Archives for February 2012

Eating Behavior May Be Influenced By Dining Companions

February 10, 2012 | by Kirstin Hendrickson

A new study published in the online journal PLoS ONE demonstrates that diners mimic the eating patterns of their dining companions, matching them bite-for-bite [1]. The researchers studied pairs of young women who did not know one another, and found that they influenced each other with regard to eating patterns. Particularly within the first ten minutes of dining together, the women tended to mimic each other, taking bites of food within five seconds of one another.

Image credit: Women eating salad via Shutterstock

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Portable “Life and Activity Monitor” Records Vital Signs

February 9, 2012 | by Walter Jessen

Scientific research and studies that will advance the understanding of medicine often require patients to undergo vital statistic monitoring, including measurement and recording of heart rate, activity level, and respirations. However, monitoring such vital statistics has historically required that study participants agree to frequent office visits, or else wear large and cumbersome monitoring devices.

Researchers at Oregon State University and the University of California at San Diego have designed a miniature vital statistics monitor that is not only small — it’s about two inches wide — and inexpensive to make, but is also capable of monitoring vitals from inside a pocket.

From Oregon State University’s press release:

“When this technology becomes more miniaturized and so low-cost that it could almost be disposable, it will see more widespread adoption,” said Patrick Chiang, an assistant professor of computer engineering at Oregon State University. “It’s already been used in one clinical research study on the effects of micronutrients on aging, and monitoring of this type should have an important future role in medicine.”

Vital statistics monitors like this one may make large-scale medical studies easier on participants and less expensive for labs to run, speeding the pace of health discovery and innovation.

Source: Oregon State University

Study Identifies Likely Mechanism Underlying Resveratrol Activity

February 8, 2012 | by NIH Newsbot

National Institutes of Health researchers and their colleagues have identified how resveratrol, a naturally occurring chemical found in red wine and other plant products, may confer its health benefits. The authors present evidence that resveratrol does not directly activate sirtuin 1, a protein associated with aging. Rather, the authors found that resveratrol inhibits certain types of proteins known as phosphodiesterases (PDEs), enzymes that help regulate cell energy.

These findings may help settle the debate regarding resveratrol’s biochemistry and pave the way for resveratrol-based medicines. The chemical has received significant interest from pharmaceutical companies for its potential to combat diabetes, inflammation, and cancer. The study appears in the February 3rd issue of the journal Cell [1].

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Embryonic Stem Cells Improve Vision of Blind Patients

February 7, 2012 | by Walter Jessen

Researchers at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute and colleagues have successfully used specialized retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells to improve the vision of two legally blind patients.

The trial was led by Dr. Steven Schwartz, opthalmologist and chief of the retina division at the Institute. Although the results are extremely promising, only two patients were treated. The trial will have to be preformed successfully many more times before the procedure can be accepted as an option for care.

Steven Schwartz performs stem cell transplant

Nevertheless, the preliminary findings represent a milestone in the therapeutic use of stem cells and may pave the way for a new therapy to treat eye diseases. The research was recently published online in the journal The Lancet.

Study: Embryonic stem cell trials for macular degeneration: a preliminary report

Source: UCLA Newsroom

Just Because It Isn’t Sweet … Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Sugar

February 6, 2012 | by Kirstin Hendrickson

From a nutritional perspective, is a spoonful of white rice more like a spoonful of sugar or a spoonful of brown rice? Because they taste and look similar, most people assume that white rice and brown rice share many of the same nutritional qualities. It turns out, however, that this is not the case. The reason has to do with the chemical nature of carbohydrates.