St. John's Wort Relieves Symptoms Of Major Depression, Study Shows (October 13, 2008) -- New research provides support for the use of St. John's wort extracts in treating major depression. A Cochrane systematic review backs up previous research that showed the plant extract is effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorders. ... > full story
Vitamin D Deficiency Common In Patients With IBD, Chronic Liver Disease (October 13, 2008) -- Researchers have found patients with inflammatory bowel disease or chronic liver disease were at increased risk of developing Vitamin D deficiencies. Two separate studies highlight the importance of regular Vitamin D checkups in the evaluation of patients with certain digestive diseases. ... > full story
Mechanism Of Asymmetry In Meiotic Cell Division Probed (October 13, 2008) -- Scientists have characterized a mechanism that allows for asymmetrical cell division during meiosis in oocytes. By tracking chromosome movement in live mouse oocytes, they have discovered that chromosomes can recruit to their vicinity a protein called formin-2. This protein allows the oocyte to retain the majority of the cytoplasm -- a requirement for embryonic development after fertilization -- while the other daughter cell (called a polar body) resulting from the asymmetric division gets only a minimal amount and subsequently dies. ... > full story
Ergonomic Boost: Improving Workers' Posture And Working Conditions In Manufacturing Plant Can Increase Productivity (October 13, 2008) -- New research suggests that teaching staff about improving their posture and working conditions in a manufacturing plant can boost productivity by more than 50 percent. ... > full story
Baldness Gene Discovered: 1 In 7 Men At Risk (October 13, 2008) -- Researchers have identified two genetic variants in Caucasians that together produce an astounding sevenfold increase the risk of male pattern baldness. ... > full story
Thinner Cortex In Cocaine Addicts May Reflect Drug Use And A Pre-existing Disposition To Drug Abuse (October 13, 2008) -- New research findings suggest that structural abnormalities in the brains of cocaine addicts are related in part to drug use and in part to a predisposition toward addiction. The research maps the topography of the addicted brain and provides new insight into the effect of cocaine on neural systems mediating cognition and motivation. ... > full story
Radio-frequency Identification Reduces Specimen Labeling Errors (October 13, 2008) -- With a long-held commitment to continuously improving the quality and safety of patient care, Mayo Clinic researchers are recommending a new technologically-advanced labeling system aimed at reducing specimen labeling errors in a high-volume gastrointestinal endoscopy center. ... > full story
Parents Foster Significant Misperceptions Of Children's Weight (October 13, 2008) -- Results of a survey have revealed that many parents do not accurately perceive their children as overweight or at risk for adulthood obesity. Obesity in the United States is often accompanied by an increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases and has emerged as a major health concern, particularly the issue of obesity among children and adolescents. ... > full story
Fat-regenerating 'Stem Cells' Found In Mice (October 12, 2008) -- Researchers have identified stem cells with the capacity to build fat. Although they have yet to show that the cells can renew themselves, transplants of the progenitor cells isolated from the fat tissue of normal mice can restore normal fat tissue in animals that are otherwise lacking it. The findings may yield insight into the causes of obesity, a condition characterized by an increase in both the size and number of fat cells. ... > full story
Pollution From Livestock Farming Affects Infant Health (October 12, 2008) -- A new study finds that pollution from livestock facilities is associated with an increase in infant mortality. ... > full story
Gut Reaction To Arsenic Exposure Simulated (October 12, 2008) -- A simulated gastrointestinal system is helping scientists test contaminated soil for its potential to harm humans. The method is likely to save time and money for people hoping to repurpose land with an industrial past. Most testing for potential arsenic exposure is conducted in recognition of a dirty little secret of modern life: Humans unknowingly eat a little bit of soil each day. For children who might play on contaminated soil and ingest dirt, the testing is considered particularly important. ... > full story
Babies And Beethoven: Infants Can Tell Happy Songs From Sad (October 12, 2008) -- A new study shows that 5-month-old babies can distinguish an upbeat tune, such as "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, from a lineup of gloomier compositions. By age 9 months, babies can do the opposite and pick out the sorrowful sound of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony from a pack of happy pieces. ... > full story
Brainy Genes, Not Brawn, Key To Success On Mussel Beach (October 12, 2008) -- Scientists have found that mussels in their natural habitat express their genes in cyclic waves, in what appears to be a survival strategy akin to the circadian rhythms that govern sleep. In addition, two sets of genes used to cope with heat stress are identified, in the first real-time molecular sampling of two mussel communities. ... > full story
Important Clue To Learning Deficit In Children With Autism (October 12, 2008) -- An important clue to why children with autism spectrum disorders have trouble imitating others has been discovered: they spend less time looking at the faces of people who are modeling new skills. ... > full story
RNA Molecules, Delivery System Improve Vaccine Responses, Effectiveness (October 12, 2008) -- A novel delivery system that could lead to more efficient and more disease-specific vaccines against infectious diseases has been developed by biomedical engineers. ... > full story
