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Safeguards Needed for Tissue Donors

By Guest PostFebruary 1, 2013Healthcloning, controversial issues, data in biobanks, data management systems, data sets, donations, donors to biobanks, ethicist, hastings center report, health information, human tissue samples, medical records, michigan state university, negative racial stereotypes, research projects, tissue sample, tom tomlinson, treatments for diseases

Donors to biobanks – vast collections of human tissue samples that scientists hope will lead to new treatments for diseases – have a right to basic information about how their donations may be used, a Michigan State University ethicist argues in a new paper.

The idea behind biobanks is that a repository with hundreds of thousands of samples, each linked to medical records and other health information, can yield discoveries smaller data sets can’t match. Once samples are collected, researchers in many fields can use the data repeatedly. (more…)

Vocabulary Instruction Failing U.S. Students

By Guest PostJanuary 29, 2013Educationbennett woods, elementary school in okemos, elementary school journal, hysterical, kindergarten classrooms, low reading comprehension, low vocabulary scores, meaning of words, michigan state university, naep test, students, susan neuman, tanya wright, vocabulary instruction, vocabulary words

Vocabulary instruction in the early years is not challenging enough to prepare students for long-term reading comprehension, argues a study led by a Michigan State University education researcher.

The study, which appears in Elementary School Journal, analyzed commonly used reading curricula in U.S. kindergarten classrooms. It found that, generally, the programs do not teach enough vocabulary words; the words aren’t challenging enough; and not enough focus is given to make sure students understand the meaning of the words. (more…)

Robofish Grace Glides with the Greatest of Ease

By Guest PostJanuary 15, 2013Science, Technologyability to glide, array of sensors, atlantic ocean, battery, computer engineering, energy, environments, feitian zhang, flapping of tail, gliding robot ace, gps, grace, high tech, integration, jianxun wang, kalamazooriver, measure, michigan state university, quality, real world environment, robotic fish, sync, travel autonomously, water quality sensors, water temperature, xiaobo tan

A high-tech robotic fish hatched at Michigan State University has a new look. A new skill. And a new name.

MSU scientists have made a number of improvements on the fish, including the ability to glide long distances, which is the most important change to date. The fish now has the ability to glide through the water practically indefinitely, using little to no energy, while gathering valuable data that can aid in the cleaning of our lakes and rivers. (more…)

Helping Patients Navigate New Cancer Drugs

By Guest PostJanuary 14, 2013Healthautomated calling system, barbara given, cancer clinic, cancer treatment, chemotherapy, chemotherapy pills, chronic conditions, cutting edge treatment, cycle, diarrhea, dose, Environment, fatigue, ineffective, intravenous drugs, journal cancer nursing, life threatening disease, manage symptoms, michigan state university, monitor, multiple medications, oral chemotherapy drugs, oral pills, pain, patient, pill, sandra spoelstra, severe nausea, skin reactions, vomiting

As cancer treatment in pill form transforms how care is delivered, a new Michigan State University study underscores the challenges patients face in administering their own chemotherapy outside the supervised environment of a cancer clinic.

Chemotherapy pills can target specific cancers better than some traditional intravenous drugs, said Sandra Spoelstra, the MSU assistant professor of nursing who led the study. But they also can be difficult for patients to take. (more…)

Chronic Worriers at Higher Risk for PTSD

By Guest PostDecember 24, 2012Healthanalyzing data, catastrophe, chronic anxiety, habitually anxious, michigan state university, naomi breslau, neuroticism, neuroticism scale, post traumatic, psychiatric experts, ptsd, retrospective study, risk, risk factor, stress disorder, trait, traumatic events, worry constantly

People who worry constantly are at greater risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, according to new Michigan State University research published in the journal Psychological Medicine.

Many people experience traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, being assaulted or witnessing violence, but only a small minority develop PTSD, said study author Naomi Breslau, a professor of epidemiology at MSU. (more…)

Countering Brain Chemical Could Prevent Suicides

By Guest PostDecember 14, 2012Healthamino acid, anesthetic ketamine, anti glutamate drugs, anti inflammatory drugs, brain, causes of depression, chemical, glutamate, glutamate activity, glutamate signaling, grand rapids, immune response, inflammation, inhibit, lena brundin, mechanism of disease, michigan state university, nerve cells, neurotransmitter, preventing suicide, quinolinic acid, risk factor, serotonin, signals, spinal fluid, suicidal behavior

Researchers have found the first proof that a chemical in the brain called glutamate is linked to suicidal behavior, offering new hope for efforts to prevent people from taking their own lives.

Writing in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, Michigan State University’s Lena Brundin and an international team of co-investigators present the first evidence that glutamate is more active in the brains of people who attempt suicide. Glutamate is an amino acid that sends signals between nerve cells and has long been a suspect in the search for chemical causes of depression. (more…)

Protein Strongest Just Before Death

By Guest PostDecember 13, 2012Health, Sciencecell death, cell growth, david arnosti, degradation, destruction, drosophila, fruit fly, genetic similarity, grave, humans, liang zhang, lifecycle, mechanism, michigan state university, molecular details, nontraditional lifestyle, one foot, protein, proteins, retinoblastoma, retinoblastoma proteins, treat cancer, tumor suppressor, wings

Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered a protein that does its best work with one foot in the grave.

The study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, focuses on the nontraditional lifestyle of Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor proteins, which could lead to new ways to treat cancer.

“Retinoblastoma proteins are unique in that they use controlled destruction to do their jobs in a timely but restrained fashion,” said Liang Zhang, a lead author and MSU cell and molecular biology graduate student. “This is an unusual way for proteins to act.” (more…)

Mastering Scientific Mumbo Jumbo

By Guest PostDecember 10, 2012Education, Scienceabiotic, bill, biotic factor, common craft show, foundations of science, humor, intelligent decisions, interaction, marcus gillespie, massive, mastering, matt rowe, Media, melinda gates, michigan state university, mooc, mumbo jumbo, open online course, pseudoscience, sam houston, Science, scientific, scientific community, state university, stephen thomas, type

About the video: Discusses the interaction between abiotic and biotic factors. The style of the animation is influenced by The Common Craft Show.

Warning: This class will teach students to translate scientific mumbo jumbo into understandable phrases.

Michigan State University’s first, free Massive Open Online Course, or MOOC, also promises to then teach students “to speak mumbo jumbo and amaze your friends.” (more…)

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