Rodent of the Week: Germ exposure in pregnancy may benefit kids, study indicates

Rodent of the Week: Germ exposure in pregnancy may benefit kids, study indicates: "

The hygiene hypothesis is the idea that exposure to germs early in life builds a stronger immune system and lowers a child's risk of developing allergies and asthma. Another piece of evidence for that concept, published this week, shows that even exposure to germs during pregnancy may reduce allergy risk in the offspring.

German researchers exposed pregnant mice to airborne barnyard microbes. (Studies in humans show children who are raised on farms develop fewer allergies than kids raised in non-farming communities.) The exposure triggered a mild inflammatory response in the pregnant mice, which was measured by an increased expression of microbe-sensing receptors called TLRs and the production of immune system substances called cytokines. The exposed mice gave birth to offspring who were resistant to allergies caused by the microbes. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

"...Studies have demonstrated that many factors affecting the initiation and course of respiratory allergies appear to act within a narrow window of opportunity, either prenatally and/or early in life. It is still unresolved, however, how protective signals are transferred from the mothers to the developing fetus," the authors wrote in the paper.

The paper adds "a new twist" to the hygiene hypothesis, said experts from the Center for Child Health Research at the University of Western Australia, in a commentary published with the study. The allergy response in human tissues differs from mice, they cautioned, but more attention should be paid to maternal environmental exposures during pregnancy that might influence the health of the offspring.

-- Shari Roan

Photo credit: Advanced Cell Technology Inc.

"

56% - Do Americans Know Where Scientists Stand on Global Warming? (Pew)

56% - Do Americans Know Where Scientists Stand on Global Warming?
(Pew): "Pew - An overwhelming number of scientists (84%) say the earth is warming because of human activity, while just 4% of scientists say there is no solid evidence the earth is warming."

Casual sex and psych 101

Casual sex and psych 101: "

Is having "friends with benefits" emotionally damaging?

Nope, says a study from the University of Minnesota. Researchers surveyed 1,311 young adults about their sexual history. The result: Casual encounters are not, as federal abstinence education teaches, likely to mess with your head.

To debunk that myth, the paper also points out that depression often precedes "sexual debut and high-risk sexual behaviors among adolescents," not the other way around.

Even though casual sex doesn't necessarily lead to trouble, the phenomenon still seems to be relatively uncommon. Only a fifth of participants said that their most recent partner was a casual partner -- either an acquaintance (8.2%) or a close but nonexclusive partner (12.4%).

One last point -- while the study did not find any psychological damage, the authors said, "Our findings do not minimize the legitimate threats to physical well-being associated with casual sexual relationships, and the need for preventive messages in sex education programs." For a resource on sex and dating, check out Sex, Etc., a by-teens-for-teens advice site set up at Rutgers University.

-- Amina Khan

"

Coffee won't make you sober

Coffee won't make you sober: "

What do cold showers, hard slaps and hot coffee have in common? All have been touted as cures for drunkenness. They're also dangerous -- a merrymaker looking to get serious could down a couple shots of espresso, for instance, and think that he's ready to get behind the wheel.

Now, a study published in the current issue of Biological Neuroscience confirms that relying on coffee is a bad idea. Researchers fed mice alcohol, caffeine or a combination thereof, and watched how well they navigated a maze. The tipsy ones appeared relaxed but couldn't effectively avoid the bright lights and loud noises that scientists set up in the maze. The buzzed rodents fared better, but were "less savvy about avoiding the unpleasant stimuli." Those that had consumed both alcohol and caffeine, however, were alert but still unable to avoid the nasty shocks sprinkled throughout the maze.

Ultimately, nothing beats time -- the key element the body needs as it works through all that booze coursing through the bloodstream. No quantity of frigid water or frappuccino will change that.

Meanwhile, if you want to know how stewed you are, check out this handy blood-alcohol content calculator from the University of Oklahoma police. It's like a Breathalyzer for your Blackberry.

-- Amina Khan

"

Everything You Know (About Water) is Wrong

Everything You Know (About Water) is Wrong: "

If Dan Brekke isn't editing newscasts at KQED Radio, chances are that he's poring over charts full of arcane statistics from the state Department of Water Resources. Call it a hobby. Okay, call it an obsession. Either way, we frequently turn to Dan for his insights into California's water conundrum.

Flooded rice fields in the Sacramento Valley. Photo: Craig Miller

Everything You Know is Wrong

By Dan Brekke

California is home to 37 million people—and to 37 million water experts. If no one’s ever said that, someone should have.