Tamoxifen Chemoprevention Tied To Early Detection Of Breast Cancer (October 12, 2008) -- The drug tamoxifen does not prevent or treat estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, but it can make the disease easier to find, researchers report in the Oct. 1 Journal of the National Cancer Institute. ... > full story
Does It Matter If Black Plus White Equals Black Or Multiracial? (October 12, 2008) -- "Is Barack Obama Black or Biracial?" a recent CNN.com headline asks. Should such racial characterizations of people like Obama -- who have one black parent and one white parent -- really matter? According to a new study, they do matter. When study participants knew of a person's black-white ancestry, in comparison to not knowing of the parentage, they quickly adhered to the simplistic characterization of biracial people as black. ... > full story
Eliminating Viral Vector In Stem Cell Reprogramming (October 12, 2008) -- Scientists have eliminated the need for a viral vector in the stem cell reprogramming process In a report in Science, they showed the ability to reprogram adult cells into iPS cells without viral integration into the genome which lays to rest concerns that the reprogramming event might be dependent upon viral integration into specific genomic loci that could mediate the genetic switch. ... > full story
Hodgkin Lymphoma: New Characteristics Discovered; Cytokines Help Tumor Cells Evade Immune System (October 12, 2008) -- Researchers are still discovering new characteristics of Hodgkin lymphoma, a common form of cancer of the lymphatic system. Researchers in Germany have now demonstrated the production of interleukin 21 in the tumor cells of Hodgkin lymphoma. IL-21 promotes the growth of cancer cells and helps them evade immune system detection. ... > full story
Religiosity Curbs Teen Marijuana Use By Half, National Study Finds (October 12, 2008) -- While many congregations of different faiths preach against drug abuse, it has been unclear whether a youth's religious involvement has any effect on his risk of drug abuse. Now a new national study finds that religious involvement makes teens half as likely to use marijuana. ... > full story
Statins May Prevent Miscarriages, Study Suggests (October 11, 2008) -- Hospital for Special Surgery researchers have found that statins may be able to prevent miscarriages in women who are suffering from pregnancy complications caused by antiphospholipid syndrome, according to a study in mice. ... > full story
Key Proteins In Blood Stem Cell Replication Pinpointed (October 11, 2008) -- A discovery from Stanford researchers is the first to directly link the notorious members of the retinoblastoma family of proteins to the cellular production factories responsible for churning out all the blood and immune cells in the body. ... > full story
Tobacco Smuggling Is Killing More People Than Illegal Drugs, Experts Claim (October 11, 2008) -- Tobacco smuggling causes around 4,000 premature deaths a year -- four times the number of deaths caused by the use of all smuggled illegal drugs put together -- but the UK government is not doing enough to tackle the problem, claim experts on the British Medical Journal website. ... > full story
Unlocking Stem Cell, DNA Secrets To Speed Therapies (October 11, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that as embryonic stem cells turn into different cell types, there are dramatic corresponding changes to the order in which DNA is replicated and reorganized. ... > full story
New Findings May Improve Treatment Of Inherited Breast Cancer (October 11, 2008) -- Scientists have identified some of the elusive downstream molecules that play a critical role in the development and progression of familial breast cancer. The research also identifies a compound found in grapes and red wine as an excellent candidate for treatment of some forms of breast cancer. ... > full story
Understanding The Cycle Of Violence (October 11, 2008) -- Researchers have long known that children who grow up in an aggressive or violent household are more likely to become violent or aggressive in future relationships but the developmental link has been unclear. Researchers now say children who grow up in aggressive households may learn to process social information differently than their peers. "Children with high-conflict parents are more likely to think that aggressive responses would be good ways to handle social conflicts." ... > full story
Breast Stem Cell Fate Is Regulated By 'Notch' (October 11, 2008) -- A normal developmental protein that sometimes goes awry has been implicated in breast cancer. This discovery indicates the mechanism by which inappropriate expression of the notch pathway may contribute to breast cancer. ... > full story
Can Taking Ecstasy Once Damage Your Memory? (October 11, 2008) -- Academics in the UK are issuing new warnings about the dangers of ecstasy and its effects on the brain. ... > full story
Crucial Control In Long-lasting Immunity Discovered (October 11, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a protein that links two key types of white blood cells, T and B cells, letting them interact in a way that is crucial to establishing long-lasting immunity after an infection. Their finding may also explain why some individuals who have a genetic defect that prevents them from making this protein suffer from lethal infections with a common virus that otherwise is rarely fatal, while others have problems with B-cell lymphomas. ... > full story
Implantable Device May Help Manage Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms (October 11, 2008) -- A new study aims to improve the heart's pumping action and help to manage congestive heart failure symptoms. The US PARACHUTE trial tests the effectiveness of placing a small device in the left ventricle, or main pumping chamber of the heart. Physicians recently implanted the sixth person in the United States with the device. ... > full story
Potential New Tool For Brain Surgeons (October 11, 2008) -- One of the primary ways of treating brain cancer is surgically removing the tumors. The risk of this sort of procedure is obvious -- it involves cutting away tissue from the brain, potentially severing nerve fibers and causing neurological damage. ... > full story
