Having a family history of breast cancer can lead some women to wonder if the risk is out of their control. However, a study of more than 85,000 postmenopausal women, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research, observed that regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking less alcohol lowers breast cancer risk for those with and without a family history of the disease.
The University of Rochester Medical Center study is good news for women who have a close relative with breast cancer and fear that no matter what they do, it won't matter, said lead author Robert E. Gramling, M.D., D.Sc., associate professor of Family Medicine, and Community and Preventive Medicine at URMC.
"It's important to note that a family history of breast cancer can arise in part due to shared unhealthy behaviors that have been passed down for generations," Gramling said. "Untangling the degree to which genes, environments, and behaviors contribute to the disease is difficult. But our study shows that engaging in a healthy lifestyle can help women, even when familial predisposition is involved."
Gramling analyzed data from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study that began in 1993. The data included women ages 50 to 79 who were divided into two groups; those who had a family history of later-onset breast cancer (after age 45) and those who did not. The amount of risk reduced by adhering to the three health behaviors was the same for women with and without a family history.
"Given the strong awareness of breast cancer and distress about inheritable risk", Gramling said, "it is essential that scientists understand the actions women can take to reduce their risk".
**Published in "EurekAlert"
12 October 2010
One Step Closer to a Drug Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis, MU Professor Says
A University of Missouri researcher believes his latest work moves scientists closer to a cure for cystic fibrosis, one of the world’s most common fatal genetic diseases.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry has published findings by Tzyh-Chang Hwang, a professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. The publication has been recognized as the “paper of the week” for the journal, meaning Hwang’s work is considered to be in the top 1 percent of papers reviewed annually in terms of significance and overall importance.
Hwang’s work focuses on the two most common genetic mutations among approximately 1,500 mutations found in patients with cystic fibrosis. These two mutations cause specific chloride channels in the cell, known as the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) chloride channels, to malfunction. This ultimately leads to repeated pneumonia, the primary cause of most deaths associated with cystic fibrosis.
“The normal function of a cell is to pass chloride ions across the cell membrane at a very fast speed,” Hwang said. “We know some signaling molecules elicit this reaction, much like a hand signals an automatic water faucet to dispense water. But in the case of cystic fibrosis, that signal is no longer detected by the mutated channel protein. Through some mechanisms we still don’t quite understand, malfunction of this channel protein eventually leads to bacterial infection in the lung, which is believed to be responsible for the most severe symptoms of cystic fibrosis.”
The most recent study found that manipulating the sensor of the channel protein can significantly rectify the malfunction of the mutated channel, thus opening the door to a drug design that may eventually be a “real cure,” Hwang said.
“We could help a lot of patients if we can utilize the power of computer simulations and structure-based drug design to discover new therapeutical reagents for cystic fibrosis, but it’s very expensive to do this kind of research in an academic institute,” Hwang said.
The publication is titled, “Optimization of the degenerated interfacial ATP binding site improves the function of diseases related mutant cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channels.”
The Journal of Biological Chemistry has published findings by Tzyh-Chang Hwang, a professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. The publication has been recognized as the “paper of the week” for the journal, meaning Hwang’s work is considered to be in the top 1 percent of papers reviewed annually in terms of significance and overall importance.
Hwang’s work focuses on the two most common genetic mutations among approximately 1,500 mutations found in patients with cystic fibrosis. These two mutations cause specific chloride channels in the cell, known as the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) chloride channels, to malfunction. This ultimately leads to repeated pneumonia, the primary cause of most deaths associated with cystic fibrosis.
“The normal function of a cell is to pass chloride ions across the cell membrane at a very fast speed,” Hwang said. “We know some signaling molecules elicit this reaction, much like a hand signals an automatic water faucet to dispense water. But in the case of cystic fibrosis, that signal is no longer detected by the mutated channel protein. Through some mechanisms we still don’t quite understand, malfunction of this channel protein eventually leads to bacterial infection in the lung, which is believed to be responsible for the most severe symptoms of cystic fibrosis.”
