Watch And Learn: Time Teaches Us How To Recognize Visual Objects (September 17, 2008) -- In work that could aid efforts to develop more brain-like computer vision systems, MIT neuroscientists have tricked the visual brain into confusing one object with another, thereby demonstrating that time teaches us how to recognize objects. ... > full story
Genetic Profile Reveals Susceptibility To Cleft Palate (September 17, 2008) -- For the first time, researchers have identified a series of genetic mutations that appear to be linked to significant risk for cleft palate and other dental abnormalities. These are devastating conditions that cause tremendous social isolation, and also are associated with decreased lifespan, a higher risk of cancer and increased susceptibility to psychiatric disorders, even after surgical repair. ... > full story
Protective Pathway In Stressed Cells Not So Helpful When It Comes To Prions (September 17, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered that an important cellular quality control mechanism may actually be toxic to some brain cells during prion infection. The research proposes a new general mechanism of cellular dysfunction that can contribute to the devastating and widespread neuronal death characteristic of slowly progressing neurodegenerative diseases. ... > full story
New Insights Into Teenagers And Anxiety Disorders (September 17, 2008) -- Can scientists predict who will develop anxiety disorders years in advance? One UCLA professor of psychology thinks so, and is four years into an eight-year study, evaluating 650 students who were 16-years-old at the study's start, to learn risk factors for the development of anxiety and depression -- the most comprehensive study of its kind. ... > full story
Key Protein Molecule Linked To Diverse Human Chronic Inflammatory Diseases (September 17, 2008) -- Scientists have revealed a common connection between the cellular innate immunity network and human chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The finding presents a viable cellular and molecular target for the diagnosis and treatment of serious human inflammatory diseases. ... > full story
Acting Surgeon General Issues 'Call To Action To Prevent DVT And Pulmonary Embolism' (September 17, 2008) -- Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., has issued a Call to Action to reduce the number of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the United States. Galson urged all Americans to learn about and prevent these treatable conditions. ... > full story
Consumers Think Differently About Close And Distant Purchases (September 17, 2008) -- If you are deciding on a major vacation for next year, you'll use different criteria than if you are planning a trip this weekend, according to a new study. ... > full story
Genetic Mutation That May Predict Organ Rejection Identified (September 16, 2008) -- Using a novel combination of cutting-edge technologies to scan the human genome, researchers have identified a genetic mutation that identifies transplant recipients who experience rejection. ... > full story
Drinking Chamomile Tea May Help Fight Complications Of Diabetes (September 16, 2008) -- Drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help prevent the complications of diabetes, which include loss of vision, nerve damage, and kidney damage, researchers in Japan and the United Kingdom are reporting. ... > full story
Role For Gefitinib In Asian Nonsmokers With Lung Cancer Established (September 16, 2008) -- The targeted therapy gefitinib should be considered a first-line therapy for nonsmoking Asian patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung, one of the most common types of lung cancer, suggests a presentation at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology. ... > full story
Biological Selenium Removal: Solution To Pollution? (September 16, 2008) -- Unsafe levels of selenium, sometimes referred to as an "essential toxin," can be reduced by a microbiological treatment. With this method, microorganisms reduce selenate to the less-toxic elemental selenium, which can potentially be recovered from the process. An estimated 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide suffer from selenium deficiency, even though many live near areas where levels of selenium have reached toxic levels. ... > full story
Massage Therapy May Have Immediate Positive Effect On Pain And Mood For Advanced Cancer Patients (September 16, 2008) -- Massage therapy may have immediate benefits on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer. In a randomized trial of 380 advanced cancer patients at 15 U.S. hospices, improvement in pain and mood immediately following treatment was greater with massage than with simple touch. ... > full story
Brain Protein Linked To Alzheimer's Disease (September 16, 2008) -- A link has been announced between the brain protein KIBRA and Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that could lead to promising new treatments for this memory-robbing disorder. The new discovery builds on a previous study, which showed a genetic link between KIBRA and memory. In the new study, researchers found that carriers of a memory-enhancing flavor of the KIBRA gene had a 25 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Potential New Drug For Cocaine Addiction And Overdose (September 16, 2008) -- Chemists are reporting development of what they term the most powerful substance ever discovered for eliminating cocaine from the body, an advance that could lead to the world's first effective medicine for fighting overdoses and addictions of the illicit drug. ... > full story
More Findings On Gene Involved In Childhood Asthma (September 16, 2008) -- Asthma researchers have found that a gene variant known to raise the risk of childhood asthma in European children plays a similar role in white American children, but not in African-American children. The new findings showed the gene was involved in both milder and more severe forms of asthma. ... > full story
