Revealing Secrets Of 'African Sleeping Sickness' (October 28, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a long-sought chink in the armor of the parasite that causes African sleeping sickness, a parasitic disease that kills at least 50,000 people each year. ... > full story
Mental Health Dangers Of Birth Hypoxia: Lower Levels Of Protein Is Associated With Increased Risk Of Schizophrenia (October 28, 2008) -- Complications during pregnancy and birth, such as birth hypoxia - the shortage of oxygen in the body - are associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia. However, it is not clear why hypoxia increases the risk for schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry includes an article by researchers who show that the presence of a specific indicator of fetal distress following hypoxia was more likely to be present among people who later develop schizophrenia. Their findings suggest that the inability of a high-risk fetus to respond adequately to metabolic stresses that it faces in the womb may contribute to its later risk for developing schizophrenia. ... > full story
Early Achievement In Math May Identify Future Scientists And Engineers (October 28, 2008) -- New research in Psychological Science suggests that there may be a way to identify future scientists and engineers. Adolescents who had scored in the top 1 percent on the math portion of the SAT were more likely to go on to receive advanced degrees, author a peer-reviewed scientific publication or earn a patent as adults. ... > full story
Effects Of Anesthesia On The Heart (October 28, 2008) -- Researchers have created the first animal model that can reveal the side effects of anesthetic agents (the substances used to block pain during surgery) in individuals genetically predisposed to sudden cardiac death. The researchers also found that some anesthetic agents may trigger arrhythmias. ... > full story
Better Instructions Reduce Complications Among Patients Using Common Blood Thinner (October 28, 2008) -- Patients who report receiving written and verbal instructions on the proper way to take the blood thinner warfarin are significantly less likely to suffer the serious gastrointestinal and brain bleeding problems that are associated with misuse of the drug, according to new research. ... > full story
New Molecules With Many Branches Will Help Unleash Potential Of Nanotechnology (October 28, 2008) -- Materials science and the pharmaceutical industry could soon be revolutionized by emerging nanotechnologies based on designer molecules with long complex tree-and branch structures. Such molecules offer almost limitless scope for design of bespoke compounds for specific applications in disease therapy, for novel materials such as resins, as well as electronic displays, and energy storage. Almost every field involving design and synthesis of chemical compounds will be transformed by the arrival of technologies allowing nanoscale design of these branched molecules, known as hyperbranched polymers. ... > full story
Study Reveals Factors Of Exceptional Health In Old Age (October 28, 2008) -- Elderly people who have a positive outlook, lower stress levels, moderate alcohol consumption, abstention from tobacco, moderate to higher income and no chronic health conditions are more likely to thrive in their old age, according to a study in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. ... > full story
Eating Whole Grains Lowers Heart Failure Risk, According To New Study (October 27, 2008) -- About 5 million people in the United States suffer from heart failure (HF). While some reports indicate that changes to diet can reduce HF risk, few large, prospective studies have been conducted. In a new study researchers observed over 14,000 participants for more than 13 years and found that whole grain consumption lowered HF risk, while egg and high-fat dairy consumption raised risk. Other food groups did not directly affect HF risk. ... > full story
Newly Discovered Mechanism Can Explain Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (October 27, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a mechanism that silences several genes in a chromosome domain. The findings, published in Molecular Cell, have implications in understanding the human disorder Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. ... > full story
Enabling The Blind To Find Their Way (October 27, 2008) -- "Eyes on the future" is the mantra of the 'World Sight Day' held this month to raise awareness of blindness and vision impairment. New technologies, developed by European researchers offering the visually impaired greater independence, live up to this vision. ... > full story
High Dose Of Flu Vaccine Boosts Immune Response In Elderly (October 27, 2008) -- Giving people age 65 and older a dose four times larger than the standard flu vaccine boosts the amount of antibodies in their blood to levels considered protective against the flu, more so than the standard flu vaccine does. ... > full story
Rapid HIV Testing In The ER Boosts Diagnoses, Screening (October 27, 2008) -- One in every 50 people screened for a suspected sexually transmitted infection in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Hospital was found to be infected with HIV using a rapid blood sample screening test. ... > full story
Ballet Dancers Are Fitter Than International Swimmers, Study Finds (October 27, 2008) -- New research reveals that the overall fitness of ballet dancers is greater than that of international swimmers. ... > full story
New Clue To Muscular Dystrophy Uncovered: Mediator In Communication Between Neurons And Muscle Cells Found (October 27, 2008) -- A missing piece of the puzzle of how neurons and muscle cells establish lifelong communication has been found by researchers who suspect this piece may be mutated and/or attacked in muscular dystrophy. ... > full story
Cold Virus Found To Manipulate Genes (October 27, 2008) -- Sneezing, runny nose and chills? You might blame the human rhinovirus, which causes 30 to 50 percent of common colds. But in reality, it's not the virus itself but HRV's ability to manipulate your genes that is the true cause of some of the most annoying cold symptoms. ... > full story
Exposure To Low Doses Of Mercury Changes The Way The Arteries Work (October 27, 2008) -- An international team of researchers has shown that mercury is another important factor in cardiovascular disease as it changes the way arteries work. One of the possible sources of exposure of humans to mercury is by eating contaminated fish. ... > full story
