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Popular Articles

Red Cross Leader Describes First-Year Triumphs, Challenges
In a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross, described the challenges of running a nonprofit in the recession but also pointed to success in cutting the organization"s deficit by 75 percent and surpassing its goal of raising 100 million in nine months.

Microbial Analysis, Micropatterning Methods Featured In Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
Microbial populations have traditionally been studied in carefully controlled, laboratory-grown cultures. New metagenomic approaches are being developed to study these organisms in environmental or medical samples. The July issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols presents a method developed by Holger Daims from the University of Vienna for quantifying populations of microorganisms in a variety of naturally occurring conditions such as plankton samples or biofilms. Use of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and the daime Image Analysis Program for the Cultivation-Independent Quantification of Microorganisms in Environmental and Medical Samples combines fluorescent in situ hybridization using rRNA-targeted probes with digital image analysis. The results show an organism"s "biovolume fraction" in a given sample; this indicates the share of biochemical reaction space occupied by the quantified population and can be more relevant ecologically than absolute cell numbers. The article is freely available on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols.
News of the day
First Evidence That Monkeys Wonder What Might Have Been
Monkeys playing a game similar to "Let"s Make A Deal" have revealed that their brains register missed opportunities and learn from their mistakes.
Public Health

Laugh A Little To Help Protect Heart, Lower Blood Pressure

Laughter is not only an effective stress-reliever, but can be heart-healthy, according to research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle. Two separate studies examined the role of a good laugh as it relates to health. One of the studies took an inverted approach to previous research on the harmful cardiovascular tolls of stress and negative mood. A small group of healthy adults were instructed to watch either a comedy or documentary film, and were monitored for carotid artery activity during the films. Subjects who watched the comedy benefited from improved "arterial compliance," the amount of blood that moves through the arteries at a given time. Conversely, decreased arterial compliance is often associated with high blood pressure and heart disease. "Arterial compliance was improved for a full 24 hours after subjects watched a funny movie," said lead researcher Jun Sugawara. "Laughing is likely not the complete solution to a healthy heart, but it appears to contribute to positive effects." A second study found similar results in vascular function. When another group watched either a comedy or a somber documentary, blood vessels became more dilated during the comedy. Constricted blood vessels often lead to high blood pressure. Like the first study, favorable effects on vascular function were sustained for 24 hours. "Not only did comedies improve vascular dilation, but watching a documentary about a depressing subject was actually harmful to the blood vessels," said Takashi Tarumi, lead researcher on the study. "These documentaries constricted blood vessels by about 18 percent." In addition to laughter, a significant body of evidence exists that shows exercise as a preventive mechanism against both cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. ACSM"s Exercise is Medicine program promotes these curative and protective benefits, and encourages all patients to talk with their doctor or health care provider about their physical activity programs. American College of Sports Medicine


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