There’s nothing more central to life here and no subject that excites stronger opinions. Recent events have shown that those opinions can easily harden into certainty about what needs to be done to solve all of California’s water problems—the needs of those 37 million people, the needs of the state’s incomparably rich agricultural industry, the needs of native fish and ecosystems.

We’ve long since learned that one person’s 'solution'—to build dams and divert water for farms and cities, say—can be another’s nightmare—for instance, the communities that depend on healthy fisheries for their well-being. The conflicts over water are so deep and longstanding that they can make rational discussion difficult or impossible.

This week, though, the Public Policy Institute of California published a report that aims to inject some understanding into the water debate by challenging opinions and misconceptions. The report, (link is a 32-page PDF) tests eight widely-held beliefs about water against the complex realities that underlie them. The first myth is fundamental to how we see water issues: “California is running out of water.” The reality the PPIC and its all-star panel of water experts propose is a sobering one: “California has run out of abundant water (our italics) and will need to adapt to increasing water scarcity.”

There’s something in the list of myths to rankle just about everyone. One myth goes like this: “[Insert villain here] is responsible for California’s water problems.” The report goes on to assess several villain-candidates, including:

- Wasteful Southern California homeowners with their lush lawns and luxurious swimming pools,

- Farmers who get federally subsidized (read “cheap”) water, and

- Protections for endangered species (as in 'Why are we giving water to that Delta smelt?”).

In reality, the report says, coastal Southern California does an excellent job of limiting residential water use; farmers getting cheap water are in fact paying a price for the subsidy and are becoming more efficient water users; and actions taken to protect the smelt has had a comparatively small impact on water shipments through the Delta.

The PPIC says in the introduction to “California Water Myths” that a “policy based on facts and science is essential if California is to meet the multiple, sometimes competing goals for sustainable management” of water for the rest of the century. No one can argue with that, though it’s certain that squabbles over water will persist. Maybe the best we as Californians can hope for is an honest effort to try to understand the needs of all other water users, and to give each of them the benefit of the doubt when considering solutions to our water problems.

In the meantime, check out the PPIC’s “California Water Myths.' It’s available on the institute website or in an excellent interactive version put together by the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences.

"

Extra pores on plants 'could ease' global warming (AFP)

Extra pores on plants 'could ease' global warming
(AFP): "

AFP - Japanese researchers said on Thursday they had found a way to make plant leaves absorb more carbon dioxide in an innovation that may one day help ease global warming and boost food production.

"

Parents: Get the sex talk over with

Parents: Get the sex talk over with: "

If you’re thinking about talking to your child about sex, you could be too late. Kids appear to be engaging in sexual activity much earlier than they have in the past – but today’s parent hasn’t gotten with the program.

In a new study published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, more than 40% of teens surveyed said they had had intercourse before discussing key issues with their parents. Such issues included sexually transmitted diseases, how to use a condom, and what to do if your partner refuses to use a condom. Boys had the talk even later than girls. Parental talks for both genders were still behind the times, though – which is troubling, given that medical professionals are recommending early and frequent STD screening for young women within a year of having sex for the first time.

For the reluctant parent, a handy primer from Planned Parenthood on discussing birds and bees with your child.

-- Amina Khan

"

Al Gore rebuts Palin's climate change claims

Al Gore rebuts Palin's climate change claims: "

A former vice president and a former vice presidential nominee are engaged in a public battle over climate change, a tiff sparked by Sarah Palin's op-ed in Wednesday's Washington Post and furthered by Al Gore's rebuttal on MSNBC.

Al Gore - Climate change - Sarah Palin - Washington Post - Vice President of the United States"

“Oil and politics mix well, but I’m not sure if oil and science mix well”

“Oil and politics mix well, but I’m not sure if oil and science mix well”: "

By Alexa Engelman, UCLA Law delegation — one in a series of posts from COP 15 in Copenhagen:

“Oil and politics mix well, but I’m not sure if oil and science mix well.” So stated IPPC Chair Rajendra Pachauri when asked by reporters in a session at the Bella Center Tuesday morning about the hacked emails from climate scientists at the University of East Anglia. With the worldwide media frenzy around the so-called “ClimateGate,” many (including those on legal planet) wonder what role the revelation of these emails may play in the Copenhagen talks. Pachauri’s comment regarding oil was a direct reference to Saudi Arabia’s comments early in the conference Monday calling into question the premise of the science driving the COP 15 talks.

