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A.
Overuse of Broad Spectrum Antibiotics is Leading
to Resistance
Narrator:
This is Science Today. A new study suggests practitioners
are over-prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics
called fluoroquinolones, which target multiple organisms
at once. Joseph Guglielmo, who led the University
of California, San Francisco study, says this overuse
accelerates bacterial resistance to the drugs and
reduces their ability to treat infections.
Guglielmo:
We believe that the very broad use of these antibiotics,
these quinolones antibiotics - by using them inappropriately,
it essentially is taking away a very important option
that we did use in the past.
Narrator:
Guglielmo says using narrow-spectrum antibiotics
that target the offending organisms is a better
approach.
Guglielmo:
We believe that practitioners need to weigh the
value of culturing up their patients, of using the
results to streamline therapy toward the most narrow-spectrum
antibiotic that possibly can be used.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
B.
The Genome of an Important Wine-making Microbe is
Sequenced
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Researchers have sequenced
the genome of a bacterium that is critical to wine
production. Called oenococcus oeni, this lactic-acid
bacteria helps de-acidify wine after fermentation.
David Mills, a professor of viticulture and enology
at the University of California, Davis helped lead
the genome sequencing project in an effort to gain
more insight into these fermentation microbes.
Mills: Just from the simple perspective
of we'd like to make those fermentations run smoother,
we'd like them to be healthier for the public, we'd
like them to certainly be as flavorful as possible.
Narrator: Mills points out they are
not dealing with recombinant DNA, or gene alteration.
Mills:
Here, we're talking about just the fundamental knowledge
of what does the genome contain? And what will it
tell us about the metabolism and the genetics of those
organisms and how they perform all these wonderful
fermentations that we truly enjoy on a daily basis.
Narrator:
The
genome was sequenced at the UC-operated Joint Genome
Institute. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
C.
Studying Executive Function Deficiency in Girls With
ADHD
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Researchers believe that while
girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,
or ADHD, may not exhibit overt symptoms, such as impulsiveness
or fidgetiness, there may be deficiencies in what
is called their executive functions. Dr. Stephen Hinshaw,
a professor of psychology at the University of California,
Berkeley, explains.
Hinshaw:
The executive functions by in large are those uniquely
human attributes of planning, shifting, monitoring
that appear to be quite disrupted in most children
who have ADHD.
Narrator:
Hinshaw
warns that if girls continue to go undiagnosed, deficits
in these executive functions could inhibit long-term
academic, social, and occupational success.
Hinshaw:
ADHD has a host of evidence now and our own studies
show, particularly for girls with ADHD, they have
real difficulties with these planful, self-monitoring,
very human, kinds of attributes that help us to navigate
our environment.
Narrator:
For
Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
D.
A Study Recommends Alternatives to the Existing Model
of Dental Care
Narrator:
This is Science Today. There are about 150 thousand
clinically active dentists in this country and although
the number of dentists has been on the rise over the
last two decades, a recent University of California,
San Francisco study has found a decreasing dentist-to-population
ratio. Researcher Elizabeth Mertz says that's because
there's a whole segment of the population who do not
have access to oral health care.
Mertz:
The public financing for care is extremely low, there's
very little dental care available within the medical
safety net - there really is no dental safety net
- and so these people are simply going without or
they're showing up in emergency rooms.
Narrator:
The study recommends providing alternatives to
the existing model of care including integrating oral
health and primary health care.
Mertz:
So looking at ways to have medical professionals
and dental professionals refer back and forth to each
other and work more as partners to maintain oral health
of their patients and of the populations that they
serve, rather than seeing them as two separate, totally
distinct systems of care.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
E.
Scenario-based Counseling May Benefit Heart Disease
Patients
Narrator:
This is Science Today. When a heart attack strikes,
every minute counts, but patients often delay seeking
treatment by hours - sometimes, even days. Yet, the
longer the wait, the more damage there is to the heart.
Because of this, researchers are conducting a nationwide
study to see whether or not one-on-one, scenario-based
counseling for heart disease patients will increase
the rates of early treatment. Kathleen Dracup of the
University of California, San Francisco, is leading
the study.
Dracup:
The challenge for us as health professionals - nurses
and doctors - is trying to help people be sensitive
to their cardiac symptoms and know what to do right
away so that they don't delay - they don't spend their
time doing other things, self-treatment, taking Maalox,
trying to call their doctor, which is not the right
thing to do.
Narrator:
Dracup says the right thing to do is take an aspirin
and call 911 immediately.
Dracup:
The data show that within an hour, if we can open
up the blood vessel, there can be minimal or no damage
to the heart muscle.
Narrator:
For
Science Today, Larissa Branin.
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