New Pathway For Malaria Infection Discovered (September 15, 2008) -- Scientists are describing the discovery and in vivo validation of scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI), a major regulator of cholesterol uptake by the liver, as a critical host factor for malaria infection. The new research findings are the first to describe a molecular link between cholesterol metabolism and malaria infection, and the new data could lead to new approaches for the treatment of malaria including use of RNAi therapeutics. ... > full story
Gap Junction Protein Vital To Successful Pregnancy, Researchers Find (September 15, 2008) -- Researchers studying a critical stage of pregnancy -- implantation of the embryo in the uterus -- have found a protein that is vital to the growth of new blood vessels that sustain the embryo. Without this protein, which is produced in higher quantities in the presence of estrogen, the embryo is unlikely to survive. ... > full story
Colorectal Cancer Screening Should Start At Age 50, Study Confirms (September 15, 2008) -- Colorectal adenomas, the precursor polyps in virtually all colorectal cancers, occur infrequently in younger adults, but the rate sharply increases after age 50. Additionally, African Americans have a higher rate of proximal, or right-sided, polyps, and may have a worse prognosis for survival if the polyps become cancerous. Therefore, the results of this study further emphasize the importance of colonoscopies, which view the entire colon, for the prevention of colorectal cancer beginning at age 50. ... > full story
Women Who Binge Drink At Greater Risk Of Unsafe Sex And Sexually Transmitted Disease (September 15, 2008) -- Binge drinking (5 or more alcoholic beverages at one time) is associated with risky sexual behaviors. A new study examined this association by gender at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Binge drinking increased the risk of unsafe sexual behaviors and having an STD for women patients. ... > full story
Monitoring Immune Responses In Disease (September 15, 2008) -- A new method enables the detection of multiple parameters of single human cells. A new report demonstrates the characterization of specific blood cells from an individual with type 1 diabetes, providing information about the role these cells might play in the development of the disease and during therapy. ... > full story
Chest Surgeons Propose Measures For Indicating Quality Of Lung Surgery (September 15, 2008) -- Even though 30,000 patients in the United States undergo lung surgery each year, no standard criteria exist to measure the quality of their care. In the current issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic surgeons have proposed a system of lung surgery quality indicators for surgeons and the public as a method to demonstrate best practices for obtaining positive patient outcomes. ... > full story
Mobile Phones Help Secondary Pupils (September 15, 2008) -- Ask a teacher to name the most irritating invention of recent years and they will often nominate the mobile phone. However, some education researchers believe it is time that phone bans were reassessed — because mobile phones can be a powerful learning aid, they say. ... > full story
Seeing Through The Skin: Optic-less Imaging Technology Could Beat Lens-based Imaging Devices (September 14, 2008) -- Feeling blue? According one researcher, humans may have an ability to "see" colors and shapes with their skin. His optic-less imaging model could lead to a new form of optical imaging technology that beats the limitations of today's lens-based imaging devices, and it may also explain how this controversial primordial instinct might have evolved over millions of years. ... > full story
How Not To Gain The Dreaded 'Freshman Fifteen' (September 14, 2008) -- When fall classes at the University of California, San Diego begin on Sept. 25, freshmen will be on their own for the first time to spend endless hours on the computer, play video games and eat whatever they want, a recipe for weight gain. However, several UC San Diego wellness, weight-management and counseling programs will help students beat the dreaded "freshmen fifteen." ... > full story
Say 'Goodbye' To Back Fat Rolls (September 14, 2008) -- A new study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reveals a new back lift procedure that removes the unsightly bumps and bulges of back fat rolls while hiding the scar under the bra line. ... > full story
Immunity Traits May Be Involved In Mate Choice In Some Human Populations (September 14, 2008) -- Some human populations may rely on biological factors in addition to social factors when selecting a mate. Scientists have reported genomic data showing that immunity traits may be involved in mate choice in some human populations. ... > full story
Key Component Of Debilitating Lung Disease Identified (September 14, 2008) -- Antioxidant defense system could be new target for potential therapies for COPD. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated a close correlation between the decline in a key component of the lung's antioxidant defense system and the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in humans. ... > full story