Although the morning’s session focused on the role of the science in the IPCC’s 2007 Fourth Assessment Report , the frenzy regarding the hacked emails has been difficult to ignore entirely in this international gathering. But Raj Pachauri took the issue head on at the outset of the presentation. He stated that the IPCC was looking into the emails for “lessons learned” but dismissed the idea of a formal “investigation,” and he flatly denied that the emails called into question the global consensus on the existence of climate change. He pointed to the fact that the IPCC gathers data from many sources, only one of which is Climate Research Unit (CRU) at East Anglia targeted by the hackers, and went to lengths to point to the robust peer-reviewed process of the IPCC. That process, Pachauri pointed out, led to the inclusion of the “suppressed” research referenced in the CRU emails in the IPCC’s 2007 report showing divergent warming trends in tree rings.

Editorial boards and media outlets do not appear satisfied with this argument and have called for further transparency for National Science Foundation and other federally funded science. Pachauri again voiced the IPCC’s mantra that warming in the climate system is unequivocal, and that the science behind that assertion is not in doubt. And other panelists, all IPCC working group chairs, outlined the central scientific observations of climate impact since the 2007 report. The emerging science will be included in the upcoming Fifth Assessment Report due in 2013 but, in the interim, clear patterns are emerging. For many, these observations may be far from surprising given warming trends but their role in the decision-making process for stakeholders cannot be understated. The central points included higher concentrations of CO2 and increases in concentrations ten times faster than previously recorded; changes in the thickness and loss of ice sheets; and the persistence and long-term committment of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Dr. Thomas Stocker also discussed the “termination problem” associated with attempts to geoengineer solutions, whereby efforts to engineer solutions to warming end in abrupt climate change when projects are abandoned.



However, here in Copenhagen, ClimateGate is far from the most pressing issue for those sorting out the complex and politically wrought issues of technology transfer, mitigation, adaption, land use and many, many other aspects of the negotiations. The general sentiment among the many NGO’s present is, let’s not expend energy on the skeptics and instead move on and make history. While the IPCC is not ignoring the ClimateGate frenzy, it too has more significant obligations and ambitions here in Copenhagen. With two days down, the negotiations are heating up in expectation of the arrival of over 110 heads of state next week. Stay tuned for updates!

"

Swine flu may be mildest pandemic ever, researchers say

Swine flu may be mildest pandemic ever, researchers say: "

The first comprehensive study of pandemic H1N1 influenza from April to the end of July indicates that the pandemic may be the mildest ever, assuming that the virus doesn't mutate during the winter and come back stronger than before. The analysis suggests that the swine flu virus might directly cause as many as 45,000 deaths in the United States by the end of winter but that the most likely figure is somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 deaths. In a worst-case scenario, the virus would kill no more than 45,000 people, well below earlier estimates that suggested as many as 90,000 could die in the pandemic.

A typical flu season is associated with about 35,000 deaths. In 1957, the Asian flu pandemic killed about 70,000 Americans.

Making accurate projections about the course of a pandemic is difficult, both because the virus itself is so unpredictable and because it is hard to obtain accurate estimates of the total number of people infected. In the new study, a team led by epidemiologist Mark Lipsitch of the Harvard School of Public Health studied data collected in New York City and Milwaukee, which have some of the most effective surveillance programs available. They reported their results in the journal PLoS Medicine.

Their best estimate was that during the April-to-July period, 1.44% of patients with swine flu symptoms were hospitalized, 0.239% required intensive care or mechanical ventilation and 0.048% died. The team concluded that about 15% of the population would ultimately be infected by the virus. The previous worst-case scenario estimating that 90,000 could die was based on the virus infecting 30% of the population.

But the virus can still be exceedingly lethal. Another study led by Dr. James R. Gill of the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner studied the lungs of 34 people who died of swine flu. They reported in the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine that the virus did most of its damage in the upper airway -- the trachea and bronchial tubes -- like seasonal flu. But unlike seasonal flu, the virus also damaged tissues deep in the lungs. That damage paved the way for bacterial infections, which were found in more than half the victims.

They also found that 91% of those who died suffered from underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease and respiratory illnesses like asthma, and 72% of those who died were obese.

The virus is also particularly lethal in children with sickle cell disease, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Dr. John J. Strouse and his colleagues reported Monday at a New Orleans meeting of the American Society of Hematology that sickle cell children who were infected with swine flu were three times more likely than those infected with seasonal flu to develop acute chest syndrome, marked by inflammation of the lungs, reduced oxygen capacity and shortness of breath. That is a leading cause of death among such patients. They were also five times more likely to end up on a ventilator and more likely to need a blood transfusion.

