Drug Therapy For Premature Infants Destroys Brain Cells In Mice (November 25, 2008) -- A class of drugs that are used in premature infants to treat chronic lung damage can cause damage in the brain. New research suggests the drugs may cause cognitive and motor-control problems even when they are given before birth. ... > full story
Breast Cancer Incidence Among Premenopausal U.S. Women (November 25, 2008) -- African-American women under the age of 40 have a higher risk of breast cancer than do white women of a similar age. White women aged 40 and older, however, have a higher incidence than black women aged 40 and older. ... > full story
Drops In Blood Oxygen Levels May Be Key To Sudden Death In Some Epilepsy Patients (November 25, 2008) -- A new study suggests that the sudden unexplained deaths of some epilepsy patients may be a result of their brains not telling their bodies to breathe during seizures. ... > full story
New Clinical Study Will Help Doctors Assess Abnormal Bleeding (November 25, 2008) -- How do you know if you bleed normally? Scientists aim to answer that question more definitively with the launch of an assessment tool designed to help physicians and researchers more accurately determine what is inside and outside the normal range of bleeding symptoms. ... > full story
Applying 'Supply And Demand' Business Principles To Treat Infectious Diseases Worldwide (November 25, 2008) -- Treating infectious diseases while meeting escalating costs to do so continues to pose worldwide challenges, with one of the main issues being the ability to provide an adequate supply of drugs to treat infectious diseases. ... > full story
Mineral Oil Contamination In Humans: A Health Problem? (November 24, 2008) -- From a quantitative standpoint, mineral oil is probably the largest contaminant of our body. That this contaminant can be tolerated without health concerns in humans has not been proven convincingly. An editorial in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology reflects on this and concludes that this proof either has to be provided or we have to take measures to reduce our exposure from all sources, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and the environmental contamination. ... > full story
Strategy For Predicting Immunity Of Vaccines Developed (November 24, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a multidisciplinary approach involving immunology, genomics and bioinformatics to predict the immunity of a vaccine without exposing individuals to infection. This approach addresses a long-standing challenge in the development of vaccines -- that of only being able to determine immunity or effectiveness long after vaccination and, often, only after being exposed to infection. ... > full story
Complex Systems Science: How Do Math And Intuition Help Us Understand Whole Systems? (November 24, 2008) -- The human brain may be the ultimate complex system, but other examples appear everywhere. Take army ants. Despite their name, they have no general, and their queen sends out no instructions. No ant is aiming to get across that gully, and there is no blueprint or traffic light. Yet millions of ants, following the same instinctive rules of individual behavior, can build bridges with their bodies and forage for food along vast efficient highways. ... > full story
Centenarians 'Grossly' Underdiagnosed for Depression (November 24, 2008) -- Research presented at the Gerontological Society of America's annual meeting found that depression among centenarians is grossly underdiagnosed: more than 25 percent showed clinical levels of depression, yet only 8 percent had been diagnosed. ... > full story
21st Century Plague? Rat Fleas Spread Heart-damaging Bacteria (November 24, 2008) -- Bacteria that can cause serious heart disease in humans are being spread by rat fleas, sparking concern that the infections could become a bigger problem in humans. New research published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology suggests that brown rats, the biggest and most common rats in Europe, may now be carrying the bacteria. ... > full story
Preventing Tumor Cells From Refueling: A New Anti-cancer Approach? (November 24, 2008) -- Not all cells in a tumor are equal. New data, generated in mice, now suggests that targeting one set of tumor cells (specifically those in regions of the tumor rich in oxygen) can limit the growth of other tumor cells (specifically those in regions of the tumor deprived of oxygen). This approach decreased tumor growth in two models of cancer and rendered the remaining cells sensitive to irradiation. ... > full story
Fall Babies: Born To Wheeze? (November 24, 2008) -- It is said that timing is everything and that certainly appears to be true for autumn infants. Children who are born four months before the height of cold and flu season have a greater risk of developing childhood asthma than children born at any other time of year, according to new research. ... > full story
Tinnitus: Psychological Treatment And Neurostimulation Offer Hope (November 24, 2008) -- A remarkable number of patients with tinnitus demonstrate withdrawal behavior and have a negative view of life. Feelings of anxiety and depression result in patients experiencing the complaint as a major burden on their quality of life. In addition to psychological treatment, neurostimulation now also appears to be a very promising therapy. ... > full story
First Comprehensive Map Of Genes Likely To Be Involved In Bipolar Disorder (November 24, 2008) -- Neuroscientists have created the first comprehensive map of genes likely to be involved in bipolar disorder. ... > full story
Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular Disease And Cancer Give Clues To New Therapies (November 24, 2008) -- Cardiovascular conditions leading to heart attacks and strokes are treated quite separately from common cancers of the prostate, breast or lung, but now turn out to involve some of the same critical mechanisms at the molecular level. This in turn provides clues to more effective therapies for both cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but requires researchers in these distinct fields to come together. ... > full story
