Genome Of Parasite That Causes Relapsing Malaria Decoded (October 9, 2008) -- In research aimed at addressing a global epidemic, a team of scientists from around the world has cracked the genetic code for the parasite that is responsible for up to 40 percent of the 515 million annual malaria infections worldwide. Scientists have deciphered the complete genetic sequence of the parasite Plasmodium vivax, the leading cause of relapsing malaria, and compared it with the genomes of other species of malaria parasites. ... > full story
Proteins In Sperm Unlock Understanding Of Male Infertility, Says New Study (October 9, 2008) -- Proteins found in sperm are central to understanding male infertility and could be used to determine new diagnostic methods and fertility treatments, according to a paper published by the journal Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. The article demonstrates how proteomics, a relatively new field focusing on the function of proteins in a cell, can be successfully applied to infertility, helping identify which proteins in sperm cells are dysfunctional. ... > full story
Belt And Braces Approach May Prevent Deep Vein Thromboses (October 9, 2008) -- Combining short periods of leg compression with medications such as heparin is more effective at preventing blood clots in high-risk patients than using either preventative measure alone. A team of Cochrane researchers believe that this "belt and braces" approach can significantly decrease a patient's risk of deep vein thrombosis. ... > full story
Little Evidence That Sobriety Checkpoints Curb Drunk-Driving Crashes (October 9, 2008) -- Although communities commonly use sobriety checkpoints and increased police patrols to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol, a new review finds that there is not enough evidence to say definitively that the efforts work to cut down the number of accidents and deaths from drunk driving. ... > full story
Can Stem Cells Heal Damaged Hearts? No Easy Answers, But Some Signs Of Hope (October 9, 2008) -- Recent studies indicate that infusing hearts with stem cells taken from bone marrow could improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction (tissue damage that results from a heart attack). But in a recent systematic review researchers concluded that more clinical trials are needed to assess the effectiveness of stem cell therapies for heart patients, as well as studies to establish how these treatments work. ... > full story
Psychologists Show Experience May Be The Best Teacher For Infants (October 9, 2008) -- There's a lot of truth in the old proverb "experience is the best teacher," and apparently it even applies to 10-month-old infants. ... > full story
Carpal Tunnel Surgery Relieves More Symptoms Than Splinting, According To Review (October 9, 2008) -- Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is more effective at relieving the symptoms of the painful condition than splinting, according to an updated review of studies by Chilean researchers. ... > full story
New Optics For Improved Solar Power Generators (October 9, 2008) -- Researchers are hoping to achieve higher solar cell efficiency involves using special coatings on solar cells that split light into colors like blue and red, which scientists estimate will increase efficiency by 50 percent. ... > full story
Plastic Surgeons Face War Injuries From Iraq To Inner-city Violence (October 9, 2008) -- Born out of war, plastic surgery remains at the forefront of surgical innovation, and advances from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan benefit victims of inner city wars being fought on our streets. ... > full story
Killing 'Angry' Immune Cells In Fat Could Fight Diabetes (October 8, 2008) -- By killing off "angry" immune cells that take up residence in obese fat and muscle tissue, researchers have shown that they can rapidly reverse insulin resistance in obese mice. The findings suggest that treatments aimed at specific subsets of the so-called macrophage cells might offer a very effective new anti-diabetic therapy, according to the researchers. ... > full story
Lifesaving TB Vaccine A Step Closer (October 8, 2008) -- Researchers have licensed ground-breaking research to a non-profit product development partnership working to develop new, more effective vaccines against tuberculosis. This development will give hope that significantly better prevention and treatment of TB will be available within the next few years. ... > full story
Assisted Suicide Laws May Overlook Depressed Patients (October 8, 2008) -- One in four terminally-ill patients in the State of Oregon who opt for physician assisted suicide have clinical depression and the Death with Dignity Act may not be adequately protecting them, concludes a new study. ... > full story
New, Tiny, Super-sensitive Probe Could Cut Colon Polyp Removal In Half, Study Suggests (October 8, 2008) -- Researchers see a future in which virtual biopsies will eliminate the need to remove colon polyps that are not cancerous or will not morph into the disease. ... > full story
Largest Review Of Its Kind Associates Anti-inflammatory Drugs With Reduced Breast Cancer Risk (October 8, 2008) -- Analysis of data from 38 studies that enrolled more than 2.7 million women -- the largest of its kind -- reveals that regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with a 12 per cent relative risk reduction in breast cancer compared to nonusers. ... > full story
Traumatic Brain Injury Common Amongst Homeless People (October 8, 2008) -- Traumatic brain injury is common amongst homeless people and is associated with poorer health, found a study of more than 900 homeless men and women in Toronto. ... > full story
Pneumococcal Vaccine Associated With 50 Percent Lower Risk Of Heart Attacks (October 8, 2008) -- Pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccination was associated with a 50 percent lower risk of heart attacks two years after vaccination, suggests a large hospital-based case-control study. ... > full story
