Gene With Probable Role In Human Susceptibility To Pulmonary Tuberculosis Identified (October 16, 2008) -- A new gene that may confer susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis has been identified. First time that gene, toll-like receptor 8, linked to bacterial infections. ... > full story
Simpler Diagnostic Method May Be As Effective At Detecting Blood Clot In The Leg (October 16, 2008) -- A comparison of two diagnostic methods used to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT; a blood clot in a deep vein in the leg or thigh) of the lower extremities indicates that a simpler method, with wider availability, has rates of DVT detection that are equivalent to a more complex method, according to a new study. ... > full story
Probiotic Bacteria Don't Make Eczema Better, And May Have Side Effects, Study Shows (October 16, 2008) -- There is no evidence probiotics can relieve the symptoms of eczema, but there is some evidence that they may occasionally cause infections and gut problems. These findings from the Cochrane Library come at a time when use of probiotics to treat eczema is increasing. ... > full story
Important New Hair-loss Gene Discovered (October 16, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered an important hair-loss gene. In 2005, these scientists had already characterized the first hair-loss gene inherited through the maternal line, which explained why hair-loss in men often reflects that of their maternal grandfathers. This newly discovered gene, on the other hand, may now account for the similarity in cranial hair growth between father and son. ... > full story
Novel Imaging Approach May Assist In Predicting Success Of Treatment For Atrial Fibrillation (October 16, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a magnetic resonance imaging-based method for detecting and quantifying injury to the wall of the heart's left atrium in patients who have undergone a procedure to treat atrial fibrillation. ... > full story
Deal Or No Deal? The Role Of Emotions In Negotiating Offers (October 16, 2008) -- Do skilled negotiators simply go with their gut instinct every time or are they just extremely calculating, figuring out all possible outcomes before making a choice? Researchers examined how emotions affect our negotiating skills by having participants play a negotiation game. Their results show that emotional players were more focused on the "gist" of the offer itself (and what felt good), rather than on calculating the probabilities of payoff. ... > full story
Brain-nourishing Molecule May Predict Schizophrenia Relapse (October 15, 2008) -- A factor that helps optimize brain formation and function may also provide clues about whether patients suffering with schizophrenia are headed toward relapse, researchers say. ... > full story
Being Altruistic May Make You Attractive (October 15, 2008) -- Displays of altruism or selflessness towards others can be sexually attractive in a mate. In three studies of more than 1,000 people, researchers discovered that women place significantly greater importance on altruistic traits than anything else. ... > full story
Public Health Experts Discover New Information About Diabetes' Link To Tuberculosis (October 15, 2008) -- New evidence shows that patients with type 2 diabetes may be at increased risk of contracting tuberculosis because of a compromised immune system, resulting in life-threatening lung infections that are more difficult to treat. ... > full story
A Walk In The Park Improves Attention In Children With ADHD (October 15, 2008) -- For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder tasks that require concentration such as doing homework or taking a test can be very difficult. A simple, inexpensive remedy may be a "dose of nature." ... > full story
Breast Is Best In Fight Against Childhood Asthma (October 15, 2008) -- Breast feeding is linked to a lower incidence in asthma in young children, according to a new study. ... > full story
Vulnerable Plaque May Be Easier To Detect Through New Imaging Technology (October 15, 2008) -- Research results indicate that optical coherence tomography, a newly evolving imaging method, may be the best tool available to detect vulnerable plaque in coronary arteries. ... > full story
Searching The Internet Increases Brain Function (October 15, 2008) -- Scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function. ... > full story
People With Autism Make More Rational Decisions, Study Shows (October 15, 2008) -- People with autism-related disorders are less likely to make irrational decisions, and are less influenced by gut instincts, according to new research. The study adds to the growing body of research implicating altered emotional processing in autism. ... > full story
Resveratrol Prevents Fat Accumulation In Livers Of 'Alcoholic' Mice (October 15, 2008) -- A new study shows that a substance found in grapes, red wine and peanuts, prevents alcoholic fatty liver by coordinating molecules that control fat metabolism. The accumulation of fat in the liver as a result of chronic alcohol consumption could be prevented by consuming resveratrol, according to the study with mice. The research found that resveratrol reduced the amount of fat produced in the liver of mice fed alcohol and, at the same time, increased the rate at which fat within the liver is broken down. ... > full story
Why Do Women Get More Cavities Than Men? (October 15, 2008) -- Reproduction pressures and rising fertility explain why women suffered a more rapid decline in dental health than did men as humans transitioned from hunter-and-gatherers to farmers and more sedentary pursuits, says an anthropologist. ... > full story
More Americans Have, Get Treated For High Blood Pressure (October 15, 2008) -- An analysis of data from two national health studies shows that more US adults have hypertension than ever before. The percent of those aware of, being treated for and having the disorder under control has increased and as a result more people are living with rather than dying from hypertension. Researchers say the nation's obesity epidemic is a major factor for the increase in hypertension prevalence. ... > full story