Erectile Dysfunction Related To Sleep Apnea May Persist, But Is Treatable (September 14, 2008) -- For sufferers of sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction is often part of the package. New research indicates that ED in cases of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may be linked to the chronic intermittent hypoxia -- oxygen deprivation -- that patients with OSAS experience during episodes of obstructed breathing. ... > full story
Illusion Vs. Reality: Age-related Differences In Expectations For Future Happiness (September 14, 2008) -- Albert Einstein once quipped, "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." The famous scientist might have added that the illusion of reality shifts over time. According to a new study in the journal Psychological Science, age influences how we perceive the future. ... > full story
New Cannabis-like Drugs Could Block Pain Without Affecting Brain, Says Study (September 14, 2008) -- A new type of drug could alleviate pain in a similar way to cannabis without affecting the brain, according to a new study in the journal Pain. The research demonstrates for the first time that cannabinoid receptors called CB2, which can be activated by cannabis use, are present in human sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system, but are not present in a normal human brain. ... > full story
Tuberculosis Drug Shows Promise Against Latent Bacteria (September 14, 2008) -- A new study has shown that an investigational drug, R207910, is quite effective at killing latent bacteria. This revelation suggests that R207910 may lead to improved and shortened treatments for this globally prevalent disease. ... > full story
Osteoporosis: Calcium And Exercise To Strengthen The Bones -- Do You Get Enough? (September 14, 2008) -- A stumble, a fall -- a broken bone: many older people are afraid of this happening. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care has published information about how you can protect yourself. Research shows that regular adequate intake of calcium and exercise can strengthen the bones. But many people do not know whether they are getting enough calcium in their diets. ... > full story
Making Snack Food Choices: Are Bad Intentions Stronger Than Good Intentions? (September 14, 2008) -- People who are asked whether they would choose between a "good" snack and a "bad" snack might not follow their intentions when the snacks arrive. Researchers found that there is a substantial inconsistency between healthful snack choice intentions and actual behavior. ... > full story
Mad Cow Disease Also Caused By Genetic Mutation (September 13, 2008) -- New findings about the causes of mad cow disease show that sometimes it may be genetic. Until several years ago, it was thought that the cattle prion disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy -- also called BSE or mad cow disease -- was a foodborne disease. ... > full story
Infidelity Dissected: New Research On Why People Cheat (September 13, 2008) -- The probability of someone cheating during the course of a relationship varies between 40 and 76 percent. "It's very high," say researchers. ... > full story
Some Bladder Problems Are Provoked By Colon (September 13, 2008) -- For up to a million women, enjoying a piece of pepperoni pizza has painful consequences. They have a chronic bladder condition that causes pelvic pain. Spicy food, as well as citrus and caffeine, can intensify the pain, which is so intense some women inject lidocaine into their bladders. Researchers previously thought chemicals from the food irritated the bladder. A surprising discovery now reveals the symptoms actually are being provoked by the colon. The discovery opens up new treatment possibilities. ... > full story
'Dodgy Dossier' Partly To Blame For Failure Of War Against Malaria In The Tropics (September 13, 2008) -- The war against malaria in tropical countries was fought and lost in the 20th century on the basis of faulty intelligence, a 'dodgy dossier' which argued that the same methods used to tackle the disease in temperate countries would also work in the tropics. ... > full story
DNA 'Tattoos' Link Adult, Daughter Stem Cells In Planarians (September 13, 2008) -- Using the molecular equivalent of a tattoo on DNA that adult stem cells pass to their "daughter" cells in combination with gene expression profiles, researchers have identified two early steps in adult stem cell differentiation -- the process that determines whether cells will form muscle, neurons, skin, etc., in people and animals. ... > full story
Key Enzyme For Regulating Heart Attack Damage Found, Scientists Report (September 13, 2008) -- Marauding molecules cause the tissue damage that underlies heart attacks, sunburn, Alzheimer's and hangovers. But scientists say they may have found ways to combat the carnage after discovering an important cog in the body's molecular detoxification machinery. ... > full story