Pediatric Study Finds Alternatives For Radiation Of Low-grade Brain Tumors (October 8, 2008) -- A new study has found that using chemotherapy alone and delaying or avoiding cranial radiation altogether can be effective in treating pediatric patients with unresectable or progressive low-grade glioma. ... > full story
Customers' Fixation On Minimum Payments Drives Up Credit Card Bills (October 8, 2008) -- Many credit card customers become fixated on the level of minimum payments given on credit card bills. The mere presence of a minimum payment is enough to reduce the actual amount many people choose to pay on their bills, leading to further interest payments. ... > full story
Atomic-resolution Views Suggest Function Of Enzyme That Regulates Light-detecting Signals In Eye (October 8, 2008) -- An atomic resolution view of an enzyme found only in the eye is providing clues about how the enzyme is activated. The enzyme, PDE6, is critical to the way light entering the retina is converted into signals to the brain. ... > full story
Possibilities -- But No Proof -- To Prevent Alzheimer's (October 8, 2008) -- No one knows how to prevent or delay Alzheimer's disease. But researchers are finding clues to the mystery by studying exercise, estrogen, diet and drugs, and many other avenues. ... > full story
Contracting Pelvic Floor Muscles Prevents Urine Leakage Before And After Pregnancy (October 8, 2008) -- Women who receive one-to-one instruction on how to contract the pelvic floor muscles and practice pelvic floor muscle exercises with health professional supervision are less likely to suffer urine leakage during or after pregnancy. A systematic review suggests that these exercises are effective for preventing and treating incontinence. ... > full story
Counterterrorism Programs That Collect And Mine Data Should Be Evaluated For Effectiveness, Report Recommends (October 8, 2008) -- All US agencies with counterterrorism programs that collect or "mine" personal data -- such as phone, medical and travel records or Web sites visited -- should be required to systematically evaluate the programs' effectiveness, lawfulness, and impacts on privacy, says a new report from the National Research Council. ... > full story
Even Occasional Smoking Can Impair Arteries (October 8, 2008) -- Even occasional cigarette smoking can impair the functioning of your arteries, according to a new University of Georgia study that used ultrasound to measure how the arteries of young, healthy adults respond to changes in blood flow. ... > full story
Anti-cancer Drug Prevents, Reverses Cardiovascular Damage In Mouse Model Of Premature Aging Disorder (October 8, 2008) -- An experimental anti-cancer drug can prevent -- and even reverse -- potentially fatal cardiovascular damage in a mouse model of progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes the most dramatic form of human premature aging researchers have reported. ... > full story
Neurotransmitter Defect May Trigger Autoimmune Disease (October 8, 2008) -- A potentially blinding neurological disorder, often confused with multiple sclerosis, has now become a little less mysterious. A new study may have uncovered the cause of Devic's disease. The research could result in new treatment options for this devastating disease. ... > full story
New Fake-Proof Personality Test Created (October 8, 2008) -- Psychologists have developed a personality inventory that can predict who will excel in academic and creative domains, even when respondents are trying hard to fake their answers. ... > full story
Genetic Variant Plays Role In Cleft Lip, Study Finds (October 8, 2008) -- Researchers have found, in a previously identified gene, a variation that likely contributes to one in five cases of isolated cleft lip. It's the first time a genetic variant has been associated with cleft lip alone, rather than both cleft lip and palate. The study provides insight on a previously unknown genetic mechanism and could eventually help with diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cleft lip, which affects more than five million people worldwide. ... > full story
Bird Diversity Lessens Human Exposure To West Nile Virus (October 8, 2008) -- This one's for the birds. A study by biologists shows that the more diverse a bird population is in an area, the less chance humans have of exposure to West Nile Virus. ... > full story
New Diagnostic Test For Rare Leukemia Appears To Give Faster Results, Study Finds (October 8, 2008) -- A new twist on a well-known cell sorting technique may allow physicians to diagnose rare leukemias in hours instead of weeks, according to new study. The clinical promise of the Stanford-developed approach, which eavesdrops on individual cells to decipher potentially dangerous molecular conversations, is likely to extend to many other disorders in which cell-signaling pathways are disrupted. ... > full story
'Deadly Dozen' Reports Diseases Worsened By Climate Change (October 8, 2008) -- A new report lists 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change, with potential impacts to both human and wildlife health and global economies. ... > full story
Scientists Trace A Novel Way Cells Are Disrupted In Cancer (October 8, 2008) -- A research team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is clarifying a previously unappreciated way that cellular processes are disrupted in cancer. Following upon previous work showing that a splicing factor called SF2/ASF can induce tumors in cell cultures, the team now shows that the same splicing factor induces changes in proteins in a pathway called PI3K-mTOR well known for its involvement in cancers. ... > full story
Proteins Involved In Blood Vessel Dysfunction In Type 2 Diabetes Are Identified (October 8, 2008) -- Using precise microscopes, researchers are dissecting coronary microvessels and testing which proteins are responsible for inflammation that causes blood-vessel dysfunction. By identifying the proteins that play important roles in blood-vessel dysfunction, they hope to develop new treatments for blood-vessel dysfunction in people with type 2 diabetes. ... > full story
