combination of everything we know is in this juice. My guess is that it's probably a combination of elements, rather than a single component."

The levels of PSA in men immediately following treatement should be undetectable, Pantuck said. If PSA can be detected, it's an indication of an aggressive cancer that is likely to progress. The men in Pantuck's study all had detectable PSA following treatment. Of the 50 men enrolled, more than 80 percent experienced improvement in doubling times.

Conventional treatment for men with recurrent prostate cancer includes hormonal therapy, a chemical castration which removes testosterone from the system. Men treated with hormonal therapy can experience hot flashes, osteoporosis, fatigue, depression, muscle wasting, loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. If drinking pomegranate juice can delay or prevent the need for hormonal therapy, patients would experience a better quality of life for a longer time, Pantuck said.

The patients in Pantuck's study experienced no side effects and none of the participants had cancers that metastasized during the study.

Pantuck, along with UCLA colleagues including Dr. Arie Belldegrun, professor and chief of urologic oncology, and Dr. David Heber, professor and director of the Center for Human Nutrition, first began research on pomegranate juice in prostate cancer about six years ago, conducting preclinical research in cell cultures and in animals. Those studies showed pomegranate juice slowed the growth of prostate cancer, Pantuck said.

The data was impressive enough to test pomegranate juice in clinical trials, Pantuck said. To confirm their findings, a larger Phase III study, headed up by UCLA, will be conducted at ten centers across the county. UCLA is the only Southern California center involved in the study. For more information on the Phase III trial, call (310) 825-5538.

Pantuck said he has men on the study more than three years out who are not being treated for prostate cancer other than drinking pomegranate juice and their PSA levels continue to be suppressed.

"The juice seems to be working," he said.

[Anoushka]

WORLD SCIENCE NEWSLETTER, July 11, 2006


Note: some subscription and cancellation requests
since our last issue were lost due to a technical
error. Please re-send them. We apologize for the in-
convenience.


* Sites under review for telescope that could detect
alien TV:
Astronomers are working to choose a site for a giant
telescope that could read TV signals from distant
civilizations.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/060711_ska.htm


* Climate change boosting wildfires, study finds:
Global warming may be driving wildfires in the
Western U.S., researchers claim.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/060711_fire.htm


* Strange musical sounds draw scientific scrutiny:
An acclaimed violinist conjures sounds from her
instrument that shouldn't be possible.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...706_violin.htm


* Form of "empathy" found in mice:
Researchers say mice can feel each others' pain, in
a way.

http://www.world-science.net/otherne...iceempathy.htm

[Anoushka]

Indian lab develops local bird flu vaccine

India has developed a local version of an animal vaccine to combat the deadly strain of bird flu that spread to the country in February, the agriculture ministry has said.

The vaccine was developed by the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, the only Indian facility able to test poultry for the disease, with an investment of 80 million rupees (1.8 million dollars).

"Viral disease such as avian influenza does not recognize boundaries and the development of indigenous vaccine would go a long way in tackling bird flu effectively," said Mangala Rai, head of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research which oversees the lab.

The arrival of the disease in western India earlier this year led to the culling of more than a million birds, the statement said.

There are fears that if unchecked the disease might spread to humans in the country of more than one billion people, where many live in close contact with poultry.

The virus, which can spread from infected birds to people in close proximity, provokes flu-like symptoms in humans.

It has claimed 132 lives worldwide since 2003, according to World Health Organisation figures released Tuesday, with Vietnam suffering the most with 42 deaths.