Climate Change May Boost Exposures To Harmful Pollutants (November 24, 2008) -- A review of studies projecting the impact of climate change on air quality, including effects on morbidity and mortality, indicates that adverse health effects will likely rise with changes in pollutant creation, transport, dispersion, and deposition. However, reducing greenhouse gas emissions could go far in mitigating adverse effects. ... > full story
Smoking, Teens And Their Parents: New Research (November 24, 2008) -- A new study found that adolescents were at the greatest risk of smoking when their parents began smoking at an early age and the parents' smoking quickly reached high levels and persisted over time. ... > full story
Hairspray Is Linked To Common Genital Birth Defect, Says Study (November 24, 2008) -- Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. ... > full story
When It Comes To What's For Dinner, Baboon Society Is No Democracy (November 24, 2008) -- In decisions about where to eat, baboons don't all have an equal say, according to a new report. Rather, most baboons in a group will follow their leader to a dining spot of his choosing, even if it means a considerably more meager meal for themselves than they could have had otherwise. ... > full story
New Technique Eliminates Toxic Drugs In Islet Transplant In Diabetic Mice (November 24, 2008) -- Islet cell transplantation is a promising therapy for people with type 1 diabetes, but it requires a regime of powerful immunosuppressive drugs so the immune system won't reject the insulin-producing islets. The drugs raise the risk of infections and cancer and are toxic to the islets themselves. Researchers have developed a new technique that eliminated the need for these drugs. The strategy is a potential therapy for human islet cell transplantation. ... > full story
Ancient And Modern Plagues Show Common Features (November 24, 2008) -- The Plague of Athens is one of 10 historically notable outbreaks described in an article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The phenomenon of widespread, socially disruptive disease outbreaks has a long history prior to HIV/AIDS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, H5N1 avian influenza and other emerging diseases of the modern era, note the authors. ... > full story
New Species Of Ebola Virus Discovered (November 24, 2008) -- Scientists report the discovery of a new species of Ebola virus, provisionally named Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The virus, which was responsible for a hemorrhagic fever outbreak in western Uganda in 2007, has been characterized by a team of scientists. ... > full story
Soluble Fiber, Antispasmodics And Peppermint Oil Should Be Used To Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Study Suggests (November 24, 2008) -- Fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil are all effective therapies for irritable bowel syndrome and should become first-line treatments, according to a new study. ... > full story
Ability To Quit Smoking May Depend On ADHD Symptoms, Researchers Find (November 24, 2008) -- Tobacco use is more prevalent and smoking cessation less likely among persons with attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder. In a study of smokers with attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms, those who exhibited elevated hyperactivity and impulsivity, with or without inattention, showed lower quit rates after eight weeks than those with inattention symptoms alone or those without the ADHD symptoms. ... > full story
Brain Abnormalities That May Play Key Role In ADHD (November 24, 2008) -- A new study reveals shape differences in the brains of children with ADHD. Researchers used a new tool, large deformation diffeomorphic mapping, allowing them to examine the shape of the basal ganglia. Boys with ADHD had shape differences and decreased volume of the basal ganglia compared to typically developing children. ... > full story
Tissue Analyses Indicate Survival Benefits For Some Lung Cancer Patients (November 24, 2008) -- Taking small tissue samples from patients with lung cancer and examining them under a microscope, a procedure called histology, is now being utilized to better tailor the chemotherapy treatments to improve survival in some patients with non-small cell lung cancer, according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, cosponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago. ... > full story
Beauty Is Truth In Mathematical Intuition: First Empirical Evidence (November 24, 2008) -- First empirical evidence for the use of beauty as truth in mathematical intuition reported. French mathematician Jacques Hadamard wrote in 1954 in his famous book "The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field" that a sense of beauty seems to be almost the only useful "drive" for discovery in mathematics. However, until now evidence has been anecdotal, and the nature of the beauty-truth relationship remained a mystery. ... > full story
Cooling The Brain Prevents Cell Death In Young Mice Exposed To Anesthesia (November 24, 2008) -- New research suggests cooling the brain may prevent the death of nerve cells that has been observed in infant mice exposed to anesthesia. The effects of anesthesia on human infants and young children have been debated among neuroscientists, but growing evidence suggests exposure to anesthetic drugs during brain development may contribute to behavioral and developmental delays. ... > full story
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Study May Result In More Targeted Drugs (November 24, 2008) -- There is strong evidence that patients can have varying clinical responses to medications depending on the specific makeup of their cancer. A new study which focused on gastrointestinal stromal tumors, also called GIST, found that the genetic variations in their disease appear to determine which medications will be most effective. ... > full story
Intervention Program Boosts Survival In Breast Cancer Patients (November 24, 2008) -- A new study provides the best evidence to date that a psychological intervention program designed for breast cancer patients not only improves their health, it actually increases their chance of survival. Researchers here found that patients participating in an intervention program reduced their risk of dying of breast cancer by 56 percent after an average of 11 years. ... > full story