The most recent study found that manipulating the sensor of the channel protein can significantly rectify the malfunction of the mutated channel, thus opening the door to a drug design that may eventually be a “real cure,” Hwang said.
“We could help a lot of patients if we can utilize the power of computer simulations and structure-based drug design to discover new therapeutical reagents for cystic fibrosis, but it’s very expensive to do this kind of research in an academic institute,” Hwang said.
The publication is titled, “Optimization of the degenerated interfacial ATP binding site improves the function of diseases related mutant cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channels.”
**News Bureau University of Missouri
Gambling on Bacteria
When it comes to gambling, many people rely on game theory, a branch of applied mathematics that attempts to measure the choices of others to inform their own decisions. It's used in economics, politics, medicine — and, of course, Las Vegas. But recent findings from a Tel Aviv University researcher suggest that we may put ourselves on the winning side if we look to bacteria instead.
According to Prof. Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel Aviv University's School of Physics and Astronomy, current game theory can't account for bacteria's natural decision-making abilities — it's just too simplistic. Understanding bacteria's reactions to stressful and hazardous conditions may improve decision-making processes in any human arena from everyday life to political elections.
In a recent article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), Prof. Ben-Jacob and his fellow researchers outline how decisions made by communities of bacteria trump game theory. "When human beings make a decision," he says, "they think they're being rational. We now understand that they're influenced by superfluous 'noise,' such as their cognitive state and the influence of others." Bacteria, he explains, are both simpler and more sophisticated — they can more effectively control this superfluous noise and make group decisions that contribute to the well-being of the entire bacterial colony.
According to Prof. Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel Aviv University's School of Physics and Astronomy, current game theory can't account for bacteria's natural decision-making abilities — it's just too simplistic. Understanding bacteria's reactions to stressful and hazardous conditions may improve decision-making processes in any human arena from everyday life to political elections.
In a recent article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), Prof. Ben-Jacob and his fellow researchers outline how decisions made by communities of bacteria trump game theory. "When human beings make a decision," he says, "they think they're being rational. We now understand that they're influenced by superfluous 'noise,' such as their cognitive state and the influence of others." Bacteria, he explains, are both simpler and more sophisticated — they can more effectively control this superfluous noise and make group decisions that contribute to the well-being of the entire bacterial colony.
-Looking out for the whole
Bacteria live in complex colonies that can be 100 times as numerous as the population of Earth. Under stressful circumstances, bacteria have demonstrated a capacity to assess the noisy and stressful environment around them, filter out what's relevant and what's not, and make decisions that ensure the survival of the colony as a whole.
For example, one bacterial response to starvation or poisoning is that a fraction of the cells "sporulate," enclosing their DNA in a capsule or spore as the mother cell dies. This, says Prof. Ben-Jacob, ensures the survival of the colony — when the threat is removed, the spores can germinate and the colony grows again.
During this process, the bacteria "choose" whether or not to enter a state called "competence," in which bacteria change their membranes to more easily absorb substances from their neighboring, dying cells. As a result, they recover more quickly when the stress is gone. According to Prof. Ben-Jacob, it's a difficult choice — in fact, a gamble. The decision to go into a state of competence only pays off if most of the cells decide to sporulate.
Indeed, observations show that only about 10% of cells decide to go into competence. So why don't all bacteria attempt to save themselves? Bacteria don't hide their intentions from their peers in the colony, he explains — they don't lie or prevaricate, but communicate their intentions by sending chemical messages among themselves. Individual bacteria weigh their decisions carefully, taking into account the stress they are facing, the situation of their peers, the statistics of how many cells are sporulating and how many are choosing competence.
Bacteria live in complex colonies that can be 100 times as numerous as the population of Earth. Under stressful circumstances, bacteria have demonstrated a capacity to assess the noisy and stressful environment around them, filter out what's relevant and what's not, and make decisions that ensure the survival of the colony as a whole.
