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Nearly Two Thirds Of Adults In UK Don't Do Enough Exercise, Survey
A survey of UK adults found that nearly two thirds are risking their health by not doing enough exercise and putting themselves at greater risk of

Clean Fuels Could Reduce Deaths From Ship Smokestacks By 40,000 Annually
Rising levels of smokestack emissions from oceangoing ships will cause an estimated 87,000 deaths worldwide each year by 2012 - almost one-third higher than previously believed, according to the second major study on that topic. The study says that government action to reduce sulfur emissions from shipping fuel (the of air pollution linked to an increased risk of illness and death) could reduce that toll. The study is in the current issue of ACS" Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly publication.
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Scientists Capture The First Image Of Memories Being Made
The ability to learn and to establish new memories is essential to our daily existence and identity; enabling us to navigate through the world. A new study by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro), McGill University and University of California, Los Angeles has captured an image for the first time of a mechanism, specifically protein translation, which underlies long-term memory formation. The finding provides the first visual evidence that when a new memory is formed new proteins are made locally at the synapse - the connection between nerve cells - increasing the strength of the synaptic connection and reinforcing the memory. The study published in Science, is important for understanding how memory traces are created and the ability to monitor it in real time will allow a detailed understanding of how memories are formed.
Oncology

Drugs That Fight 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Swine Flu To Be Screened By SRI International

SRI International, an independent, nonprofit research and development organization, has announced that that it will screen a library of well-characterized drugs against the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus, previously known as "swine flu." The work will be performed under a re contract from the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. There is currently only one class of antiviral drugs, the neuraminidase inhibitors, available to treat this H1N1 infection. Identifying drugs from other chemical and mechanistic classes could provide more effective alternatives to current therapies and make it easier to provide sufficient quantities of drugs to a broad population, should the need arise. The development of new treatments may be expedited by screening drugs that have already well-characterized safety and toxicity profiles. "SRI has expertise in screening new and approved drugs, including the development of novel uses for antibiotics and screening a library of licensed drugs to find compounds that show efficacy against biothreat agents. SRI appreciates the opportunity to apply its knowledge and skills to screening drugs against H1N1 flu and contributing to the overall understanding of the virus," said Amy Shurtleff, Ph.D., a senior virologist in SRI International"s Biosciences Division, who will lead this screening program. Although the number of new 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus cases appears to be slowing worldwide, viruses are unpredictable. In particular, it is not known how this new virus will behave when the seasonal flu season returns this fall and in subsequent years. Scientists are looking at the Southern Hemisphere now, where the flu season will begin soon, for any signs of changes in the H1N1 virus and how humans respond to the infection. SRI has a long and successful history of drug discovery and development, which includes both screening of licensed drugs and finding and studying new chemical and biological therapeutics and vaccines. The virus will be handled in compliance with all guidelines prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for handling this strain of influenza. SRI researchers will culture cell lines and study H1N1 virus growth under well-controlled conditions. Next, they will begin testing the first round of drugs. Assuming that some drugs show worthwhile efficacy and potency, SRI will help develop a plan for preclinical and clinical evaluation and regulatory approval. Dina Basin SRI International *See our Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks *See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog


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