Tag Archives: risk

Sea level rise: New iceberg theory points to areas at risk of rapid disintegration

By Guest PostAugust 6, 2013Environmentantarctic ocean, Antarctica, catastrophic breakup, catastrophic disintegration, coast, diverse calving patterns, glacier geometry, greenland, helheim glacier, ice shelf, iceberg calving, jakobshavn glacier, jeremy bassis, larsen b, new iceberg theory, new model, physics, pine island glacier, rapid disintegration, risk, sea-level rise, thwaites, university of michigan

ANN ARBOR — In events that could exacerbate sea level rise over the coming decades, stretches of ice on the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland are at risk of rapidly cracking apart and falling into the ocean, according to new iceberg calving simulations from the University of Michigan.

“If this starts to happen and we’re right, we might be closer to the higher end of sea level rise estimates for the next 100 years,” said Jeremy Bassis, assistant professor of atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences at the U-M College of Engineering, and first author of a paper on the new model published in the current issue of Nature Geoscience. (more…)

Recognizing America’s number one killer of women

By Guest PostMay 22, 2013Healthchronic disease, epidemiology, heart attack, judith lichtman, public health, risk, yale school, yale university, younger women

Judith Lichtman, associate professor of chronic disease epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, discusses the risk of heart attacks for younger women. *Source: Yale University

Genomic Detectives Crack the Case of the Missing Heritability

By Guest PostFebruary 23, 2013Scienceantibiotics, bert vogelstein, caffeine, case, caused by mutation, common dna spelling, crohns disease, dna code, dna variation, drugs, environmental factors, eye color, family traits, genetic causes, genetic code, genetic factors, genomic detectives, gwas, ian ehrenreich, joshua bloom, leonid kruglyak, metal compounds, missing heritability, missing heritability problem, model organism, patterns of inheritance, physical characteristic, princeton university, regions of dna, researcher, risk, risk of diseases, schizophrenia, southern california, thuy lan lite, type 2 diabetes, university, variation, wesley loo, yeast cell

Despite years of research, the genetic factors behind many human diseases and characteristics remain unknown. The inability to find the complete genetic causes of family traits such as height or the risk of type 2 diabetes has been called the “missing heritability” problem.

A new study by Princeton University researchers, however, suggests that missing heritability may not be missing after all — at least not in yeast cells, which the researchers used as a model for studying the problem. Published in the journal Nature, the results suggest that heritability in humans may be hidden due only to the limitations of modern research tools, but could be discovered if scientists know where (and how) to look. (more…)

UCLA Study First to Image Concussion-Related Abnormal Brain Proteins in Retired NFL Players

By Guest PostJanuary 24, 2013Healthabnormal gait, abnormal tau proteins, alzheimer's disease, american journal, amyloid beta plaques, athletes, autopsy, body mass index, brain imaging tool, brain injury, brain pathology, centers, chemical marker, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, clinical assessment, cognitive, cognitive ability, confusion, cte, degenerative condition, degree of depression, dementia, depression, disease control, early detection, early symptoms, family history, fddnp, fran, gary small, gauge, geriatric psychiatry, hallmarks of alzheimers, ham d, hamilton rating scale, intravenous injections, jorge r barrio, julian bailes, linda m ercoli, memory loss, mental state examination, mild, mini, mmse, mood symptoms, national football league, neurofibrillary tau tangles, personality changes, PET, player, positron emission tomography, prabha siddarth, prevention, progression in cte, progressive dementia, protein, ray stark foundation, repair damage, risk, sports related concussions, suicidal behavior, traumatic brain injuries, traumatic brain injury, tremors, vladimir kepe, wayne clark

Technique may lead to earlier diagnosis, tracking of brain disorders in athletes

Sports-related concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries have grabbed headlines in recent months, as the long-term damage they can cause becomes increasingly evident among both current and former athletes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of these injuries occur each year.

Despite the devastating consequences of traumatic brain injury and the large number of athletes playing contact sports who are at risk, no method has been developed for early detection or tracking of the brain pathology associated with these injuries. (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…)

Emerging Consensus Shows Climate Change Already Having Major Effects on Ecosystems and Species

By Guest PostDecember 22, 2012Environment, Natureamanda staudt, animal species, arizona state university, atlantic, bark beetles, biodiversity, bird population, bruce stein, carbon, climate change, coastal habitat, diversity of species, ecological systems, ecological tolerance, ecosystems, extinction, food source, gulf of mexico, human caused stressors, marine fish, mary ruckelshaus, michelle staudinger, migrating birds, nancy grimm, natural resource, pacific coast, peter kareiva, plant, pollution, rainfall, risk, shawn carter, stuart chapin, tempe, U.S. Geological Survey, united states, waterborne disease, wildlife

Plant and animal species are shifting their geographic ranges and the timing of their life events – such as flowering, laying eggs or migrating – at faster rates than researchers documented just a few years ago, according to a technical report on biodiversity and ecosystems used as scientific input for the 2013 Third National Climate Assessment.

The report, Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services, synthesizes the scientific understanding of the way climate change is affecting ecosystems, ecosystem services and the diversity of species, as well as what strategies might be used by natural resource practitioners to decrease current and future risks. More than 60 federal, academic and other scientists, including the lead authors from the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Wildlife Federation and Arizona State University in Tempe, authored the assessment. (more…)

Anti-Hypertensive Drugs Linked to Increased Risk of Hip Fracture

By Guest PostNovember 25, 2012Healthanti hypertensive drugs, chronic disease, data, debra butt, elderly canadian patients, elderly people, heart attack, high blood pressure, hip fracture, hypertension, risk, scarborough hospital, stroke

TORONTO, ON – Elderly people taking anti-hypertensive drugs are at a 43 per cent increased risk of having a hip fracture in the first 45 days of treatment, according to research conducted by family medicine Assistant Professor Dr. Debra Butt. A member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and a family physician affiliated with The Scarborough Hospital, Dr. Butt’s study was published on November 19, 2012 in Archives of Internal Medicine. The study examined data from health care administrative databases in Ontario, looking at records from 2000 to 2009 for community-dwelling hypertensive patients with a mean age of 80.8 years.

There are serious consequences to a hip fracture for the elderly. In the first year of a hip fracture there is a higher mortality rate than is seen for many chronic diseases. Those who recover often lose their independence due to reduced mobility, which can result in depression and overall decreased quality of life. (more…)

Less Wait Time for Safe Travel Could Reduce Drinking and Driving in People with ‘Urgency’ Personality Trait, Says MU Researcher

By Guest PostNovember 21, 2012Sciencealcohol, city, columbia, degree, denis mccarthy, drinking, driving, emotional state, expression, impulsive behavior, impulsive characteristics, impulsivity, kim dude, missouri, negative, perseverance, personality traits, positive, risk, self control, taxi, university, urgency, young adults

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Saving bar patrons’ time on their commute home could save lives. A pair of studies by University of Missouri psychologists found that people who reported drinking and driving also exhibited “urgency,” or a lack of emotional self-control, especially while drinking. This suggests that some people when intoxicated may be more likely to choose the convenience of driving themselves home instead of waiting for a taxi, said Denis McCarthy, associate professor of psychology at MU.

“Our study correlated urgency, a specific type of impulsivity, to drinking and driving,” McCarthy said. “Individuals with a high degree of urgency tend to act impulsively when they are in both positive and negative emotional states. By looking at personality traits that correlate with drinking and driving, we can help people understand how their personalities might incline them to choose the risk of driving after drinking. Once a person knows this, they can decide to take extra care to moderate their drinking or be prepared to call a cab, hop on a bus or ask a designated driver for help.” (more…)