For example, one bacterial response to starvation or poisoning is that a fraction of the cells "sporulate," enclosing their DNA in a capsule or spore as the mother cell dies. This, says Prof. Ben-Jacob, ensures the survival of the colony — when the threat is removed, the spores can germinate and the colony grows again.
During this process, the bacteria "choose" whether or not to enter a state called "competence," in which bacteria change their membranes to more easily absorb substances from their neighboring, dying cells. As a result, they recover more quickly when the stress is gone. According to Prof. Ben-Jacob, it's a difficult choice — in fact, a gamble. The decision to go into a state of competence only pays off if most of the cells decide to sporulate.
Indeed, observations show that only about 10% of cells decide to go into competence. So why don't all bacteria attempt to save themselves? Bacteria don't hide their intentions from their peers in the colony, he explains — they don't lie or prevaricate, but communicate their intentions by sending chemical messages among themselves. Individual bacteria weigh their decisions carefully, taking into account the stress they are facing, the situation of their peers, the statistics of how many cells are sporulating and how many are choosing competence.
-Facing tough choices
There are many times in life when humans face similar decisions, says Prof. Ben-Jacob. One example is choosing whether or not to be inoculated during flu season. Do you take the risk of the side effects and get inoculated, or do you trust that most of the people around you will get the vaccine and risk possible illness, sparing you both the disease and the side effects from the vaccine? How do politicians make decisions on key issues, such as national debt, that can harm and benefit society?
There will always be "noise" surrounding decision making, says Prof. Ben-Jacob, but like bacteria, we can use this information to make an action plan. Though bacteria react individually, he notes, there is co-ordination between the cells. It's important to make choices that both benefit us as individuals but also as a group.
"Sometimes we need the restraint of the community," says Prof. Ben-Jacob. "As individuals we need to set some boundaries, and not just boost ourselves at the expense of others."
There are many times in life when humans face similar decisions, says Prof. Ben-Jacob. One example is choosing whether or not to be inoculated during flu season. Do you take the risk of the side effects and get inoculated, or do you trust that most of the people around you will get the vaccine and risk possible illness, sparing you both the disease and the side effects from the vaccine? How do politicians make decisions on key issues, such as national debt, that can harm and benefit society?
There will always be "noise" surrounding decision making, says Prof. Ben-Jacob, but like bacteria, we can use this information to make an action plan. Though bacteria react individually, he notes, there is co-ordination between the cells. It's important to make choices that both benefit us as individuals but also as a group.
"Sometimes we need the restraint of the community," says Prof. Ben-Jacob. "As individuals we need to set some boundaries, and not just boost ourselves at the expense of others."
**Publisheb by American Friends Tel Aviv University
Medical researchers break down costs to care for heart failure patients at the end of life
As the population ages, health care epidemiologist Padma Kaul and cardiologist Paul Armstrong, researchers in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, want health-care professionals to talk to their patients about their options on places to die, whether it be at home, in hospital or a palliative care facility like hospice.
The researchers found, in their recent study, that the majority of heart failure patients pass away in an acute care hospital and the cost is more than double for those who died elsewhere.
This is the first study to examine health-care costs, including inpatient, outpatient, physician, and drug costs, at the end of life among heart failure patients in Canada. Researchers examined data on over 30,000 elderly patients with heart failure who died between 2000 and 2006 in Alberta.
"End of life is a big issue, not only in Canada but in the western world," said Kaul, an Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions Investigator. "If you ask anyone they want to die with dignity surrounded by their loved ones, I don't think anyone wants to die in the hospital with tubes coming out of their various body parts. Nobody has really looked at this issue specifically in the heart failure population."
More than 500,000 Canadians live with heart failure and another 50,000 acquire it each year. The aging Canadian population assures that heart failure rates will increase substantially in coming years and pose a major challenge to the publicly funded Canadian health-care system.