The same team reported earlier this year that sickle cell children who were infected with seasonal flu were 80 times more likely than other children to be hospitalized. The findings emphasize the critical need for such children to be vaccinated against both forms of the flu, Strouse said.

-- Thomas H. Maugh II

"

Listage: Bocuse d'Or Contestants Announced; Upcoming LA Street Food Festival

Listage: Bocuse d'Or Contestants Announced; Upcoming LA Street Food Festival: "

The Donut Man, Glendora. [Photo: djjewelz/Eater LA Flickr Pool]

·Masa Takayama Brings Bar Masa To Vegas [DD]

·Bocuse d'Or Contestants Announced, Top Cheffer Among The 12 [SlashFood]

·Vanity Fair Interviews Danny DeVito, Discusses Limoncello Pants Incident [VF]

·The Sprinkles Truck Hits SF [Eater SF]

·LA Street Food Festival: The Date To Have On Valentine's [LAist]

·Even The French Embrace A California Classic [NYT]

·Man Throws Tomatoes At Sarah Palin [Daily Beast]

·Restaurant Holiday Gift Card Deals [OCR]

·Larchmont Bungalow Is Seated [Zagat]

"

Swedes say it is no longer a hymen -- it's a vaginal corona

Swedes say it is no longer a hymen -- it's a vaginal corona: "

There is too much mythology and confusion surrounding that crucial body part known as the hymen, and a new name should help to dispel some of the myths, according to the Swedish Assn. for Sexuality Education, which goes by the acronym RFSU. That new name, which the group believes is more descriptive, is the "vaginal corona."

Etymologically, the term hymen comes from the Greek word for membrane. In Swedish, it is called the modomshina, which translates as "virginity membrane." In fact, there is no brittle membrane or curtain, but rather multiple folds of mucous membrane. A vaginal corona, in other words.

"The vaginal corona is a permanent part of a woman's body throughout her life," said Asa Regner, RFSU secretary-general. "It doesn't disappear after she first has sexual intercourse, and most women don't bleed the first time. The myths surrounding the hymen were created to control women's freedom and sexuality. The only way to counteract this is by disseminating knowledge."

Last spring, RFSU published an informational booklet in Swedish to dispel some of the myths about the tissue. The booklet has now been translated into English and is available here. It is also available in Arabic and Sorani.

-- Thomas H. Maugh II

"

Why Women Wake When a Baby Cries

Why Women Wake When a Baby Cries: "Women may be sensitive to sounds associated with a potential threat to their children while men are more finely tuned to disturbances posing a possible threat to the whole family."

After a Birth, When Fathers Get Depressed

After a Birth, When Fathers Get Depressed: "While new mothers often are counseled to be on the lookout for the teariness and mood swings of postpartum depression, fathers can suffer from the 'baby blues' as well, Dr. Richard Friedman writes."

Top 10 Emerging Environmental Technologies (LiveScience.com)

Top 10 Emerging Environmental Technologies
(LiveScience.com): "LiveScience.com - Wasteful energy policies, overuse of resources, water supply
shortages, global climate change, and deforestation are just some of the issues
experts say need to be addressed at the U.N. Climate Change summit in Copenhagen
beginning this week. Here are 10 technologies - some old, some new, some a bit
offbeat - that might help."

Plug-in hybrids have miles to go for widespread use

Plug-in hybrids have miles to go for widespread use: "Many major automakers have unveiled vehicles at the L.A. Auto Show that are within a year or two of the showroom, but a lot has to change for such cars to be common sights in the U.S. private fleet.




Anyone strolling about the exhibition floor of the L.A. Auto Show this week can be forgiven for thinking that the battle for the green car has been won, and the plug-in electric hybrid is the victor.

"

Humanists launch a godless holiday campaign

Humanists launch a godless holiday campaign: "Starting this week, atheists and others who say they embrace reason over religion take out ads showing smiling people wearing red Santa hats with the slogan: 'No God? . . . No problem!'





As the calendar goes, December tends to be a winning month for God.

"

Climate: CO2 unleashes more warming than thought: study (AFP)

Climate: CO2 unleashes more warming than thought: study
(AFP): "

AFP - Carbon dioxide indirectly causes up to 50 percent more global warming than originally thought, a finding that raises questions over targets for stabilising carbon emissions over the long term, a study said on Sunday.

"

Half of Britons deny climate change man-made: poll (AFP)

Half of Britons deny climate change man-made: poll
(AFP): "

AFP - Almost half of Britons do not believe human behaviour is the main cause of global warming, a new poll showed Sunday, a day before world leaders begin crunch climate talks in Copenhagen.

"