Tracking Down The Menace In Mexico City Smog (September 13, 2008) -- Chemical scientists have shown that, bad as the traffic is, the most harmful air pollution in Mexico City may not come from burning fossil fuels. Instead the culprit may be garbage incineration. ... > full story
New Marker For Raised Intracranial Pressure (September 13, 2008) -- Magnetic resonance imaging measurements of the thickness of the optic nerve sheath are a good marker for raised intracranial pressure. New research shows that a retro-bulbar optic nerve sheath diameter above 5.82mm predicts raised ICP in 90 percent of cases. ... > full story
New Method For Creating Inducible Stem Cells Is Remarkably Efficient (September 13, 2008) -- Some of the most challenging obstacles limiting the reprogramming of mature human cells into stem cells may not seem quite as daunting in the near future. Two independent research papers describe new tools that provide invaluable platforms for elucidating the molecular, genetic, and biochemical mechanisms associated with reprogramming. ... > full story
Amount Of Work For Medical Residents -- Not Just Hours -- Need Review, Study Finds (September 13, 2008) -- The first objective study on the effect that on-call workloads have on the quality of the education medical residents receive found that the complexity of care patients require has just as much impact on residents' training as the number of hours they work. ... > full story
Untapped Potential Of Antidepressants For Cancer (September 13, 2008) -- A comprehensive review of current scientific literature has suggested that antidepressants can help the human body fight cancer by boosting its own immune response, amongst other mechanisms. ... > full story
Early Stage Colon Cancer Characterized By Inactivation Of Gatekeeper Gene (September 13, 2008) -- The absence or inactivation of the RUNX3 gatekeeper gene paves the way for the growth and development of colon cancer, Singapore scientists report in the September issue of the journal Cancer Cell. Previous studies have shown that RUNX3 plays a role in gastric, breast, lung and bladder cancers. ... > full story
Study Links Primary Care Shortage With Salary Disparities (September 13, 2008) -- The nation's shortage of primary care physicians has been linked to a host of poor health outcomes, and a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that salary disparities play a major role in the shortage. ... > full story
Clinical Trial For New Tuberculosis Vaccine (September 12, 2008) -- With annually 2 million deaths and 9 million new cases, there are more victims of tuberculosis than of any other infectious disease, apart from AIDS. Worsening the situation, many strains of tuberculosis are so resistant that they no longer respond to traditional treatment, making the necessity of a new tuberculosis vaccine more urgent than ever. For the first time in 80 years, a promising live tuberculosis vaccine has reached the clinical trial stage in Germany. ... > full story
Psychiatry: When The Mirror Becomes An Enemy (September 12, 2008) -- A nose that's too big, hair that's too curly or a beauty mark in the wrong place -- who hasn't focused on a small detail of their appearance while staring at a mirror? But when these imperfections take over our thoughts, or exist only in our heads, it's a sign that such obsessing is a disorder. ... > full story
Is Probiotic Yakult Helpful In The Treatment Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome? (September 12, 2008) -- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a common feature in irritable bowel syndrome and may be directly related to symptoms. SIBO is detected indirectly using the lactulose breath test, where an early rise in breath hydrogen is suggestive of SIBO. Researchers examined the effect of L. strain Shirota. After 6 weeks, there was a significant shift in the time of first rise after the lactulose breath test, indicating a reduction in SIBO. ... > full story
Teens' Failure To Use Condoms Linked To Partner Disapproval, Fear Of Less Sexual Pleasure (September 12, 2008) -- Approximately one in four teens in the United States will contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts believe a major contributing factor is the failure of many teens to use condoms consistently and routinely. Now a new study provides some insight into some of the factors that influence condom use among teenagers. ... > full story
Strict Mediterranean Diet Can Help Reduce Deaths From Major Chronic Diseases (September 12, 2008) -- Sticking to a full Mediterranean diet provides substantial protection against major chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Risk Of Breast Cancer Mutations Underestimated For Asian Women (September 12, 2008) -- Oncologists were perplexed. Computer models designed to identify women who might have dangerous genetic mutations that increase their risk of breast and ovarian cancer worked well for white women. But they seemed to be less reliable for another ethnic group. Researchers have now found that two computer models widely used to determine who should undergo genetic testing for BRCA mutations under predicted mutation frequency in Asian-American women by 50 percent. ... > full story