"It is critical for the Canadian health-care system and for all of us to engage in a discussion about where people spend their last days," said Armstrong, senior author on the paper which was published in the online October 11 edition of Archives of Internal Medicine. "We need to ask how they'd like to be treated and how this should be best handled in a health-care system that's straining and re-examining how to best use limited resources."
Kaul is a co-author on a similar study conducted among elderly patients in the United States, which will also appear in the same issue of the scientific journal. The study shows a dramatic increase in the use of hospice facilities among heart failure patients between 2000 and 2007.
**Published in "EurekAlert"
The researchers found, in their recent study, that the majority of heart failure patients pass away in an acute care hospital and the cost is more than double for those who died elsewhere.
This is the first study to examine health-care costs, including inpatient, outpatient, physician, and drug costs, at the end of life among heart failure patients in Canada. Researchers examined data on over 30,000 elderly patients with heart failure who died between 2000 and 2006 in Alberta.
"End of life is a big issue, not only in Canada but in the western world," said Kaul, an Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions Investigator. "If you ask anyone they want to die with dignity surrounded by their loved ones, I don't think anyone wants to die in the hospital with tubes coming out of their various body parts. Nobody has really looked at this issue specifically in the heart failure population."
More than 500,000 Canadians live with heart failure and another 50,000 acquire it each year. The aging Canadian population assures that heart failure rates will increase substantially in coming years and pose a major challenge to the publicly funded Canadian health-care system.
"It is critical for the Canadian health-care system and for all of us to engage in a discussion about where people spend their last days," said Armstrong, senior author on the paper which was published in the online October 11 edition of Archives of Internal Medicine. "We need to ask how they'd like to be treated and how this should be best handled in a health-care system that's straining and re-examining how to best use limited resources."
Kaul is a co-author on a similar study conducted among elderly patients in the United States, which will also appear in the same issue of the scientific journal. The study shows a dramatic increase in the use of hospice facilities among heart failure patients between 2000 and 2007.
**Published in "EurekAlert"
Un programa educativo permite prevenir comportamientos antisociales en niños de sólo 3 años de edad
Investigadores de la Universidad de Granada han desarrollado por primera vez en España un programa de intervención, dirigido a niños de 3 años, que permite prevenir el comportamiento antisocial cuando sean adultos. El programa, denominado "Aprender a Convivir", ha permitido, en su primer año de aplicación, que un 90% de los niños participantes interaccione más con sus iguales, y que un 86% mejore en factores como la ansiedad/depresión, quejas somáticas, timidez, reactividad emocional o aislamiento social.
Para llevar a cabo este trabajo, financiado por el Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, sus autores emplearon una muestra formada por 131 niños y niñas de 3 años. El grupo control estuvo formado por 53 sujetos, y el grupo experimental por 78. Estos últimos recibieron la formación del programa "Aprender a Convivir", que se llevó a cabo a lo largo de tres meses, siendo evaluados los niños antes y después de la intervención.
El programa estuvo dividido en cuatro bloques temáticos, de tres semanas de duración cada uno, y cada semana se llevan a cabo dos sesiones de una media hora de duración cada una. En una primera parte de la sesión, tres marionetas transmitían a los niños los contenidos que iban a trabajar, para posteriormente reforzarlos realizando diversas actividades en pequeños grupos.
Niños más autónomos A la luz de los resultados obtenidos, los niños y niñas que participaron en el programa "Aprender a Convivir" son más autónomos, cumplen en mayor medida las normas establecidas, comparten con sus iguales, saben reconocer los sentimientos de los demás y expresar los suyos propios, se ayudan tanto entre ellos como a sus maestros, saben escuchar, pedir perdón, dar las gracias y presentan menos conductas agresivas y violentas que los demás.
