A.
The Steady Rise Of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Over the last two decades,
the incidence rate of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - has
nearly doubled. Today, it's the country's fifth
most common cancer in both men and women. According
to Elizabeth Holly, a professor of cancer epidemiology
studies at the University of California, San Francisco
- the disease is steadily rising.
Holly:
The increase in incidence is about four percent
per year in men and about three percent per year
in women and we don't really understand why this
disease is increasing at this rate.
Narrator:
Many researchers believe there's a genetic factor
in lymphoma which is "triggered," by an environmental
factor, so Holly is conducting a large study on
potential risk factors, including occupation, medical
history and lifestyle.
Holly:
We really need to have a better understanding about
risk factors for this disease with the goal towards
getting the word out so that people can change their
behaviors or whatever it is that's happening that
may influence getting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
B.
Promoting Diverse Nutrition Campaigns
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Nutrition campaigns are an
important step towards increasing good health. Joanne
Ikeda, a nutritionist at the University of California,
Berkeley says it's therefore crucial these campaigns
reach minority communities.
Ikeda:
Often times we find in minority populations that
they're not nearly aware of the relationship of
diet and disease. They're not as nearly aware of
the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables for
long term health.
Narrator:
Ikeda is working on designing nutrition campaigns
specifically targeting minority populations through
community partnerships.
Ikeda:
The one thing I find is that for each population,
you have to design a different campaign 'cause the
value system is different, the traditional foods
are different, the way people prepare food is different
and the more culturally appropriate the campaign,
the more apt it is to be effective.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
C.
A Growing Experience That's All In The Mind
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Thirty-five years ago researchers
led by Marian Diamond, a professor of integrative
biology at the University of California, Berkeley,
had a hard time convincing others the brain could
change with experience or enrichment.
Diamond:
Nobody believed us because they thought the brain
was immutable.
Narrator:
Today, Diamond says there's a trend towards overstimulating
young minds.
Diamond:
I worry with overstimulation because our rats who
get too many toys too fast don't show the same brain
changes that those that get the toys given to them
at reasonable intervals.
Narrator:
And Diamond says it's not just the brain of a child
that benefits from enrichment....
Diamond:
But the brain of the teacher, of the parent. So
when a parent is working with a child, his or her
brain is changing as well. And the teachers can
sometimes get bored - they think, oh my gosh, I've
done this so long but if I keep using it and challenging,
I can keep my brain active, too. So everybody benefits.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
D.
How To Rate Happiness
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Just what is it about some
people that makes them happier than others? Sonja
Lyubomirsky, a psychologist at the University of
California, Riverside, has been conducting research
on happiness.
Lyubomirsky:
I interviewed people who had been nominated by their
friends as exceptionally happy or exceptionally
unhappy and I asked them questions like, do you
tend to compare yourself with others, with your
friends, with your colleagues and if so, how often
do you do that and how do you feel?
Narrator:
Happy people had trouble understanding the question,
while those rated as unhappy, knew all too well
what Lyubomirsky meant.
Lyubomirsky:
If you're insecure about yourself, you want to show
yourself, prove to yourself that you're better than
other people. Whereas, if you're secure about yourself,
if you're happy, you don't need to do that. You
have your own personal standards.
Narrator:
Understanding more about these personal standards
is an important part of Lyubomirsky's research,
since such standards may help in the treatment of
depression. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
E.
Purging Selenium With Natural Ingredients
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Natural products are being
used to clean up selenium contamination by researchers
at the University of California, Riverside. Soil
microbiology and biochemistry professor William
T. Frankenberger, Jr., describes certain elements
which stimulate microbes to convert selenium into
a non-toxic gas.
Frankenberger:
It involves a carbon source, being either orange
peel or cattle manure or some other food source
that would stimulate these organisms.
Narrator:
There's even a group of bacteria which thrive on
protein sources, such as casein in milk.
Frankenberger:
If I was to pour milk on a selenium contaminated
sediment, I would see a big flux of selenium gas
coming off. Same thing with eggs. It may sound like
I'm making a cake here, but if I add milk and eggs
and wheat, gluten protein, I would get a tremendous
amount of selenium gas coming off and these are
natural products that we can use in a bioremedation
technology to remove hazardous waste.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