Off-label Medicine Combinations Are Predominant Treatment In Survey Of Schizophrenics (September 12, 2008) -- Researchers report that 74.5 percent of 200 community-based schizophrenic patients, who were interviewed and evaluated (including a review of clinical records), were treated with off-label medication treatments. Specifically, 42.5 percent of subjects reported they were simultaneously treated with more than one antipsychotic drug, an unapproved treatment for schizophrenia. The most common unapproved drug combination was the use of both an antipsychotic drug and a mood stabilizer (45 percent of patients). ... > full story
Searching In Space And Minds: Research Suggests Underlying Link (September 12, 2008) -- New research from Indiana University has found evidence that how we look for things, such as our car keys or umbrella, could be related to how we search for more abstract needs, such as words in memory or solutions to problems. "Common underlying search mechanisms may exist that drive our behavior in many different domains," said IU cognitive scientist Peter Todd. ... > full story
Male-specific Neurons Directly Linked To Gender-specific Behaviors (September 12, 2008) -- New research identifies a few critical neurons that initiate sex-specific behaviors in fruit flies and, when masculinized, can elicit male-typical courtship behaviors from females. The study demonstrates a direct link between sexual dimorphism in the brain and gender differences in behavior. ... > full story
Killing Bacteria Isn't Enough To Restore Immune Function After Infection (September 12, 2008) -- A bacterial molecule that initially signals to animals that they have been invaded must be wiped out by a special enzyme before an infected animal can regain full health, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. ... > full story
Brains Rely On Old And New Mechanisms To Diminish Fear (September 12, 2008) -- Humans have developed complex thought processes that can help to regulate their emotions, but these processes are also linked with evolutionarily older mechanisms that are common across species, according to a study by neuroscientists at New York and Rutgers universities. ... > full story
Cancer Stem Cells Isolated: Could Lead To New Drugs To Stop Cancer From Returning (September 12, 2008) -- Cancer prevention researchers have discovered a protein marker that allows them to isolate cancer stem cells from regular cancer cells. By targeting this marker, scientists are developing new drugs to kill the stem cells and stop cancer from returning. ... > full story
Air Pollution Can Hinder Heart's Electrical Functioning (September 12, 2008) -- Tiny particles of air pollution and black carbon, a marker for traffic exhaust fumes, may adversely affect heart function among heart attack survivors. Researchers say people with recent heart attacks and even healthy people should avoid being around heavy traffic after hospital discharge. ... > full story
70 Years Old And Going Strong With Down Syndrome And No Dementia (September 12, 2008) -- In the world of Down syndrome, 'Mr. C' is a rarity. A real person whose progress has been tracked for the past 16 years, at seventy, 'Mr. C' has well surpassed the average life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome, currently in the late fifties, but in the teens when 'Mr. C' was born. Further, 'Mr. C' does not exhibit clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Remote Brainwaves Predict Future 'Eureka' Moment (September 12, 2008) -- The brain mechanism underlying the eureka or "ah-ha" moment is poorly understood. What happens in the brain during that particular moment? Is that moment purely sudden as often reported by the solver or is there any (neural) precursor to it? Can we predict whether and when, if at all, the solver will hit upon the final eureka moment? New research addresses these questions by measuring brainwaves of human participants as they attempted to solve puzzles or brainteasers that call for intuitive strategies and novel insight. ... > full story
Nano-sized 'Cargo Ships' To Target And Destroy Tumors Developed (September 12, 2008) -- Scientists have developed nanometer-sized "cargo ships" that can sail throughout the body via the bloodstream without immediate detection from the body's immune radar system, and ferry their cargo of anti-cancer drugs and markers into tumors that might otherwise go untreated or undetected. ... > full story
Stem Cell Regeneration Repairs Congenital Heart Defect (September 12, 2008) -- Medical investigators have demonstrated that stem cells can be used to regenerate heart tissue to treat dilated cardiomyopathy, a congenital defect. ... > full story
Copyright 1995-2008 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