Este trabajo de investigación ha sido llevado a cabo por María Fernández Cabezas, del Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación de la UGR, y dirigido por los profesores Fernando Justicia Justicia, Carmen Pichardo Martínez y Trinidad García Berbén. No obstante, se trata de parte de un estudio longitudinal de 5 años de duración, en el que se pretende conocer los efectos del entrenamiento en competencia social, desde la infancia temprana, en la reducción de problemas de conducta.
-Posibles mejoras en el rendimiento académico
Tras participar en "Aprender a Convivir", el porcentaje de niños que puntúan alto en Competencia Social aumentó de un 7.8% a un 47.8%. En relación con los problemas de conducta, el programa logró disminuir de un 27.8 a un 11.9 el porcentaje de niños con puntuaciones elevadas en esta variable. Además, el 60% de los participantes mejoró sus problemas de atención e hiperactividad, lo que supondrá posiblemente un aumento importante del aprendizaje y rendimiento académico.
A raíz de este trabajo, los investigadores de la UGR destacan la necesidad de introducir en el currículum de educación infantil la enseñanza de contenidos socioemocionales, además de los académicos, especialmente de manera sistemática y rigurosa, a la vez que evaluando los resultados. "Es positivo, por ello, que el programa pueda llevarse a cabo por los maestros en un futuro y que los resultados se generalicen a otros contextos como, por ejemplo, las familias", apostilla María Fernández Cabezas.
**Publicado en "EurekAlert"
Para llevar a cabo este trabajo, financiado por el Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, sus autores emplearon una muestra formada por 131 niños y niñas de 3 años. El grupo control estuvo formado por 53 sujetos, y el grupo experimental por 78. Estos últimos recibieron la formación del programa "Aprender a Convivir", que se llevó a cabo a lo largo de tres meses, siendo evaluados los niños antes y después de la intervención.
El programa estuvo dividido en cuatro bloques temáticos, de tres semanas de duración cada uno, y cada semana se llevan a cabo dos sesiones de una media hora de duración cada una. En una primera parte de la sesión, tres marionetas transmitían a los niños los contenidos que iban a trabajar, para posteriormente reforzarlos realizando diversas actividades en pequeños grupos.
Niños más autónomos A la luz de los resultados obtenidos, los niños y niñas que participaron en el programa "Aprender a Convivir" son más autónomos, cumplen en mayor medida las normas establecidas, comparten con sus iguales, saben reconocer los sentimientos de los demás y expresar los suyos propios, se ayudan tanto entre ellos como a sus maestros, saben escuchar, pedir perdón, dar las gracias y presentan menos conductas agresivas y violentas que los demás.
Este trabajo de investigación ha sido llevado a cabo por María Fernández Cabezas, del Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación de la UGR, y dirigido por los profesores Fernando Justicia Justicia, Carmen Pichardo Martínez y Trinidad García Berbén. No obstante, se trata de parte de un estudio longitudinal de 5 años de duración, en el que se pretende conocer los efectos del entrenamiento en competencia social, desde la infancia temprana, en la reducción de problemas de conducta.
-Posibles mejoras en el rendimiento académico
Tras participar en "Aprender a Convivir", el porcentaje de niños que puntúan alto en Competencia Social aumentó de un 7.8% a un 47.8%. En relación con los problemas de conducta, el programa logró disminuir de un 27.8 a un 11.9 el porcentaje de niños con puntuaciones elevadas en esta variable. Además, el 60% de los participantes mejoró sus problemas de atención e hiperactividad, lo que supondrá posiblemente un aumento importante del aprendizaje y rendimiento académico.
A raíz de este trabajo, los investigadores de la UGR destacan la necesidad de introducir en el currículum de educación infantil la enseñanza de contenidos socioemocionales, además de los académicos, especialmente de manera sistemática y rigurosa, a la vez que evaluando los resultados. "Es positivo, por ello, que el programa pueda llevarse a cabo por los maestros en un futuro y que los resultados se generalicen a otros contextos como, por ejemplo, las familias", apostilla María Fernández Cabezas.