Sixties Generation Is Heading For Conventional Old Age (October 11, 2008) -- Britain's post-war baby boomers, associated throughout their lives with social change, are failing to break new ground in their approach to growing old. ... > full story
Rapid Improvement In Overactive Bladder Symptoms, International Drug Study Shows (October 10, 2008) -- Patients with overactive bladders who took part in a multi-centre study to measure the effectiveness of solifenacin noticed improvements in as little as three days, according to new research. ... > full story
Early Breast Cancer: LHRH Agonists Show Considerable Promise (October 10, 2008) -- Women who have had early stage breast cancer surgically removed, and whose tumor cells are stimulated by the hormone estrogen, can benefit from taking luteinizing hormone releasing hormone antagonists, a Cochrane systematic review has concluded. This medication may be taken alone or alongside the use of tamoxifen. ... > full story
Biological Alternatives To Chemical Pesticides (October 10, 2008) -- With increasing consumer pressure on both farmers and supermarkets to minimize the use of chemical pesticides in fruit and vegetables, a new study looks at why there is currently little use of biological alternatives in the UK. ... > full story
Scientists Adapt Economics Theory To Trace Brain's Information Flow (October 10, 2008) -- Scientists have used a technique originally developed for economic study to become the first to overcome a significant challenge in brain research: determining the flow of information from one part of the brain to another. ... > full story
Genetic Finding Implicates Innate Immune System In Major Cause Of Blindness (October 10, 2008) -- Scientists have identified one of the genes implicated in age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in developed countries. ... > full story
Daily Dose Of Ginkgo May Prevent Brain Cell Damage After Stroke, Mouse Studies Suggest (October 10, 2008) -- Working with genetically engineered mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have shown that daily doses of a standardized extract from the leaves of the ginkgo tree can prevent or reduce brain damage after an induced stroke. ... > full story
One Dose Of Hormone May Halt Cell Suicide Following A Heart Attack, Study Suggests (October 10, 2008) -- Two things happen following a heart attack--necrosis (normal cell death) and apoptosis (programmed cell death) -- and both are bad. Now researchers in Japan have found that a single intravenous dose of the hormone erythropoietin immediately after myocardial infarction (heart attack) can drastically reduce or eliminate apoptosis and thereby limit the amount of damage to the heart, according to an article in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. ... > full story
New Light On Link Between Snoring And Cognitive Deficits In Children (October 10, 2008) -- About two-thirds of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) -- snoring or obstructive sleep apnea -- have some degree of cognitive deficit, but the severity of the cognitive deficit has been notoriously difficult to correlate to the severity of the SDB, suggesting that other important issues may be at play, or that the right factors were simply not being measured. ... > full story
How Effective Are Probiotics In Irritable Bowel Syndrome? (October 10, 2008) -- Several new studies highlight the safety and efficacy of probiotics in improving symptoms and normalizing bowel movement frequency in patients suffering from constipation or diarrhea related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. ... > full story
How Fatty Foods Curb Hunger (October 10, 2008) -- Fatty foods may not be the healthiest diet choice, but those rich in unsaturated fats -- such as avocados, nuts and olive oil -- have been found to play a pivotal role in sending this important message to your brain: stop eating, you're full. ... > full story
New Screening Technologies Improve Detection Of Polyps During Colonoscopy (October 10, 2008) -- Two new studies highlight new technologies with the potential to improve the detection of colorectal polyps and flat lesions during colonoscopy. ... > full story
Narcissistic People Most Likely To Emerge As Leaders (October 10, 2008) -- When a group is without a leader, you can often count on a narcissist to take charge, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people who score high in narcissism tend to take control of leaderless groups. Narcissism is a trait in which people are self-centered, exaggerate their talents and abilities and lack empathy for others. ... > full story
Clue To Genetic Cause Of Fatal Birth Defect (October 10, 2008) -- A novel enzyme may play a major role in anencephaly, offering hope for a genetic test or even therapy for the rare fatal birth defect in which the brain fails to develop, according to a new study. ... > full story
Tracking Down The Cause Of Mad Cow Disease: First Synthetic Prion Protein With An Anchor (October 10, 2008) -- Researchers in Germany and Switzerland have developed a new general method for the synthesis of anchored proteins, such as GPI-anchored prions, which cause scrapie and mad cow disease. ... > full story
Outlook For Crohn's Disease Improves Thanks To New Therapies (October 10, 2008) -- A study led by Mayo Clinic has found that infliximab (Remicade) administered alone (monotherapy) or in combination with azathioprine is a more effective treatment for patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease than azathioprine alone. ... > full story
Bipolar Disorder In Children Appears Likely To Continue Into Young Adulthood (October 10, 2008) -- About 44 percent of individuals who had bipolar disorder as children continue to have manic episodes as young adults, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This rate, along with the severity of the disease at young ages, strongly suggest that bipolar disorder can be continuous from childhood to adulthood, the authors note. ... > full story
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