Researchers: Online science news needs careful study

Friday, January 4, 2013

A science-inclined audience and wide array of communications tools make the Internet an excellent opportunity for scientists hoping to share their research with the world. But that opportunity is fraught with unintended consequences, according to a pair of University of Wisconsin?Madison life sciences communication professors.

Dominique Brossard and Dietram Scheufele, writing in a Perspectives piece for the journal Science, encourage scientists to join an effort to make sure the public receives full, accurate and unbiased information on science and technology.

"This is an opportunity to promote interest in science ? especially basic research, fundamental science ? but, on the other hand, we could be missing the boat," Brossard says. "Even our most well-intended effort could backfire, because we don't understand the ways these same tools can work against us."

Recent research by Brossard and Scheufele has described the way the Internet may be narrowing public discourse, and new work shows that a staple of online news presentation ? the comments section ? and other ubiquitous means to provide endorsement or feedback can color the opinions of readers of even the most neutral science stories.

"Today, I can use my mobile phone, tablet, or laptop to almost instantly look up more information than ever before," Scheufele says. "But the way most people look up information in online settings may significantly restrict what types of information they encounter." Online news sources pare down discussion or limit visibility of some information in several ways, according to Brossard and Scheufele.

Many news sites use the popularity of stories or subjects (measured by the numbers of clicks they receive or the rate at which users share that content with others or other metrics) to guide the presentation of material.

The search engine Google offers users suggested search terms as they make requests (offering up "nanotechnology in medicine, " for example, to those who begin typing "nanotechnology" in a search box). Users often avail themselves of the list of suggestions, making certain searches more popular, which in turn makes those search terms even more likely to appear as suggestions.

"Our analyses showed a self-reinforcing spiral, which means more people see a shrinking, more similar set of news and opinions on science and technology subjects when they do online searches," Brossard says.

The consequences become more daunting for the researchers as Brossard and Scheufele uncover more surprising effects of Web 2.0.

In their newest study, they show that independent of the content of an article about a new technological development, the tone of comments posted by other readers can make a significant difference in the way new readers feel about the article's subject. The less civil the accompanying comments, the more risk readers attributed to the research described in the news story.

"The day of reading a story and then turning the page to read another is over," Scheufele says. "Now each story is surrounded by numbers of Facebook likes and tweets and comments that color the way readers interpret even truly unbiased information. This will produce more and more unintended effects on readers, and unless we understand what those are and even capitalize on them, they will just cause more and more problems."

If even some the for-profit media world and advocacy organizations are approaching the digital landscape from a marketing perspective, Brossard and Scheufele argue, scientists need to turn to more empirical communications research and engage in active discussions across disciplines of how to most effectively reach large audiences.

"It's not because there is not decent science writing out there. We know all kinds of excellent writers and sources," Brossard says. "But can people be certain that those are the sites they will find when they search for information? That is not clear."

It's not about preparing for the future. It's about catching up to the present. And the present, Scheufele says, includes scientific subjects ? think fracking, or synthetic biology ? that need debate and input from the public.

"A lot of people are saying we're in an intense period of change, let's see where the dust settles. But we're in a world where the dust is not going to settle for a long time," he says. "What we really do need is a systematic effort between sciences and social sciences to use this new environment to get the science across and public reactions across without biases that the process itself may incorporate."

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University of Wisconsin-Madison: http://www.wisc.edu

Thanks to University of Wisconsin-Madison for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126135/Researchers__Online_science_news_needs_careful_study

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes His 'Last Stand' In Exclusive Clip

'Terminator' star returns to the blockbuster arena in January with 'The Last Stand,' and MTV News has an exclusive sneak peek!
By Josh Wigler

Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Last Stand"
Photo: Lionsgate

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1699619/last-stand-exclusive-clip-arnold-schwarzenegger.jhtml

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Exercise May Boost Mood for Chronically Ill - Lucky Blog ? The ...

A recent study shows that regular exercise may help fight depression, fatigue, and anxiety in patients with chronic illnesses such as cancer, COPD, heart disease, fibromyalgia, pain and obesity.

In the report, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers believe that working out regularly may brighten the mood of people facing this kind of adversity. The results of the study meet The American Psychiatric Association guidelines, which recommend regular exercise against the blues. Researchers have combined 90 previous studies including more than 10,000 people with health problems like cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. In each study, people were randomly chosen to exercise, on average three times a week over a period of 17 weeks.