**Publicado en "EurekAlert"
Estudios de nutrición exploran los beneficios del pescado para la salud
Algunos de los pescados más populares en EE.UU.—el salmón y el atún de albacora—son ricos en compuestos naturales sanos llamados los ácidos grasos omega-3. Estudios en curso por químico Darshan S. Kelley y sus colegas con el Servicio de Investigación Agrícola (ARS) están ayudando a revelar nuevos detalles sobre cómo estos componentes del aceite de pez ayudan a proteger a los seres humanos contra las enfermedades crónicas.
Kelley trabaja en el Centro Occidental de Investigación de Nutrición Humana mantenido por el ARS en la Universidad de California en Davis. ARS es la agencia principal de investigaciones científicas del Departamento de Agricultura de EE.UU. (USDA por sus siglas en inglés).
En un estudio previo con ratones de laboratorio, Kelley y sus colegas investigaron las interacciones entre dos ácidos grasos omega-3 del aceite de pez—el DHA (ácido docosahexaenoico) y el EPA (ácido eicosapentanóico)—y un tercero ácido graso, el CLA (como trans-10, cis-12 CLA), el cual se incluye en algunos suplementos dietéticos.
Los resultados de las pruebas por Kelley con 50 ratones de laboratorio por ocho semanas indicaron que el DHA protegió los animales contra dos efectos secundarios del CLA: la resistencia a la insulina inducida por el CLA, y la enfermedad de hígado graso no alcohólico inducida por CLA. Por contraste, el EPA ofreció solamente una protección parcial contra la enfermedad de hígado graso no alcohólico inducida por CLA, y no ofreció ninguna protección contra la resistencia a la insulina.
Sin tratamiento, la resistencia a la insulina puede llevar a la diabetes. De 36 millones a 57 millones de estadounidenses tienen resistencia a la insulina. La enfermedad de hígado graso puede llevar a la cirrosis del hígado o el cáncer del hígado. Resultados de este estudio fueron publicados en la revista 'Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders' (Síndrome Metabólico y Desórdenes Relacionados).
En un estudio relacionado, con resultados publicados en la revista 'Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care' (Opinión Actual sobre la Nutrición Clínica y el Cuidado Metabólico), Kelley y estudiante graduada Dawn Fedor de la Universidad de California en Davis examinaron los resultados de varias docenas de estudios sobre EPA y DHA. Kelley y Fedor indicaron que los hallazgos reportados durante la última década han sido inconsecuentes con respecto a los efectos de EPA y DHA en la resistencia a la insulina en los voluntarios humanos.
Su examen subraya la necesidad de nuevas investigaciones con más voluntarios. Por ejemplo, Kelley quiere determinar si el DHA puede mejorar la capacidad de voluntarios adultos prediabéticos de utilizar eficazmente la insulina, y de este modo puede ayudar a retardar el comienzo de la diabetes. Tales investigaciones podrían revelar más sobre los mecanismos de acción utilizados por el DHA y el EPA en el cuerpo humano, los sitios en el cuerpo donde actúan los ácidos grasos, y los genes que controlan estos mecanismos.
Kelley trabaja en el Centro Occidental de Investigación de Nutrición Humana mantenido por el ARS en la Universidad de California en Davis. ARS es la agencia principal de investigaciones científicas del Departamento de Agricultura de EE.UU. (USDA por sus siglas en inglés).
En un estudio previo con ratones de laboratorio, Kelley y sus colegas investigaron las interacciones entre dos ácidos grasos omega-3 del aceite de pez—el DHA (ácido docosahexaenoico) y el EPA (ácido eicosapentanóico)—y un tercero ácido graso, el CLA (como trans-10, cis-12 CLA), el cual se incluye en algunos suplementos dietéticos.
