Science is for innovation, but what is the public for?
| July 31, 2000
The UK government is worried. It says science underpins the economy, but the big issue is public opinion, reports Robert Walgate.
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Surgery for emphysema
July 31, 2000
NEW YORK, July 27 (Praxis Press) Lung-volume-reduction surgery is thought to improve lung function, walking distance, and quality of life in patients with severe emphysema, but the benefits of this surgery over standard medical treatment have not been rigorously studied. To compare this procedure with continuing medical treatment Geddes and colleagues studied patients randomized to received surgery (n=24) or continued medical treatment (n=24). Of the patients, five in the surgical group and thre
West Nile virus
July 31, 2000
NEW YORK, July 28 (Praxis Press) In late August 1999, an outbreak of encephalitis caused by West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in New York City and in neighboring counties. As a result, in May 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines and provided funds to support mosquito-control and risk-reduction campaigns and surveillance in 19 states where WNV transmission had occurred or would likely occur. A new report by the CDC states that from May 6 through July 8, 20
Folding both ways
July 27, 2000
A single RNA sequence can fold to form two structurally unrelated but catalytically active ribozymes.
Hepatitis and liver disease
July 27, 2000
NEW YORK, 26 July (Praxis Press) The long-term viral and clinical patterns of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are unknown. Thomas and colleagues studied the incidence and determinants of viral clearance and clinical outcome in patients who acquired HCV by injecting drugs. Viral clearance occurred in about 10% of patients during a median follow-up of 8.8 years; clearance occurred more often in non-black patients and in non-HIV-infected patients. End-stage liver disease (ESLD) occurred in about
Metformin and lipodystrophy
July 27, 2000
NEW YORK, 26 July (Praxis Press) The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) lipodystrophy syndrome is characterized by fat redistribution and insulin resistance; this syndrome is particularly common among patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy. Hadigan and colleagues studied the safety and efficacy of metformin in patients with the HIV lipodystrophy syndrome. Low-dose metformin treatment decreased body mass index and abdominal fat, improved hyperinsulinemia, and lowered diastolic blood p
Systolic hypertension and stroke
July 27, 2000
NEW YORK, 26 July (Praxis Press) The Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) revealed that treatment of isolated systolic hypertension decreases the incidence of both fatal and nonfatal strokes. Perry and colleagues, in an extension of SHEP, studied the effects of antihypertensive treatment on the incidence of specific types of stroke. Treatment decreased the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke within one year and the incidence of ischemic stroke within two years. Within the ischemic str
The internet and STDs
July 27, 2000
NEW YORK, 26 July (Praxis Press) The internet is a new forum for anonymously finding sex partners. McFarlane and colleagues studied the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among people who sought sex partners on the internet. More than 10% of clients undergoing HIV testing at a Denver clinic reported having sex with a partner they first met on the internet. Clients who sought sex online, relative to clients who didn't, were more likely to be men, to be homosexual, and to hav
Early globetrotters
| July 26, 2000
Were the Pacific islands of Polynesia colonized by people migrating from Taiwan or Melanesia? Su et al suggest in the July 18 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that neither theory is correct, and that southeast Asia may have been the starting-off point (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2000, 97:8225-8228). They base their claims on haplotypes from the nonrecombining portion of the Y chromosome. Only one Polynesian haplotype is shared with the Taiwanese, whereas nine of ten Pacific island
Human knockouts?
| July 26, 2000
Mobile group II intron RNAs insert directly into DNA target sites before being reverse-transcribed by an intron-encoded protein. Target site recognition involves base-pairing between the RNA and DNA, and interactions between flanking DNA and the intron-encoded protein. In the 21 July Science, Guo et al use an Escherichia coli-based selection procedure and randomized intron sequences to derive group II introns capable of inserting into alternative target sites (Science 2000, 89:452-457). One of t
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