Gizmorama!

Gizmorama -
“The Cutting Edge of Science Fact and Science Possibilities”
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Good Morning,

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!!

One of todays articles is about how NASA finds
evidence of a wetter Mars. Enjoy!

Until Monday,
Erin

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     Saliva DNA may solve drug dosing problems

U.S. scientists say they’re using DNA extracted from
saliva to customize prescriptions and solve dosing
problems that often confound doctors and patients. By
using DNA to customize a prescription, researchers at
Temple University’s School of Pharmacy hope to prevent
adverse drug reactions.  At the top of the list of
problem drugs is warfarin (Coumadin), the most widely
prescribed anticoagulant. The researchers say they’re
trying to find the correlation between genotypes and
the correct dosage of warfarin. By collecting saliva
samples and extracting DNA, the scientists can look
for variances in genetic clues that make people metab-
olize the same drug in very different ways. “Our find-
ings have confirmed there is a genetic variance of cer-
tain genotypes that correlate to how these participants
respond to this drug,” said Associate Professor Nima
Patel, one of the investigators. “So, if you have this
genotype, we can conclude what your risks may be, based
on your DNA.” That would allow doctors to prescribe the
correct dosage of warfarin and decrease the risk of
adverse drug reactions.

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     Depression may hike COPD hospitalizations

Canadian scientists say depression and anxiety in
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients might
cause increased hospitalizations. “This is an impor-
tant and revealing finding, indicating that for COPD
patients, depression and anxiety must be treated as
potential clinically important risk factors, rather
than simple comorbidities that are caused by COPD,”
said Dr. Jean Bourbeau, director of the Respiratory
Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit at McGill
University in Montreal. “To our knowledge this is
the first report of the possible causal association
between depressive symptoms and exacerbations and
hospitalizations in stable COPD,” said Bourbeau.
“However, people have to realize that the causal
relationship is a complicated issue and will require
further evaluation as part of other properly designed
longitudinal studies.” But he said the study’s find-
ings can guide researchers and clinicians to evaluate
in COPD patients with depression the effectiveness of
antidepressants and psychotherapies on reducing re-
lated complications such as hospital admissions. The
research appears in the American Journal of Respira-
tory and Critical Care Medicine.

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           NASA finds evidence of a wetter Mars

The U.S. space agency says its Mars Reconnaissance Orbi-
ter has found evidence that liquid water remained on
Mars far longer than previously theorized. The National
Aeronautics and Space Administration spacecraft has
observed hydrated silica, or opal, spread across large
regions of Mars. That, scientists said, suggests liquid
water was on the planet’s surface as recently as 2 bil-
lion years ago. “This is an exciting discovery because
it extends the time range for liquid water on Mars, and
the places where it might have supported life,” said
Scott Murchie, at the Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. The newly discovered
silicates formed where liquid water altered materials
created by volcanic activity or meteorite impact on the
Martian surface, scientists said. One such location is
the large Martian canyon system called Valles Marineris.
“We see numerous outcrops of opal-like minerals, common-
ly in thin layers extending for very long distances
around the rim of Valles Marineris and sometimes within
the canyon system itself,” said Ralph Milliken of NASA’s
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Milliken
is lead author of an article describing the discovery
in the November issue of the journal Geology.