Los resultados de las pruebas por Kelley con 50 ratones de laboratorio por ocho semanas indicaron que el DHA protegió los animales contra dos efectos secundarios del CLA: la resistencia a la insulina inducida por el CLA, y la enfermedad de hígado graso no alcohólico inducida por CLA. Por contraste, el EPA ofreció solamente una protección parcial contra la enfermedad de hígado graso no alcohólico inducida por CLA, y no ofreció ninguna protección contra la resistencia a la insulina.
Sin tratamiento, la resistencia a la insulina puede llevar a la diabetes. De 36 millones a 57 millones de estadounidenses tienen resistencia a la insulina. La enfermedad de hígado graso puede llevar a la cirrosis del hígado o el cáncer del hígado. Resultados de este estudio fueron publicados en la revista 'Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders' (Síndrome Metabólico y Desórdenes Relacionados).
En un estudio relacionado, con resultados publicados en la revista 'Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care' (Opinión Actual sobre la Nutrición Clínica y el Cuidado Metabólico), Kelley y estudiante graduada Dawn Fedor de la Universidad de California en Davis examinaron los resultados de varias docenas de estudios sobre EPA y DHA. Kelley y Fedor indicaron que los hallazgos reportados durante la última década han sido inconsecuentes con respecto a los efectos de EPA y DHA en la resistencia a la insulina en los voluntarios humanos.
Su examen subraya la necesidad de nuevas investigaciones con más voluntarios. Por ejemplo, Kelley quiere determinar si el DHA puede mejorar la capacidad de voluntarios adultos prediabéticos de utilizar eficazmente la insulina, y de este modo puede ayudar a retardar el comienzo de la diabetes. Tales investigaciones podrían revelar más sobre los mecanismos de acción utilizados por el DHA y el EPA en el cuerpo humano, los sitios en el cuerpo donde actúan los ácidos grasos, y los genes que controlan estos mecanismos.
**Publicado en "EurekAlert"
European Consumer Centres - 5 years at the service of European consumers
Have you ever ordered online, paid for the goods and never received them? Then the European Consumer Centre can be of help to you. Between 2005 and 2009, the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) handled almost 270.000 contacts with EU consumers who turned to them for advice or help on cross-border shopping, according to the ECC-Net 5th anniversary report published by the European Commission today. The number of annual contacts has been rising steadily, from about 43.000 in 2005 to over 60.000 in 2009. The annual value of amicable settlements of complaints with traders (in reimbursements and compensation for consumers) reached € 3.5 million in 2008. The European Commission and Member States co-finance the ECC-Net which offers consumers free legal advice and assistance in every EU country as well as Norway and Iceland. Online purchases continue to be the main source of complaints for cross-border consumers: in 2009 they represented more than half (55.9%) of all complaints received.
Speaking to ECC Directors at the launch of the report earlier today, EU Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli said: "The European Consumer Centres provide an important safety net for EU consumers who want to seize the opportunities offered by the internal market by looking for better value and greater choice across borders. Thanks to this unique network, they can get effective and free assistance in their own country and their own language no matter where else in the EU they had a problem". To conclude: "When people ask what the EU is doing concretely for consumers, the work of the ECC-Net can be proudly cited as a prime example”.
-The network of European Consumer Centres
A Czech consumer ordered several CDs from a Danish online shop, paid by credit card, but never received the goods. The trader promised to send the goods within a week, then two weeks, and then said the delivery would take longer. The consumer asked for his money back, but received no reply. The consumer contacted the Czech ECC who asked their Danish partners for help. The trader made a full refund, after ECC Denmark's approach.
The above is an example of a typical complaint handled daily by the network of 29 European Consumer Centres. ECCs exist in every EU country plus Norway and Iceland. They provide free information and advice to citizens shopping cross-border and help with their complaints when something goes wrong.