Subconscious Encounters: How Brand Exposure Affects Your Choices (October 15, 2008) -- Products with visible brand names are everywhere; many times we don't even notice them. But how much do those unnoticed exposures affect brand choices? Quite a bit, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. ... > full story
Earliest Known Human TB Found In 9,000 Year-old Skeletons (October 15, 2008) -- The discovery of the earliest known cases of human tuberculosis in bones found submerged off the coast of Israel shows that the disease is 3000 years older than previously thought. Direct examination of this ancient DNA confirms the latest theory that bovine TB evolved later than human TB. ... > full story
Vitamin B Does Not Slow Cognitive Decline In Alzheimer's, Study Finds (October 15, 2008) -- A new clinical trial shows that high-dose vitamin B supplements did not slow the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. ... > full story
New Approach To Genetic Testing Could Halve Deaths From Inherited Bowel Cancer (October 15, 2008) -- Changing the approach to genetic screening for cancers in Australia could effectively halve deaths caused by an inherited form of bowel cancer, says a University of Melbourne expert. ... > full story
English Northerners' Hands Up To 3 Times Dirtier Than Those Living In England's South (October 15, 2008) -- The further north you go in England, the more likely you are to have fecal bacteria on your hands, especially if you are a man, according to a preliminary study conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. ... > full story
Marijuana Use Takes Toll On Adolescent Brain Function, Research Finds (October 15, 2008) -- Brain imaging shows that the brains of teens that use marijuana are working harder than the brains of their peers who abstain from the drug. ... > full story
Nanodiamond Drug Device Could Transform Cancer Treatment (October 15, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a promising nanomaterial-based biomedical device that could be used to deliver chemotherapy drugs locally to sites where cancerous tumors have been surgically removed. The team demonstrated that the flexible microfilm device, which resembles a piece of plastic wrap and can be customized easily into different shapes, releases the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin in a sustained and consistent manner. The device takes advantage of nanodiamonds, an emergent technology. ... > full story
Key Mechanism Regulating Neural Stem Cell Development Uncovered (October 15, 2008) -- Scintists have discovered a novel mechanism that regulates how neural stem cells of the retina generate the appropriate cell type at the right time during normal development. These findings could influence the development of future cell replacement therapies for genetic eye diseases that cause blindness. ... > full story
What Do You Know? Not As Much As You Think (October 15, 2008) -- We've all met know-it-alls -- people who think they know more than they actually do. If they're talking about products, like wine or motorcycles, they might actually know as much as they think. But when it comes to health plans, social policy, or nutrition, they might not, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. ... > full story
Protein Made In Liver Restores Blood Glucose In Type 1 Diabetes Model (October 15, 2008) -- A protein made by the liver in response to inflammation and used to treat patients suffering from a genetic form of emphysema has been shown to restore blood glucose levels in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus, according to a new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. ... > full story
Neurons In Zebrafish May Reveal Clues To The Wiring Of The Human Ear (October 15, 2008) -- Developing neurons tend to play the field, making more connections than they will ever need. Then the weakest are cut. But scientists now show that neurons in young zebrafish -- vertebrates, like humans -- behave differently: They immediately find a cluster of specialized cells and make the right match. The findings may help reveal the mechanism by which analogous cells are wired in the human ear and eventually help those who are deaf or hard of hearing. ... > full story
Memory Improves If Neurons Are New (October 15, 2008) -- The birth of new neurons (neurogenesis) does not end completely during development but continues throughout all life in two areas of the adult nervous system, i.e. subventricular zone and hippocampus. Recent research has shown that hippocampal neurogenesis is crucial for memory formation. These studies, however, have not yet clarified how the newborn neurons are integrated in the existing circuits and thus contribute to new memories formation and to the maintenance of old ones. ... > full story
Pajama Gamblers Could Lose Their Shirts: Online Gambling Can Be Dangerously Comfortable (October 15, 2008) -- People who gamble from the comfort of their home tend to think they're more in control of their gambling than people who gamble in casinos, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. ... > full story
Ancient Chinese Salad Plant Transformed Into New Cancer-killing Compound (October 15, 2008) -- Researchers have updated a traditional Chinese medicine to create a compound that is more than 1,200 times more specific in killing certain kinds of cancer cells than currently available drugs, heralding the possibility of a more effective chemotherapy drug with minimal side effects. ... > full story
Herbal Menopause Therapy A Good Fit For Breast Cancer Patients? (October 15, 2008) -- When it comes to understanding the effectiveness and safety of using herbal therapies with other drugs, much is unknown. Now, a researcher will study how black cohosh -- an herbal supplement often used to relieve hot flashes in menopausal women -- interacts with tamoxifen, a common drug used to treat breast cancer. ... > full story
Filling In The Blanks: Consumers Want Complete Information To Make Choices (October 15, 2008) -- A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research examines the way consumers behave when information about a purchase is incomplete. The study suggests that there are ways for marketers to reduce the number of customers who leave empty handed. ... > full story
