Researchers Make New Electronics -- With A Twist (November 21, 2008) -- Scientists have made electronics that can bend. They've made electronics that can stretch. And now, they've reached the ultimate goal -- electronics that can be subjected to any complex deformation, including twisting. Researchers have improved their so-called "pop-up" technology to create circuits that can be twisted. Such electronics could be used in places where flat, unbending electronics would fail, like on the human body. ... > full story
Dangerous 'Two-faced' Protein Crucial To Breast Cancer Spread And Growth Identified (November 21, 2008) -- Two critical properties of cancer cells are their ability to divide without restraint and to spread away from the primary tumor to establish new tumor sites. Now, researchers have found a protein they say acts as a deadly master switch, both freeing cancer cells from a tumor while ramping up new growth. ... > full story
Diuretic Reduces Risk For A Type Of Heart Failure That Is More Common Among Women, Study Suggests (November 21, 2008) -- New research shows that a medication for high blood pressure called a diuretic or water pill is particularly effective at reducing the risk for a type of heart failure that affects women more often than men. ... > full story
Put On A Happy Face: It Helps You See The Big Picture (November 21, 2008) -- That photo of your smiling kids on the refrigerator door might do more than just make you feel good; you might make healthier food choices after looking at it. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that positive moods can increase our ability to understand the big picture. ... > full story
Genetic Risk Factors May Tailor Prostate Cancer Screening Approaches (November 21, 2008) -- Five genetic risk markers for prostate cancer may allow physicians to adapt screening approaches for men at high-risk, particularly African-American men, according to new research. ... > full story
Long-term Secondary Prevention Program May Help Reduce Cardiovascular Risks After Heart Attack (November 21, 2008) -- An intensive, comprehensive, long-term secondary prevention program lasting up to three years after cardiac rehabilitation appears to reduce the risk of a second non-fatal heart attack and other cardiovascular events, according to a new article. ... > full story
I'm Sticking With My Brand: Loyal Customers Perceive Competitor Ads Differently (November 21, 2008) -- What does it take for marketers to reach customers who are already loyal to a particular brand? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research examines brand loyalty and the way it affects perceptions of advertising. ... > full story
Biomarkers Used To Predict Chronological And Physiological Age (November 20, 2008) -- How old are you really? Chronological age is easy -- count forward from birth. But establishing physiological age is purely subjective, based on how someone looks, feels and functions. Research in nematode worms is providing a crucial first step toward the development of biomarkers to predict chronological and physiological age in humans. This technology could facilitate testing of anti-aging therapies as well as give physicians a means of tracking how individuals "withstand the tests of time." ... > full story
What Controls Critical 'Go-to' Enzyme: Findings May Hold Key To Better Treatments For Many Disorders (November 20, 2008) -- Scientists have gained new insights into regulation of one of the body's enzyme workhorses called calpains. As the cell's molecular overachievers, calpains function in many cellular processes, including the movement of cells in tissues, the death of damaged cells, insulin secretion, and brain cell and muscle function. The downside of this broad set of responsibilities is that defective or overactive calpains have been linked to an array of disorders, including a form of muscular dystrophy, Type 2 diabetes, gastric cancers, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, cataracts, and the death of both heart muscle in heart attacks and of brain tissue in stroke and traumatic brain injury. ... > full story
'Enlightened' Atoms Stage Nano-riot Against Uniformity (November 20, 2008) -- Theorists say atoms in a crystal can be made to behave in an unexpected way, a way that can be exploited to create tiny computer components that emit less heat and new sensors to detect bio-hazards and medical conditions. ... > full story
Crisis Of Illicit Alcohol In Central And Eastern Europe, Report Finds (November 20, 2008) -- The consumption of illicit or noncommercial alcohol is widespread in central and eastern Europe and contributes significantly to the region's high levels of alcohol-related problems, according to a new report. While illegal alcohol consumption in western Europe is relatively low, the report finds the level of noncommercial alcohol in central and eastern Europe is so high that it renders statistics on official alcohol sales nearly useless. ... > full story
Neurons Derived From Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Muscle Function After Injury (November 20, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that embryonic stem cells may play a critical role in helping people with nerve damage and motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regain muscular strength. ... > full story
The Tooth Whisperers (November 20, 2008) -- The phrase, "the eyes are the windows to the soul," is attributed to several authors and philosophers. But the phrase, "your teeth are the windows to your health," can be attributed to Mohamed Bassiouny, DMD, MSc, PhD, who has been studying how teeth provide important clues to his patients' overall health for more than 30 years. ... > full story
Deep Brain Mapping To Isolate Evidence Of Gulf War Syndrome (November 20, 2008) -- As a congressionally mandated report reveals one of every four veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf conflict suffers from Gulf War syndrome, statistical scientists are analyzing brain scan images from a nationwide sample of veterans displaying symptoms. ... > full story