Genes Associated With Fat Metabolism Could Increase Kidney Cancer Risk (November 24, 2008) -- A team of international scientists has identified three genes associated with the body's processing of fats that may increase susceptibility to kidney cancer. ... > full story
Hope For Treating Relapse To Methamphetamine Abuse (November 24, 2008) -- A new study suggests that vigabatrin blocks drug-seeking behavior in animals previously trained to associate methamphetamine with a particular environment. ... > full story
Safety In Numbers For Community Hospitals Performing Emergency Angioplasty (November 24, 2008) -- Heart experts at Johns Hopkins have evidence that life-saving coronary angioplasty at community hospitals is safer when physicians and hospital staff have more experience with the procedure. ... > full story
Pharmaceutical Testing: Test Identifies Toxic Platinum And Palladium Without Time-consuming Sample Pretreatment (November 24, 2008) -- The painstaking process of detecting toxic species of platinum and palladium mixed in with the form of platinum essential to certain pharmaceuticals could be reduced to one simple step, researchers report. ... > full story
Money Motivates Doctors To Reduce Ethnic Differences In Heart Disease Treatments, UK Study Finds (November 24, 2008) -- Financial incentives for doctors can improve the management of coronary heart disease and reduce ethnic differences in quality of and access to care, according to public health experts in the UK. ... > full story
How Red Wine Compounds Fight Alzheimer's Disease (November 23, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered the mechanism behind how compounds in red wine called polyphenols slow the cognitive declines of Alzheimer's. ... > full story
Adults Need Vaccines, Medical Societies Urge (November 23, 2008) -- The American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have released a joint statement on the importance of adult vaccination against an increasing number of vaccine-preventable diseases. The statement has been endorsed by 17 other medical societies representing a range of practice areas. ... > full story
Pregnant Women Who Do Aquarobics Have Easier Deliveries, Study Finds (November 23, 2008) -- A course of water aerobics classes has been shown to reduce the amount of pain-killing medication women request during labor. Research shows that, as well as being safe, the gentle exercise has the benefit of making it easier to give birth. ... > full story
Lactic Acid Found To Fuel Tumors (November 23, 2008) -- A team of researchers has found that lactic acid is an important energy source for tumor cells. In further experiments, they discovered a new way to destroy the most hard-to-kill, dangerous tumor cells by preventing them from delivering lactic acid. ... > full story
Drug Addiction: Environmental Conditions Play Major Role In Effective Treatment And Preventing Relapses, Animal Study Shows (November 23, 2008) -- Environmental conditions play a major role in treating drug addiction and in preventing relapses, according to new research. For the first time, researchers have shown that positive and stimulating environmental conditions make it easier to treat cocaine addiction. ... > full story
New Technologies Gearing Up To Meet Rising Demand For Vital Malaria Drugs (November 23, 2008) -- Three emerging technologies have the potential to significantly improve supplies of drugs to combat malaria, according to a new report. ... > full story
Fluorescence Used To Develop Method For Detecting Mercury In Fish (November 23, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a simple and quick method for detecting mercury in fish and dental samples, two substances at the center of public concern about mercury contamination. The technique involves a fluorescent substance that glows bright green when it comes into contact with oxidized mercury. ... > full story
Behavior Very Similar In Distracted Humans And Rats On Neurotransmitter Blocker (November 23, 2008) -- When picking through a basket of fruit, it doesn't seem very difficult to recognize a green pear from a green apple. This is easy, thanks to "feature binding" -- a process by which our brain combines all of the specific features of an object and gives us a complete and unified picture of it. ... > full story
Could Marijuana Substance Help Prevent Or Delay Memory Impairment In The Aging Brain? (November 23, 2008) -- Scientists are finding that specific elements of marijuana can be good for the aging brain by reducing inflammation there and possibly even stimulating the formation of new brain cells. Some research suggests that developing a legal drug that contains certain properties similar to those in marijuana might help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Though the exact cause of Alzheimer's remains unknown, chronic inflammation in the brain is believed to contribute to memory impairment. ... > full story
New Approach To Screen Individuals For Early Alzheimer's Disease (November 23, 2008) -- With millions of baby boomers entering late adulthood, the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease is expected to drastically rise over the next several decades. A team of national researchers, has developed a rapid screening test to detect mild cognitive impairment, often the earliest stage of AD. ... > full story
Ideal Time For Stem Cell Collection Defined For Parkinson's Disease Therapy (November 23, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a stage during dopamine neuron differentiation that may be an ideal time to collect human embryonic stem cells for transplantation to treat Parkinson's disease, according to new research. ... > full story
Methamphetamine Abuse Linked To Underage Sex, Smoking And Drinking (November 23, 2008) -- Teens who have never done drugs, but engage in other risky behaviours such as drinking, smoking and being sexually active, are more likely to use crystal meth, medical researchers have concluded. ... > full story
Blood Component That Turns Anthrax Bacteria Virulent Identified (November 22, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered the key chemical that signals Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, to become lethal. This finding opens up new avenues of exploration for the development of treatments for bacterial infections. ... > full story
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