Critical Genetic Link Found Between Human Taste Differences And Nicotine Dependence (October 15, 2008) -- Researchers report that two interacting genes related to bitter taste sensitivity, TAS2R16 and TAS2R38, play an important role in a person's development of nicotine dependence and smoking behavior. The researchers found that people with higher taste sensitivity aren't as likely to become dependent on nicotine as people with decreased taste sensitivity. ... > full story
Insight On Common Heart Rhythm Disorder (October 15, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a gene variant that causes a potentially fatal human heart rhythm disorder called sinus node disease. While the newly discovered gene variant is rare, the study provides insight into cellular mechanisms that regulate sinus node function and identifies an unanticipated new pathway for developing future therapies to regulate more common forms of sinus node disease. ... > full story
Early-stage Gene Transcription Creates Access To DNA (October 15, 2008) -- An international team of researchers, probing how a yeast cell senses its cellular environment and makes decisions about whether or not to express a gene, finds the process of transcribing non-coding RNAs is required for the eventual production of the protein-encoding RNA. The transient synthesis of these non-coding RNAs serves to unfurl the tightly wound DNA, essentially loosening the structure to allow for gene expression. ... > full story
Landmark Study Links Sleep, Memory Problems In Elderly African-Americans (October 15, 2008) -- A landmark study shows that African-American seniors who have trouble falling asleep are at higher risk of having memory problems -- raising the possibility that identifying and treating sleep difficulties in the elderly may help preserve their cognitive functioning. The study is the first to examine the link between sleep and cognitive functioning in older African-Americans. ... > full story
Discovery May Lead To Treatment For Neurodegenerative Diseases (October 14, 2008) -- Over the past several decades, many laboratories have studied the communication between nerve cells and muscle fibers that are crucial to form and maintain neuromuscular synapses. Now, researchers have found that a protein named Lrp4 is the missing link that allows communication between two crucial molecules -- one derived from the nerve and the other from muscle -- that enables the formation of the synapse. ... > full story
New Therapeutic Treatment Approach Improves Survival In Esophageal Cancer Patients (October 14, 2008) -- A new study has found that a new therapeutic treatment, when delivered endoscopically and used in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, improved survival rates in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Cancer of the esophagus often has a poor survival rate. ... > full story
Time Of Day Influences Yield For Pharmacologically Stimulated Stem Cell Mobilization (October 14, 2008) -- A new study uncovers a previously unrecognized, species-specific impact of circadian rhythms on the production of mobilized stem cells. The research suggests that when it comes to collecting human stem cells for clinical transplantation, picking the right time of day to harvest cells may result in a greater yield. ... > full story
How Are Children Choosing Their Food Portions? (October 14, 2008) -- Researchers are trying to pinpoint the factors that affect how much food a child eats, to stave off unhealthy relationships with food later in life. ... > full story
Why Sufferers From Alzheimer's Disease Might Have Lower Blood Pressure (October 14, 2008) -- A new study proposes that some people suffering from Alzheimer's disease experience a reduction in their high blood pressure because of cognitive decline. ... > full story
New Risk Factor For Prostate Cancer (October 14, 2008) -- The greater the levels of a protein called Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), the greater the risk of prostate cancer, a new study has found. ... > full story
Genome Of A Monkey-human Malaria Parasite (October 14, 2008) -- Researchers have decoded the genome of a malaria parasite that infects humans and monkeys. Human infection with P. knowlesi was first reported just over 40 years ago. It is the fifth and emerging human malaria parasite: recent surveys that many P. knowlesi infections have been misdiagnosed, underestimating its prevalence. The genome sequence reveals a dramatic example of 'molecular mimicry' that is likely to be crucial for survival and propagation of the parasite in the body. ... > full story
When Seeing IS Believing (October 14, 2008) -- New research published in the journal Science explains why individuals seek to find and impose order on an unruly world through superstition, rituals and conspiratorial explanations by linking a loss of control to individual perceptions. ... > full story
Scientists Trigger Cancer-like Response From Embryonic Stem Cells (October 14, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered a new control over embryonic stem cells' behavior. The researchers disrupted a natural bioelectrical mechanism within frog embryonic stem cells and trigged a cancer-like response, including increased cell growth, change in cell shape, and invasion of the major body organs. This research shows that electrical signals are a powerful control mechanism that can be used to modulate cell behavior. ... > full story
Noxious Gas Stove Emissions Worsen Asthma Symptoms In Young Children (October 14, 2008) -- Scientists report that high levels of a noxious gas from stoves can be added to the list of indoor pollutants that aggravate asthma symptoms of inner-city children, especially preschoolers. ... > full story
Computers That Understand How You Feel (October 14, 2008) -- A navigation system able to provide emergency services with the quickest route while at the same time taking stress into account; this is an example of a new type of dialogue system just developed. The dialogue system recognizes the user's emotions and is able to react to them. ... > full story
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