The ECCs regularly achieve amicable settlements of complaints (48% in 2009). When no amicable settlement is possible, the complaint is typically transferred to other bodies, such as alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies or the national enforcement agencies. The ECCs also disseminate information proactively, including tips and fact sheets for consumers on popular topics, such as renting a car in another EU country. Another product of the ECCs' joint work is 'Howard' the online shopping assistant: a web tool to help online shoppers avoid fraudulent web traders and get advice about shopping online.
-ECC 5-Year Report (2005-2009): main findings
In 2009, more than half (55.9%) of all complaints received by ECCs concerned online transactions. The remaining contacts were for information and advice.
The sectors which ECC clients complained about most were: transport (30.6% of complaints in 2009), recreation and culture (26.2%) as well as restaurants and accommodation (13.3%).
Among the complaints on transport services, more than three out of four (75.6%) concerned air transport, e.g. refunds and compensations for cancelled flights or lost luggage.
The problems reported by ECC clients concerned mostly: the quality or characteristics of the goods or services themselves, (29% in 2009) their delivery (21%), such as non-delivery or delayed delivery, and the contract terms (18%), e.g. concerning the terms of ending the contract.
There has been a decrease in complaints about unfair commercial practices and selling techniques.
The report was presented to Members of the European Parliament at a special exhibition of the ECC Net yesterday in Brussels.
More information on ECCs including the full text of the 5-year report and on Howard the online shopping assistant:
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/index_en.htm
http://uk.theshoppingassistant.com/
Speaking to ECC Directors at the launch of the report earlier today, EU Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli said: "The European Consumer Centres provide an important safety net for EU consumers who want to seize the opportunities offered by the internal market by looking for better value and greater choice across borders. Thanks to this unique network, they can get effective and free assistance in their own country and their own language no matter where else in the EU they had a problem". To conclude: "When people ask what the EU is doing concretely for consumers, the work of the ECC-Net can be proudly cited as a prime example”.
-The network of European Consumer Centres
A Czech consumer ordered several CDs from a Danish online shop, paid by credit card, but never received the goods. The trader promised to send the goods within a week, then two weeks, and then said the delivery would take longer. The consumer asked for his money back, but received no reply. The consumer contacted the Czech ECC who asked their Danish partners for help. The trader made a full refund, after ECC Denmark's approach.
The above is an example of a typical complaint handled daily by the network of 29 European Consumer Centres. ECCs exist in every EU country plus Norway and Iceland. They provide free information and advice to citizens shopping cross-border and help with their complaints when something goes wrong.
The ECCs regularly achieve amicable settlements of complaints (48% in 2009). When no amicable settlement is possible, the complaint is typically transferred to other bodies, such as alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies or the national enforcement agencies. The ECCs also disseminate information proactively, including tips and fact sheets for consumers on popular topics, such as renting a car in another EU country. Another product of the ECCs' joint work is 'Howard' the online shopping assistant: a web tool to help online shoppers avoid fraudulent web traders and get advice about shopping online.
-ECC 5-Year Report (2005-2009): main findings
In 2009, more than half (55.9%) of all complaints received by ECCs concerned online transactions. The remaining contacts were for information and advice.
The sectors which ECC clients complained about most were: transport (30.6% of complaints in 2009), recreation and culture (26.2%) as well as restaurants and accommodation (13.3%).
Among the complaints on transport services, more than three out of four (75.6%) concerned air transport, e.g. refunds and compensations for cancelled flights or lost luggage.
The problems reported by ECC clients concerned mostly: the quality or characteristics of the goods or services themselves, (29% in 2009) their delivery (21%), such as non-delivery or delayed delivery, and the contract terms (18%), e.g. concerning the terms of ending the contract.
There has been a decrease in complaints about unfair commercial practices and selling techniques.
The report was presented to Members of the European Parliament at a special exhibition of the ECC Net yesterday in Brussels.
More information on ECCs including the full text of the 5-year report and on Howard the online shopping assistant:
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/index_en.htm
http://uk.theshoppingassistant.com/
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