Don't Throw The Candy Out: Temptation Leads To Moderation (September 16, 2008) -- Banishing tempting goodies may not be the best way to keep from eating them. Tempting foods can actually increase willpower, according to new research. Although it seems counterintuitive, consumers show more self-control after they've spent some time in the presence of a treat. ... > full story
Higher Urinary Levels Of Commonly Used Plastic Compound, BPA, Linked To Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes (September 16, 2008) -- Higher levels of urinary Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound commonly used in plastic packaging for food and beverages, is associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA. This study is being released early to coincide with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing on BPA. ... > full story
Sun-damaged Skin Does Not Improve With Estrogen Treatments, Study Finds (September 16, 2008) -- Treating the skin with estrogen can stimulate collagen production -- which improves the appearance of the skin -- in areas not typically exposed to the sun, according to new research. But in sun-damaged skin, the same treatment does not increase collagen production, the study found. ... > full story
MRI Reveals Inner Ear Anomalies In Children With Hearing Loss (September 16, 2008) -- Using magnetic resonance imaging, physicians can identify soft-tissue defects that contribute to hearing loss in children, according to a new report. ... > full story
Blissfully Ignorant: Skip Those Pesky Details (September 16, 2008) -- Wouldn't you like some more information about that cream puff? Not if you just ate it. A new study examined what's known as the "blissful ignorance effect," the way consumers' goals shift after they've made purchases. ... > full story
Childhood Brain Cancer Genes Identified (September 16, 2008) -- Scientists have isolated three important genes involved in the development of a type of childhood brain cancer. Researchers have found three genes associated with specific characteristics of ependymoma — the third most common form of childhood brain cancer. ... > full story
Prosthetic Ears Appear To Improve Hearing And Speech Recognition In Noisy Environments (September 16, 2008) -- Prosthetic ears appear to improve hearing and speech recognition in noisy environments, according to a new report. ... > full story
Magic Can Conjure Up Confidence And Social Skills (September 16, 2008) -- For years, audiences have been thrilled by the amazing performances of master magicians, such as David Blaine and Derren Brown. Now, the results of a new experiment suggests that such magical feats can also work wonders with children's confidence and social skills. ... > full story
Two Beta Blockers Also Protect Heart Tissue, Study Finds (September 16, 2008) -- A newly discovered chemical pathway that helps protect heart tissue can be stimulated by two of 20 common beta-blockers, drugs that are prescribed to millions of patients who have experienced heart failure. ... > full story
Depressed Dialysis Patients More Likely To Be Hospitalized Or Die, Researcher Finds (September 16, 2008) -- Dialysis patients diagnosed with depression are nearly twice as likely to be hospitalized or die within a year than those who are not depressed, researchers have found. ... > full story
Newest Interventional Radiology Treatment Used To Bust Blood Clots In Legs (September 16, 2008) -- The first major national trial of a catheter-based treatment for deep vein thrombosis will evaluate the use of clot-dissolving drugs in combination with clot removal devices to prevent post-thrombotic syndrome in patients with DVT (the formation of a blood clot in a leg vein). PTS, a common irreversible complication of DVT, causes permanent damage to the veins, resulting in debilitating chronic leg pain, swelling, fatigue and/or skin ulcers. ... > full story
New Treatment For Prostate Cancer Pioneered (September 16, 2008) -- Scientists are developing and commercializing a promising novel therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer that may offer patients a faster and more precise treatment than existing clinical alternatives, with fewer side effects. ... > full story
Dental Fillings Without Gaps (September 16, 2008) -- Tooth cavities are usually closed with plastic fillings. However, the initially soft plastic shrinks as it hardens. The tension can cause gaps to appear between the tooth and the filling, encouraging more caries to form. For the first time, researchers have simulated this process. ... > full story
Help For Shopaholics: New Test Determines Who's At Risk For Compulsive Buying (September 16, 2008) -- Compulsive shopping can lead to financial problems, family conflicts, stress, depression, and loss of self-esteem. According to a new study, there may be more people engaged in compulsive buying than previously thought. ... > full story
How Memories Are Made, And Recalled (September 16, 2008) -- What makes a memory? Single cells in the brain, for one thing. For the first time, scientists have recorded individual brain cells in the act of calling up a memory, thus revealing where in the brain a specific memory is stored and how the brain is able to recreate it. ... > full story
'1-hit' Event Provides New Opportunity For Colon Cancer Prevention, Say Researchers (September 16, 2008) -- Over 30 years ago, Fox Chase Cancer Center's Alfred Knudson, Jr., revolutionized cancer genetics with the Two-Hit Hypothesis, which guided scientists around the globe in their quest for tumor suppressor genes. Now, Knudson and colleagues offer evidence that a "one-hit" event is enough to make cells abnormal. By studying the first colon cell proteome, which describes the proteins a cell makes, they believe they may have discovered patterns that could indicate cancer. ... > full story