The results shows that people?s depressive symptoms have dropped about 22 percent with exercise overall, and similar results were found to the effects on fatigue, anxiety, pain and other mental health outcomes. The type of the physical activity was classified as ?moderate?, such as a moderate intensity 20-minutes walk.

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Source: http://blog.luckyvitamin.com/exercise-and-fitness/exercise-may-boost-mood-for-chronically-ill/

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Time Warner Recovers From Al Jazeera Flub

Time Warner Cable may be doing the right thing after all, killing its kneejerk decision to drop Current TV from its line-up as Al Gore?s network is being sold to Qatar?s Al Jazeera.

Last night upon hearing the news of the $500M deal, TWC said it was dumping Current TV from its programming ?as quickly as possible.? It gave Current TV?s low ratings as the excuse for cutting its programming.

That's pure hogwash.

TWC?s high-handed decision triggered outrage in cyber-city as the cable company was hammered as a corporate coward out to muzzle the vibrant English language version of the Arab satellite TV.

Geez, aren?t media companies expected to promote the world of ideas and variety of opinion?

Future Al Jazerra watchers are bound to be exposed to a different way of looking at the world.

Was TWC out to boost its former sister company, CNN?

The flow of Arab cash into the planned new entity called Al Jazerra America based in New York is going to be a headache to CNN and its new programming guru, Jeff Tucker, who is trying to lure former ?Today? show host Ann Curry for a prime-time slot. That same Arab money and some savvy hiring/promotion will dramatically boost the ratings from Current TV levels.

If is sticks with AJA, TWC will have a winner on its hand.

A chastised TWC today is singing a new tune. It released a statement to say: ?We are keeping an open mind, and as the service develops, we will evaluate whether it makes sense, for our customers, to launch the network.?

That?s a smart retreat and good PR.

Source: http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/5622-Time-Warner-Recovers-From-Al-Jazeera-Flub.html

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Best Low Calorie Snacks

? ? ? ? ? A healthy body is the heart to a healthy brain. If you want to leave healthy than you need to always watch what you eat. One of the biggest health problems in the world today in the so called developed world is obesity. And an even more alarming problem is the ever growing number of child obesity cases. So what is there to do? Well of course the simple answer is education. Children and parents alike need to be educated about the risks obesity brings, and also about the ways it can be combated. Physical exercise is one of the main remedies everyone is suggesting. Kids should spend more time playing outdoors running around, than indoors in front of a TV. But a solution as important as physical exercise is constituted be eating properly. Knowing what to eat and when to eat is essential for having a healthy lifestyle. In this article I want to talk about some of the best low calorie snacks you should take into consideration. These sorts of snacks will help you have a much more balanced diet and an easier time in losing weight. So let's get down to it and see what snacks I have in mind: ??

1.??? Celery stems. You will find that most of this article is dominated by greens. Vegetables in particular but fruit as well. This is because greens are by far the best low calorie snacks. And the cream of the crop as it here are celery steams. This is the food from which you can get the most nutritional value with the least amount of calories added to your diet. You can eat them in a variety of ways although I prefer them raw, or chopped in a light salad. It is incredible to think that you only get about 5 calories from one stem. In addition to its many nutrients, celery stems contains a certain substance which is linked in recent studies to relaxing artery walls and muscle tissue.

2.??? Green bell pepper. You wouldn't think to look at it, but the green bell pepper is an incredible vegetable. It is very low in calories and rich in everything else. One of the most eloquent examples to prove this is regarding it's vitamin C content. You may be surprised to know that a green bell pepper contains more vitamin C than an orange, with three times less the amount of calories. It is also one of the best low calorie snacks in my opinion because of the fact that it keeps well, and it's pretty cheap to buy. Also it can go with a lot of different types of food, either cooked or raw. ?

3.??? Mushrooms. I am a big fan of mushrooms. I was only used to eating mushrooms cooked, and never even thought of eating them raw until recently. Now, Champignon mushrooms which are my favorite kind are an essential piece of any type of sandwich I prepare. I have found that eating them raw you get much more from them. The flavor is much more intense, and if you manage to buy them fresh the texture is incredible as well. It goes as a garnish with almost everything and due to its very low calorie content it has definitely earned a place on my list. ?

4.??? Green tea. Tea is one of the healthiest drinks you could try. I have recently developed a taste for green tea especially. Not soon after I have discovered the many benefits drinking green tea could bring. It is full of antioxidants that can reduce the risk of cancer, and it is also very low in calories. The only trick is to drink it unsweetened.