Scientists Reshape Future Of Drug Discovery With Next Generation Man-Made Molecules (November 20, 2008) -- Scientists have devised a new way to create the next generation of man-made molecules in a breakthrough that could revolutionize drug development. ... > full story
Attending Religious Services Sharply Cuts Risk Of Death, Study Suggests (November 20, 2008) -- A new study strongly suggests that regular attendance at religious services reduces the risk of death by approximately 20 percent. ... > full story
Removing Part Of Brain Controls Girl's Epilepsy (November 20, 2008) -- Surgeons told Jessica Nelson one of the scariest things she will ever hear as a parent: they wanted to treat her daughter's epilepsy by cutting out or disconnecting half of her brain. Then something extraordinary happened: it worked. ... > full story
Two New Compounds Show Promise For Eliminating Breast Cancer Tumors (November 20, 2008) -- Two new compounds show early promise for destroying breast cancer tumors. Researchers have observed no negative side effects so far. The compounds disrupt bonding of a cancer-related protein. ... > full story
Gene Silencing May Improve Success Of Islet Cell Transplants For Diabetes (November 20, 2008) -- Scientists in Tennessee are reporting that a gene therapy technique called gene silencing shows promise for improving the effectiveness and expanded use of transplants of insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes. ... > full story
Rational Or Random? Professor Models How People Send E-mails (November 20, 2008) -- How do people respond to e-mails? Rationally, responding to the most important first, making sure the process is efficient? Or randomly, when they are at their computers or when they have time, without any regard to efficiency? After studying e-mails sent and received from more than 3,000 e-mail accounts at a European university over a three-month period,scientists created a mathematical model that shows people send e-mail randomly, but in cycles. ... > full story
New Platinum-phosphate Compounds Kill Ovarian Cancer Cells, Other Cancer Cells (November 20, 2008) -- A new class of compounds called phosphaplatins can effectively kill ovarian, testicular, head and neck cancer cells with potentially less toxicity than conventional drugs, according to a new study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ... > full story
Genome-wide Association Scan For Genetic Determinants Of Warfarin Dose (November 20, 2008) -- A growing number of geneticists are using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to systematically search for and identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are single base changes in the human DNA sequence that can cause differences in genetic characteristics. GWAS may also detect genes that are associated with a particular health condition, or with variation in patient response to prescribed drugs. ... > full story
Drug-related Preference In Cocaine Addiction Extends To Images (November 20, 2008) -- When given a choice between viewing pictures of cocaine and a variety of other images, cocaine addicted individuals, as compared to healthy, non-addicted research subjects, show a clear preference for the drug-related images. ... > full story
Enzyme Discovery May Lead To Better Heart And Stroke Treatments (November 20, 2008) -- A new study sheds new light on the way one of our cell enzymes, implicated in causing tissue damage after heart attacks and strokes, is normally kept under control. ... > full story
Exercise Is Safe, Improves Outcomes For Patients With Heart Failure, Study Suggests (November 20, 2008) -- Working out on a stationary bicycle or walking on a treadmill just 25 to 30 minutes most days of the week is enough to modestly lower risk of hospitalization or death for patients with heart failure, say researchers. ... > full story
Psychological Interventions Associated With Breast Cancer Survival (November 20, 2008) -- A new study finds that breast cancer patients who participate in intervention sessions focusing on improving mood, coping effectively and altering health behaviors live longer than patients who do not receive such psychological support. ... > full story
Plastic Additives Leach Into Medical Experiments, Research Shows (November 20, 2008) -- Using plastic lab equipment can skew or ruin the results of medical experiments, a new study finds. Researchers identified two classes of chemical compounds in commonly-used plastic lab ware that could leach into solutions. They further demonstrated that the compounds interacted biologically with, and changed the behavior of, human enzymes and brain receptors in different experiments. ... > full story
New Theory Of Visual Computation Reveals How Brain Makes Sense Of Natural Scenes (November 20, 2008) -- Computational neuroscientists have developed a computational model that provides insight into the function of the brain's visual cortex and the information processing that enables people to perceive contours and surfaces, and understand what they see in the world around them. ... > full story
Rural Women Are At Higher Risk Of Blood Pressure Disorders During Pregnancy (November 20, 2008) -- Several factors, such as older age and high weight gain, are known risk factors for pre-eclampsia and other pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders. Now a new report suggests that social factors -- including living in a rural county -- may also increase the risk of pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension, according to new research. ... > full story
Sonography In Space (November 20, 2008) -- Astronauts on extended space missions can get injured or develop diseases, necessitating immediate diagnosis and treatment. Research conducted on the International Space Station ensuring that astronauts could accurately perform remotely-guided sonograms was published in the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. ... > full story