Early Trial Of New Multi-kinase Inhibitor Shows Impressive Activity In Thyroid Cancer (October 27, 2008) -- Preliminary trials of a new multi-kinase inhibitor have indicated it has impressive tumor shrinkage activity in patients with a difficult to treat type of thyroid cancer. The results have put the drug's development on a fast track, prompting the accelerated initiation of a large phase III trial. ... > full story
Youth From Poor Neighborhoods 4 Times More Likely To Attempt Suicide (October 27, 2008) -- Youth in their late teens who live in poor neighborhoods are four times more likely to attempt suicide than peers who live in more affluent neighborhoods, according to a new study. The researchers also found youth from poor neighborhoods are twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts. ... > full story
Gene Find Sheds Light On Motor Neuron Diseases Like ALS (October 27, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a gene in mice that plays a central role in the proper development of one of the nerve cells that goes bad in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and some other diseases that affect our motor neurons. ... > full story
Purple Tomatoes, Rich In Health-Protecting Anthocyanins, Developed With Help Of Snapdragons (October 27, 2008) -- Scientists have expressed genes from snapdragon in tomatoes to grow purple tomatoes high in health-protecting anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring pigments found at particularly high levels in berries such as blackberry, cranberry and chokeberry. Scientists are investigating ways to increase the levels of health-promoting compounds in more commonly eaten fruits and vegetables. ... > full story
Toxic Bile Damages The Liver (October 27, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a new genetic disease that can lead to severe liver damage. Because a protective component of the bile is missing, the liver cells are exposed to the toxic components of the bile, resulting in cirrhosis of liver. This could explain some of the cases of liver cirrhosis of unknown origin and open up a new approach for treatment. ... > full story
Depression During Pregnancy Can Double Risk Of Preterm Delivery (October 27, 2008) -- Depressed pregnant women have twice the risk of preterm delivery than pregnant women with no symptoms of depression, finds a new study in the journal Human Reproduction. The study, which is among the first to examine depression and pre-term delivery in a diverse population, provides a clear look at the link between depression and preterm delivery because the majority of the women in the study did not use anti-depressants. ... > full story
New Antibiotic Target And Antibiotic Mechanism Identified; Discoveries Hold Promise For Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (October 27, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a new antibiotic target and a new antibiotic mechanism that may enable the development of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents effective against bacterial pathogens resistant to current antibiotics. In particular, the results could lead the way to new treatments for tuberculosis that involve shorter courses of therapy and are effective against drug-resistant TB. ... > full story
Avian Flu Threat: New Approach Needed (October 27, 2008) -- As the first globally co-ordinated plan for the planet's gravest health threats is hatched by government ministers from around the world this weekend, a new report sets out a 10-point plan for a globalized approach to infectious diseases such as avian flu. ... > full story
Genome-wide Study Uncovers Increase Of Genetic Distances Towards Northern Europe (October 27, 2008) -- A recent study shows that genetic differences in Central Europe appear smaller than between and even within North European populations. ... > full story
Acupuncture Used For Animal Ailments (October 27, 2008) -- Needles are often equated with pain and discomfort; however, for a horse named Gypsy the tiny sharp objects brought about much needed relief as a professor administered acupuncture therapy. ... > full story
Memory Function Varies After Damage To Key Area Of The Brain (October 27, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered dramatic differences in the memory performance of patients with damage to the hippocampus, an area of the human brain key to memory. ... > full story
Space Tech Prosthetic Leg Helps To Reach Long-jump World Record (October 27, 2008) -- German athlete Wojtek Czyz, running with a space-tech enhanced prosthetic leg, set a new world record at the Paralympics 2008 in Beijing, reaching an amazing 6.50 m and beating the previous world record by 27 cm. ... > full story
Novel Marker Of Colon Cancer (October 27, 2008) -- The studies examined the gene profiles in non-invasive and invasive colon cancer using laser microdissection and polypeptide analysis. Their result indicated that combined use of polypeptide analysis might identify early expression profiles of five differential genes associated with the invasion of colon cancer and these genes may be marker of submucosal invasion in early colon cancer. ... > full story
DNA Repair: Structure Of The Mre11 Protein Bound To DNA (October 27, 2008) -- DNA repair is critical for avoiding cancer and other diseases. A molecular machine called the MRN complex finds and signals double-strand breaks and initiates error-free repair by means of homologous recombination. Researchers have solved the structure of MRN's core protein, called Mre11, and learned how it does its job. ... > full story
How Breastfeeding Transfers Immunity To Babies (October 27, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a molecule that is key to mothers' ability to pass along immunity to intestinal infections to their babies through breast milk. ... > full story
Optimized Radiation For Prostate Cancer Therapy (October 27, 2008) -- The determination of the precise anatomical location of a tumor is the prerequisite for setting optimal parameters for radiation treatment of prostate cancer. This approach guarantees that the ionizing radiation only destroys tumorous cells and does not affect other organs in the vicinity of the prostate. In a cooperative study with Innsbruck Medical University and the East-Vienna Center of Social Medicine, two physicists of Vienna University of Technology (TU), evaluated the mean deviation of radiation parameters for prostate cancers and compared various sources of radiation. ... > full story