Mentally Ill Smoke At 4 Times The Rate Of General Population, Study Suggests (October 8, 2008) -- Australians with mental illness smoke at four times the rate of the general population, according to a new study. ... > full story
C. Difficile And Antibiotics Not Necessarily Linked, Study Finds (October 8, 2008) -- A new study questions the assumption held by a vast majority of medical professionals that Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) infections are essentially always preceded by antibiotic use. The finding could have a major impact on how patients with diarrhea are evaluated upon their admission to the hospital. ... > full story
Racial Differences For Brain Bleeds Suggest Stroke Risk Greater Than Thought For Blacks (October 8, 2008) -- Small, clinically silent areas of bleeding in the brain appear to be more common in black versus white stroke patients hospitalized for new brain bleeds, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center. These findings may help explain the higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke among the black population, especially in those who are medically underserved. ... > full story
ADHD Stimulant Treatment May Decrease Risk Of Substance Abuse In Adolescent Girls; Results Mirror Findings In Boys (October 8, 2008) -- Researchers have found that treatment with stimulant drugs does not increase and appears to significantly decrease the risk that girls with ADHD will begin smoking cigarettes or using alcohol or drugs. ... > full story
Occasional Memory Loss Tied To Lower Brain Volume (October 7, 2008) -- People who occasionally forget an appointment or a friend's name may have a loss of brain volume, even though they don't have memory deficits on regular tests of memory or dementia, according to new study. ... > full story
Many Receptor Models Used In Drug Design May Not Be Useful After All (October 7, 2008) -- It may very well be that models used for the design of new drugs have to be regarded as impractical. Scientists have elucidated the structure of the adenosine A2A receptor, one of caffeine's main targets in the body and a key player in Parkinson's. ... > full story
Presence Of Safety Measures Affects People's Trust In Safety Of Tourist Destinations (October 7, 2008) -- According to the asymmetry principle of trust, information on negative events decreases trust to a much higher extent than information on positive events increases trust. A new study examines whether this notion holds true with respect to trust in the safety of tourist destinations. ... > full story
Red Wine May Lower Lung Cancer Risk (October 7, 2008) -- Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men. The most substantial risk reduction was among smokers who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day. The researchers reported a 60 percent reduced lung cancer risk in these men. ... > full story
New Study Examines Effectiveness Of Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests (October 7, 2008) -- New findings from a decision analysis for the US Preventative Services Task Force suggest that routine colorectal cancer screenings can be stopped in patients over the age of 75. ... > full story
Helping People With Disabilities Make Use Of Public Transport (October 7, 2008) -- In an ideal world, all buses would be wheelchair friendly and train timetables would be available as audio recordings for the visually impaired. Reality has yet to catch up with that vision, so instead European researchers have developed a personal navigation aid to help disabled people make use of public transport. ... > full story
Why Current Publication Practices May Distort Science (October 7, 2008) -- The current system of publishing medical and scientific research provides "a distorted view of the reality of scientific data that are generated in the laboratory and clinic," says a team of researchers in PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
New Prenatal Test For Down Syndrome Less Risky Than Amniocentesis, Scientists Say (October 7, 2008) -- Pregnant women worried about their babies' genetic health face a tough decision: get prenatal gene testing and risk miscarriage, or skip the tests and miss the chance to learn of genetic defects before birth. ... > full story
Stool DNA Testing For Colorectal Cancer Has Potential, But Challenges Remain (October 7, 2008) -- The first generation of a stool DNA test to identify early colorectal cancer has limitations, according to a Mayo Clinic-led study published in the Oct. 7, 2008, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. ... > full story
Microwave Ovens Need Added Safety Controls, Researchers Advise (October 7, 2008) -- Curious toddlers and pre-schoolers are all-too-often scalded by foods heated in microwave ovens, but a locking mechanism could prevent these severe injuries that require hospitalization. Researchers investigated these cases as part of a three-year study of children in their burn unit and found that inadequate safeguards exist on microwave ovens. ... > full story
How And Why Some Children Become Chronically Abused By Peers (October 7, 2008) -- As soon as children are old enough to interact socially, some become entrenched in chronic and increasing patterns of victimization by their peers, according to a new report in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Children who are aggressive in infancy and are from families with harsh parenting styles and insufficient income appear more likely to be consistently victimized. ... > full story
Air Pollution May Increase Risk Of Appendicitis (October 7, 2008) -- Could there be a link between high levels of air pollution and the risk of appendicitis? New research suggests a novel connection. ... > full story
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