Media Violence Cited As 'Critical Risk Factor' For Aggression (November 20, 2008) -- You are what you watch, when it comes to violence in the media and its influence on violent behavior in young people, and an article provides new evidence that violent media does indeed impact adolescent behavior. ... > full story
ADHD Medications Do Not Cause Genetic Damage In Children, Study Shows (November 20, 2008) -- In contrast to recent findings, two of the most common medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not appear to cause genetic damage in children who take them as prescribed, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Duke University Medical Center. ... > full story
Gene That Regulates Mold's Resistance To Drugs Identified (November 20, 2008) -- Researchers have found a gene that regulates mold's resistance to anti-mold drugs. ... > full story
General Anesthesia For Hernia Surgery In Children And Risk Of Later Developmental Problems (November 20, 2008) -- Children under the age of three who had hernia surgery showed almost twice the risk of behavioral or developmental problems later compared to children who had not undergone the surgery. ... > full story
Extensive Use Of Illicit Alcohol Found (November 20, 2008) -- The consumption of illicit or noncommercial alcohol is widespread in many countries worldwide and contributes significantly to the global burden of disease, according to a new report. ... > full story
New Bacteria Discovered In Raw Milk (November 20, 2008) -- Raw milk is illegal in many countries as it can be contaminated with potentially harmful microbes. Contamination can also spoil the milk, making it taste bitter and turn thick and sticky. Now scientists have discovered new species of bacteria that can grow at low temperatures, spoiling raw milk even when it is refrigerated. It seems the microbial population of raw milk is much more complex than previously thought. ... > full story
Rhesus Factor Controls Renal Function And Male Fertility (November 20, 2008) -- The "Rhesus" blood group is well-known from the public for its importance in the field of transfusion medicine. New observations have implications in human medicine. They suggest that in man, mutations affecting the RHCG gene could cause some forms of renal pathologies and/or a loss of male fertility. ... > full story
Jumonjd3: A Key For Unlocking Neuronal Stem Cell Fate (November 20, 2008) -- A novel role for the protein, Jumonjd3, as an epigenetic modulator in the neuronal differentiation of embryonic stem cells, has recently been uncovered -- a step forward in the understanding of cellular reprogramming and in the development of innovative cancer therapies. ... > full story
African-Americans With Depression And Heart Attack Have Greater Risk Of Death (November 20, 2008) -- African-American patients with acute myocardial infarction and previously treated depression that persists at their MI hospitalization have an increased risk of post-MI death, according to new research. ... > full story
Gut Check Reveals Vast Multicultural Community Of Bugs In Bowels (November 19, 2008) -- Mention the phrase "diverse ecosystem," and it conjures images of tropical rainforests and endangered coral reefs. It also describes the human colon. A new study reveals in greater detail than ever before the full extent of the bacterial community inhabiting the human bowel -- 10 times more diverse than previous research had suggested. ... > full story
Over-stressing Already Taxed Cancer Cells May Kill Them (November 19, 2008) -- Cancer cells are already stressed by the fast pace they require to grow and spread and scientists believe a little more stress just may kill them. ... > full story
Genetics For Personalized Coronary Heart Disease Treatment (November 19, 2008) -- Identifying a single, common variation in a person's genetic information improves prediction of his or her risk of a heart attack or other heart disease events and thus, choice of the best treatment accordingly, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine. ... > full story
Improving Long-term Learning Through Spacing Of Lessons (November 19, 2008) -- Combine the aphorisms that "practice makes perfect" and "timing is everything" into one and you might get something resembling findings published in this month's issue of Psychological Science. Proper spacing of lessons, the researchers report, can dramatically enhance learning. And larger gaps between study sessions result in better recall of facts. Conversely: Cramming is ineffective in the long haul. ... > full story
Gene Associated With Epilepsy Discovered (November 19, 2008) -- Scientists have found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of epilepsy, the study results could help lead to new ideas for overall epilepsy treatment. ... > full story
Cellular Safety Shelters Allow TB Agent To Survive In Infected Individuals (November 19, 2008) -- "Foamy" macrophage formation may be the key to persistence of infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, explains a new study in PLoS Pathogens. These immunity-related cells are shown to be a safety reservoir where the bacterium can hide for years in infected individuals, before inducing an active disease. ... > full story
Hybrid Cars Too Quiet For Pedestrian Safety? Add Engine Noise, Say Researchers (November 19, 2008) -- Hybrid and electric vehicles do not emit the sounds pedestrians and bicyclists are accustomed to hearing as a vehicle approaches them. Human factors/ergonomics researchers examined participants' preferences for sounds that could be added to quiet vehicles to make them easier to detect. ... > full story
Men With Facial Scars Are More Attractive To Women Seeking Short-term Relationships (November 19, 2008) -- Men with facial scars are more attractive to women seeking short-term relationships, scientists at the University of Liverpool have found. ... > full story
Garlic Chemical Tablet Treats Diabetes I And II, Study Suggests (November 19, 2008) -- A drug based on a chemical found in garlic can treat diabetes types I and II when taken as a tablet, a new study shows. ... > full story