Even Mild Sleep Apnea Increases Cardiovascular Risk (October 27, 2008) -- People with even minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease because of impaired endothelial function and increased arterial stiffness, according to a study from the Oxford Center for Respiratory Medicine in the UK. ... > full story
Socioeconomic And Treatment Factors Affect Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients' Survival (October 27, 2008) -- Socioeconomic factors and the type of treatment received have an impact on a non-Hodgkin lymphoma patient's risk of dying. ... > full story
Physical And Interpersonal Warmth Linked (October 27, 2008) -- People appear to trust others more when they experience physical warmth, according to new research. Researchers say that simply handling a hot cup of coffee can change one's attitude toward a stranger. ... > full story
How Epilepsy Develops: New Relationship Between Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor And Inflammatory Signaling (October 27, 2008) -- The development of epilepsy in adult rats is linked to functional changes in the expression of alpha 1 containing GABA-A receptors. ... > full story
Evidence-based Drug Therapy In Acute Heart Attacks (October 27, 2008) -- Patients who received treatment from non-cardiologists and physicians with 29 or more years of experience had significantly lower use of evidence-based drug therapies compared with cardiologists and physicians with fewer than 14 years of experience, found a retrospective, population-based cohort study of heart attack patients. ... > full story
4 In 10 Parents Wrong On Whether Their Child Is Under Or Overweight (October 27, 2008) -- More than four in 10 parents with underweight and overweight children mistakenly believe their children are in the average weight range, according to University of Melbourne research. ... > full story
Green Tea May Delay Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes (October 26, 2008) -- A powerful antioxidant in green tea may prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. Researchers were testing EGCG, green tea's predominant antioxidant, in a laboratory mouse with type 1 diabetes and primary Sjogren's syndrome, which damages moisture-producing glands, causing dry mouth and eyes. ... > full story
Mechanism In Cells That Generate Malignant Brain Tumors May Offer Target For Gene Therapy (October 26, 2008) -- The researchers who first isolated cancer stem cells in adult brain tumors in 2004 have now identified a molecular mechanism that is involved in the development of these cells from which malignant brain tumors may originate. This could offer a target for scientists seeking treatments that would kill malignant brain tumors at their source and prevent them from recurring. ... > full story
Mapping A Clan Of Mobile Selfish Genes (October 26, 2008) -- Alu retrotransposons are gradually changing human DNA by making copies of themselves and "jumping" to new locations. Their activity appears to depend on being able to mimic parts of the cell's internal machinery. To identify the Alu retrotransposons that are still capable of moving around, researchers divided them into families and tested a representative of each family in the laboratory. ... > full story
Could Your Initials Influence Where You Choose To Work? (October 26, 2008) -- The "name-letter effect," is a phenomenon which shows that we have a preference for things that begin with the same letter as our first name. Belgian psychologists wanted to know if this effect is strong enough to affect where we work. The researchers found 12 percent more matches between employee initials and their company's name than was expected based on a probability estimate, indicating "name-letter effect" occurs between employee names and the company they work for. ... > full story
Human Brain Minimizes Energy Expenditure And Integrates Gravity Into The Action Plan (October 26, 2008) -- When reaching for an object, the brain prepares neural commands sent to the target muscles to minimize energy expenditure, according to a new study. ... > full story
Phony Friends? Rejected People Better Able To Spot Fake Smiles (October 26, 2008) -- All of us have "faked a smile" at some point. Now, a new study might make us think twice about sending out a phony grin. It has been shown that individuals who are experiencing rejection are better at picking up subtle social cues and according to a recent study published in Psychological Science, socially rejected people are particularly good at discerning fake smiles from real ones. ... > full story
Practice Makes Perfect In Lung Cancer Surgery, Study Finds (October 26, 2008) -- Patients operated on by surgeons who do not routinely remove cancer from the lungs may be at a higher risk for complications, according to new study. ... > full story
Making Flies Sick Reveals New Role For Growth Factors In Immunity (October 26, 2008) -- A salmonella infection is not a positive experience. However, by infecting the common laboratory fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster with a Salmonella strain known for causing humans intestinal grief, researchers have shed light on some key cell regulatory processes -- with broad implications for understanding embryonic development, immune function and congenital diseases in humans. ... > full story
Why Some People Have A Better Head For Languages (October 26, 2008) -- Learning a second language is usually difficult and often when we speak it we cannot disguise our origin or accent. However, there are important differences between individuals with regard to the degree to which a second language is mastered, even for people who have lived in a bilingual environment since childhood. ... > full story
Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise In Patients With Bowel, Kidney And Prostate Cancer (October 26, 2008) -- Analysis of data from several phase I and II clinical trials of a new cancer vaccine has shown it is capable of eliciting an immune response in most patients with bowel, kidney and prostate cancer, and that it may provide clinical benefit. ... > full story
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