Adding Taxotere To Chemotherapy Regimen Improves Survival In Early Breast Cancer, Study Suggests (September 16, 2008) -- For patients with early stage breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, adding four cycles of docetaxel (Taxotere) into a sequential regimen of epirubicin followed by cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) reduces the risk of recurrence and death, updated long-term results show. ... > full story
Impulsive Eater? Remembering Failures May Help Curb Eating (September 16, 2008) -- When it comes to tempting or fattening foods, some people are a lot more impulsive than others. And according to a new study, impulsive people think and act differently than non-impulsive people after they remember a time when they resisted or succumbed to temptation. ... > full story
Purifying Parasites From Host Cells With Light (September 16, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a clever method to purify parasitic organisms from their host cells, which will allow for more detailed studies and a deeper insight into the biology of organisms that cause millions of cases of disease each year. ... > full story
Investigational Drug Shows Promise In Ovarian Cancer (September 16, 2008) -- An investigational drug that combats ovarian cancer by inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels has shown promise in a phase II trial, according to new research. ... > full story
New Method Identifies Meth Hot Spots (September 16, 2008) -- A new method of combining multiple sources of data to identify counties in Oregon with high numbers of methamphetamine-related problems per capita, giving officials a new tool in fighting the illegal drug. ... > full story
New Tool To Speed Cancer Therapy Approval Available (September 16, 2008) -- Although cancer remains a leading cause of death in America, it can take up to 12 years to bring a new anti-cancer agent before the FDA and the success rate for approval is only five to 10 percent. That means many research hours and dollars are wasted chasing avenues that will not bring fruit. ... > full story
Steady Work And Mental Health: Is There A Connection? (September 16, 2008) -- Research from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, in a new report from the World Health Organization on the social determinants of health, highlights the profound impact of employment conditions on health. ... > full story
Vaccine Against HER2-positive Breast Cancer Offers Complete Protection In Lab (September 15, 2008) -- Researchers have tested a breast cancer vaccine they say completely eliminated HER2-positive tumors in mice -- even cancers resistant to current anti-HER2 therapy --- without any toxicity. ... > full story
Key To Keeping Older People Fit For Longer (September 15, 2008) -- A carefully framed combination of moderate exercise and nutritional supplements could help older people maintain an active lifestyle for longer. ... > full story
Significant Benefits In Non-small-cell Lung Cancer From Customizing Erlotinib Treatment (September 15, 2008) -- Lung cancer patients whose tumors carry specific genetic mutations can achieve significantly longer survival when treated with targeted therapies such as erlotinib, researchers report. ... > full story
Global Shortages Of Radio Isotopes For Cancer Diagnosis May Be A Thing Of The Past (September 15, 2008) -- Thanks to a newly-developed technology, global shortages of radio isotopes for cancer diagnosis could be a thing of the past. ... > full story
Unusual Case Of Woman Who Suffered Stroke During Sex (September 15, 2008) -- Minutes after having sexual intercourse with her boyfriend, a 35-year-old woman suddenly felt her left arm go weak. Her speech became slurred and she lost feeling on the left side of her face. She was having a stroke. Doctors later concluded the stroke probably was due to several related factors, including birth control pills, a venous blood clot, sexual intercourse and a heart defect. ... > full story
Viruses Collectively Decide Bacterial Cell's Fate (September 15, 2008) -- A new study suggests that bacteria-infecting viruses -- called phages -- can make collective decisions about whether to kill host cells immediately after infection or enter a latent state to remain within the host cell. The research shows that when multiple viruses infect a cell, the overall level of viral gene expression increases, which has a dramatic nonlinear effect on gene networks that control cell fate. ... > full story
Ovarian Cancer Drug Trial Reveals Promising New Treatment (September 15, 2008) -- Women with recurrent ovarian cancer can be helped by an experimental therapy using a drug already touted for its ability to fight other cancers, a finding that provides hope for improved treatment of this deadly disease. ... > full story
Mother's Stress Linked To Her Child Becoming Overweight (September 15, 2008) -- A mother's stress may contribute to her young children being overweight in low income households with sufficient food, according to a new Iowa State University study published in the September issue of Pediatrics, the professional journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. ... > full story
Turn It Off To Turn It On: Neuroscientists Discover Critical Early Step Of Memory Formation (September 15, 2008) -- Researchers have found how nerve cells in the brain ensure that Arc, a protein critical for memory formation, is made instantly after nerve stimulation. Paradoxically, its manufacture involves two other proteins -- including one linked to mental retardation -- that typically prevent proteins from being made. ... > full story
Cold And Lonely: Does Social Exclusion Literally Feel Cold? (September 15, 2008) -- There are numerous examples in our daily language of metaphors which make a connection between cold temperatures and emotions such as loneliness, despair and sadness. We are taught at a young age that metaphors are meant to be descriptive and are not supposed to be taken literally. However, recent studies suggest that these metaphors are more than just fancy literary devices and that there is a psychological basis for linking cold with feelings of social isolation. ... > full story
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