5.??? Kiwi. The kiwi fruit is actually a berry. Be it an overgrown berry but a berry nonetheless. And therefore it shares one of the most important characteristics of berries: it is very rich in nutrients and quite low in calories. It has made my list of best low calorie snacks because I love it's flavor, and you never have to cook it or anything. Just peal it and have bite.

6.??? Spinach. There's a reason why Popeye only ate spinach to give him strength. It is full of calcium and especially vitamin K but very low when it comes to the calorie count. Some people like to eat it raw, but I prefer to always cook it.

7.??? Cabbage. Cabbage is one of the best choices for calorie free nutrition packed meals. It has certain enzymes that disarm free radicals which could otherwise hurt cells in your body.

????????? My list of best low calorie snacks can go on and on, but I shall put an end to it hear. Many other greens can make the list, and certain types of meat like shrimp or scallop, and even dairy products when it comes to cottage chasse. But for me this list makes up the absolute winners list.

No related posts.

Source: http://www.mysticmadness.com/best-low-calorie-snacks.html

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Study suggests gene variation may shape bladder cancer treatment

Jan. 3, 2013 ? Patients who have inherited a specific common genetic variant develop bladder cancer tumors that strongly express a protein known as prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), which is also expressed in many pancreatic and prostate tumors, according to research at the National Institutes of Health.

A therapy targeting the PSCA protein on the tumor cell surface is under evaluation in clinical trials for prostate and pancreatic cancer. The researchers hope that this therapy will be tested in bladder cancer patients with the genetic variant, which could help to reduce potentially harmful side-effects, lower costs, and improve treatment efficacy.

Every gene contains a very long string of DNA components termed nucleotides (referenced commonly as T, C, G or A). A single letter variation in the string of letters can lead to changes in cell development, resulting in cancer.

In a previous study, the researchers identified a variant located in the PSCA gene on chromosome 8 as associated with bladder cancer susceptibility. The gene determines whether the corresponding protein is expressed in bladder tumor tissue. In the latest report, they found that the 'T' nucleotide that comprises a gene variant called rs2294008 is a strong predictor of PSCA protein expression. The variant results in increased delivery of the protein to the cell surface, where it is involved in signaling and promotes tumor growth. The study by scientists from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, appeared online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Dec. 23, 2012.

"We've been pursuing this mechanism for some time now. It started with our early results from the initial genome-wide association study that revealed a marker in the PSCA gene related to bladder cancer risk. This latest work reveals how a specific letter change in DNA influences protein expression at the cell surface. The big payoff is that a simple genetic test can determine which patients could benefit from anti-PSCA therapy," said Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Ph.D., NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, and senior author of this publication.

In 2012 in the United States alone, there were an estimated 73,510 new cases of bladder cancer and 14,880 deaths. The recurrence rate of bladder cancer is between 50 and 70 percent, and patients require life-long surveillance and treatment, making it an expensive cancer to live with and a major economic burden on the health care system and patients. Up to 75 percent of bladder cancer patients carry this genetic variant.

"This is one of the first studies to show direct clinical implications of a genetic variant identified through genome-wide association studies for common cancers," said Stephen J. Chanock, M.D., acting co-director for the NCI Center for Cancer Genomics.

The scientists note that additional work is needed to develop alternative drugs targeting PSCA, and to evaluate drug delivery methods, such as systemic delivery for advanced muscle-invasive tumors and local, inter-bladder delivery in the case of non-muscle invasive tumors. Anti-PSCA therapy is likely to be effective only against tumors that express PSCA. A genetic test for the "T" nucleotide of this genetic variant can identify bladder cancer patients who could benefit from this treatment.

This research was supported by intramural funding at the NCI under contract number ZIA CP010201-04.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NIH, National Cancer Institute (NCI).

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Journal Reference:

1. Qing Lan, Chao A Hsiung, Keitaro Matsuo, Yun-Chul Hong, Adeline Seow, Zhaoming Wang, H Dean Hosgood, Kexin Chen, Jiu-Cun Wang, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Wei Hu, Maria Pik Wong, Wei Zheng, Neil Caporaso, Jae Yong Park, Chien-Jen Chen, Yeul Hong Kim, Young Tae Kim, Maria Teresa Landi, Hongbing Shen, Charles Lawrence, Laurie Burdett, Meredith Yeager, Jeffrey Yuenger, Kevin B Jacobs, I-Shou Chang, Tetsuya Mitsudomi, Hee Nam Kim, Gee-Chen Chang, Bryan A Bassig, Margaret Tucker, Fusheng Wei, Zhihua Yin, Chen Wu, She-Juan An, Biyun Qian, Victor Ho Fun Lee, Daru Lu, Jianjun Liu, Hyo-Sung Jeon, Chin-Fu Hsiao, Jae Sook Sung, Jin Hee Kim, Yu-Tang Gao, Ying-Huang Tsai, Yoo Jin Jung, Huan Guo, Zhibin Hu, Amy Hutchinson, Wen-Chang Wang, Robert Klein, Charles C Chung, In-Jae Oh, Kuan-Yu Chen, Sonja I Berndt, Xingzhou He, Wei Wu, Jiang Chang, Xu-Chao Zhang, Ming-Shyan Huang, Hong Zheng, Junwen Wang, Xueying Zhao, Yuqing Li, Jin Eun Choi, Wu-Chou Su, Kyong Hwa Park, Sook Whan Sung, Xiao-Ou Shu, Yuh-Min Chen, Li Liu, Chang Hyun Kang, Lingmin Hu, Chung-Hsing Chen, William Pao, Young-Chul Kim, Tsung-Ying Yang, Jun Xu, Peng Guan, Wen Tan, Jian Su, Chih-Liang Wang, Haixin Li, Alan Dart Loon Sihoe, Zhenhong Zhao, Ying Chen, Yi Young Choi, Jen-Yu Hung, Jun Suk Kim, Ho-Il Yoon, Qiuyin Cai, Chien-Chung Lin, In Kyu Park, Ping Xu, Jing Dong, Christopher Kim, Qincheng He, Reury-Perng Perng, Takashi Kohno, Sun-Seog Kweon, Chih-Yi Chen, Roel Vermeulen, Junjie Wu, Wei-Yen Lim, Kun-Chieh Chen, Wong-Ho Chow, Bu-Tian Ji, John K C Chan, Minjie Chu, Yao-Jen Li, Jun Yokota, Jihua Li, Hongyan Chen, Yong-Bing Xiang, Chong-Jen Yu, Hideo Kunitoh, Guoping Wu, Li Jin, Yen-Li Lo, Kouya Shiraishi, Ying-Hsiang Chen, Hsien-Chih Lin, Tangchun Wu, Yi-Long Wu, Pan-Chyr Yang, Baosen Zhou, Min-Ho Shin, Joseph F Fraumeni, Dongxin Lin, Stephen J Chanock, Nathaniel Rothman. Genome-wide association analysis identifies new lung cancer susceptibility loci in never-smoking women in Asia. Nature Genetics, 2012; 44 (12): 1330 DOI: 10.1038/ng.2456

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/FiTC-2lwnfg/130103113852.htm

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The Payroll Tax Cut Has Expired - Changing Employee Payroll Taxes

Well, at this point (January 1, 2013), it looks like there will be no extension of the payroll tax cut, just as I predicted a week or so ago. This means employers must increase the amount of payroll taxes.

What does this mean for my business?

Since the payroll tax cut has expired, you must add 2% to the Social Security tax that is withheld from employee wages, starting with the first paycheck issued in 2013. Social Security (OASDI) tax is part of the FICA taxes each employee must pay (both Social Security and Medicare taxes). You do NOT have to change the employer portion of the Social Security tax, because this part was not reduced in 2011.

If you use payroll software as part of your company's accounting program, be sure this change is made. If you have a payroll service, check to be sure they are making this change.

You should also inform employees of this change, so you aren't bombarded with questions about "Why is my paycheck smaller?"

Change in Social Security maximum

While you're at it make sure you make changes for the 2013 annual Social Security maximum, which is now $113,700.

What about Self-employment tax?

The self-employment tax amount for 2013 also increased 2% with the expiration of the payroll tax cut, but you don't need to do anything right now, unless you account for this amount internally. This change will be reflected in the amount you pay with your personal taxes for 2013. It doesn't affect the 2012 taxes you are working on now. (Self-employment tax is the Social Security/Medicare tax for self-employed business owners.)

Why did the payroll tax cut expire?

The Washington Post has the story: The payroll tax cut was dropped early in the "fiscal cliff" discussions. So most taxpayers (employees and self-employed) will be paying 2% more in Social Security taxes. The Wall Street Journal has a calculator to show how much individuals will pay in payroll tax.

Source: http://biztaxlaw.about.com/b/2013/01/02/the-payroll-tax-cut-has-expired-changing-employee-payroll-taxes.htm

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