Gene Therapy Reversed Heart Damage In Rats With Heart Failure (December 31, 2008) -- Long-term gene therapy resulted in improved cardiac function and reversed deterioration of the heart in rats with heart failure, according to a recent study. ... > full story
Mouse Trap? Immunologist Calls For More Research On Humans, Not Mice (December 31, 2008) -- The fabled laboratory mouse -- from which we have learned so much about how the immune system works -- can teach us only so much about how we humans get sick and what to do about it, says a leading researcher. ... > full story
Don't Scratch That Itch: Blocking The Protein IL-21R Helps Prevent A Form Of Eczema (December 31, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a role for the protein IL-21R in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis, a common allergic inflammatory skin disease often known as eczema. ... > full story
Family Rejection Of Lesbian, Gay And Bisexual Children Linked To Poor Health In Childhood (December 31, 2008) -- A predictive link has been established between negative family reactions to their child's sexual orientation and serious health problems. Negative parental behaviors toward LGB children dramatically compromises their health. ... > full story
Songs From The Sea: Deciphering Dolphin Language With Picture Words (December 31, 2008) -- In an important breakthrough in deciphering dolphin language, researchers in Great Britain and the United States have imaged the first high definition imprints that dolphin sounds make in water. ... > full story
Genes That Made 1918 Flu Lethal Isolated (December 31, 2008) -- By mixing and matching a contemporary flu virus with the "Spanish flu" -- a virus that killed between 20 and 50 million people 90 years ago in history's most devastating outbreak of infectious disease -- researchers have identified a set of three genes that helped underpin the extraordinary virulence of the 1918 virus. ... > full story
Small Molecules, Large Effect: How Cancer Cells Ensure Their Survival (December 31, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a molecular mechanism used by cancer cells to "defend" themselves against chemotherapeutics in an attempt to ensure their own survival. Both the messenger substance nitrogen monoxide (NO) and the protein survivin play a role in this. ... > full story
Risk Takers, Drug Abusers Driven By Decreased Ability To Process Dopamine (December 31, 2008) -- For risk-takers and impulsive people, New Year's resolutions often include being more careful, spending more frugally and cutting back on dangerous behavior, such as drug use. But new research finds that these individuals -- labeled as novelty seekers by psychologists -- face an uphill battle in keeping their New Year's resolutions due to the way their brains process dopamine. ... > full story
Better Antifreezes To Preserve Donor Organs For Transplantation (December 31, 2008) -- Chemists in Canada have developed a new approach for producing more effective medical antifreeze fluids for preserving kidneys, hearts, and other organs donated for transplantation. These next-generation antifreezes can decrease damage to organs caused by ice crystals, and thus prolong the time a donated organ will remain viable prior to transplantation. This could increase the number of available organs for potential recipients. ... > full story
Blood Sugar Linked To Normal Cognitive Aging (December 31, 2008) -- Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a new study. The findings suggest that exercising to improve blood sugar levels could be a way for some people to stave off the normal cognitive decline that comes with age. ... > full story
MRI Scans Can Predict Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis Flare-ups On Optic Nerve (December 31, 2008) -- One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis -- its sheer unpredictability -- may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques. ... > full story
Third-hand Smoke: Another Reason To Quit Smoking (December 31, 2008) -- Researchers have described how tobacco smoke contamination lingers even after a cigarette is extinguished -- a phenomenon they define as "third-hand" smoke. They examine, for the first time, adult attitudes about the health risks to children of third-hand smoke and how those beliefs may relate to rules about smoking in their homes. ... > full story
Another Reason To Avoid High-fat Diet: It Can Disrupt Our Biological Clock, Say Researchers (December 31, 2008) -- Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms -- everyone's 24-hour biological clock, researchers have shown. ... > full story
Moderate Drinking Can Reduce Risks Of Alzheimer's Dementia And Cognitive Decline, Analysis Suggests (December 31, 2008) -- Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies. In more than half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers. ... > full story
Women Double Fruit, Veggie Intake With Switch To Mediterranean Diet Plan (December 31, 2008) -- Women more than doubled their fruit and vegetable intakes and dramatically increased their consumption of 'good' fats when they were counseled by registered dietitians and provided with a list of guidelines on the amount of certain foods they should eat each day. ... > full story
Professor Helps Control Infectious Diseases With Models And Math (December 31, 2008) -- Can an algebraic equation hold the secret to eradicating malaria or schistosomiasis? A mathematics professor is utilizing the combination of algorithms and models in an effort to assist his medical colleagues in the fight against infectious diseases. ... > full story
Skipping Sleep May Signal Problems For Coronary Arteries (December 31, 2008) -- One extra hour of sleep per night appears to decrease the risk of coronary artery calcification, an early step down the path to cardiovascular disease. Calcified arteries were found in 27 percent of those who slept less than five hours a night, 11 percent of those who slept five to seven hours and six percent of those who slept more than seven hours a night. ... > full story
Common Food Additive Found To Increase Risk And Speed Spread Of Lung Cancer (December 30, 2008) -- New research in an animal model suggests that a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a variety of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages and bakery products, might speed growth of lung cancer tumors and may even contribute to the development of those tumors in individuals predisposed to the disease. ... > full story
Flowering Plants Speed Post-surgery Recovery (December 30, 2008) -- Contact with nature has long been suspected to increase positive feelings, reduce stress, and provide distraction from the pain associated with recovery from surgery. Now, research has confirmed the beneficial effects of plants and flowers for patients recovering from abdominal surgery. ... > full story
Pre-existing Diabetes For Persons Diagnosed With Cancer Associated With Increased Risk Of Death (December 30, 2008) -- Patients with diabetes at the time of a cancer diagnosis have an increased risk of death compared to patients without diabetes, according to a meta-analysis of studies. ... > full story
Brain Birth Defects Successfully Reversed Through Stem Cell Therapy (December 30, 2008) -- Scientists have succeeded in reversing brain birth defects in animal models, using stem cells to replace defective brain cells. The work involved using mouse embryonic neural stem cells, which migrate in the brain, search for the deficiency that caused the defect, and then differentiate into becoming the cells needed to repair the damage. ... > full story
Military Uniforms Now Provide Reliable Protection From Mosquitoes (December 30, 2008) -- Assuring that uniforms issued to U.S. military personnel are properly treated to repel mosquitoes is now possible, thanks to a new testing method. ... > full story
Both Major Theories About Human Cellular Aging Supported By New Research (December 30, 2008) -- Aging yeast cells accumulate damage over time, but they do so by following a pattern laid down earlier in their life by diet as well as the genes that control metabolism and the dynamics of cell structures such as mitochondria, the power plants of cells. ... > full story
Area Of Brain Key To Choosing Words Identified (December 30, 2008) -- Psychologists have now clearly identified the parts of the brain involved in the process of choosing appropriate words during speech. ... > full story
Facial Expressions Of Emotion Are Innate, Not Learned (December 30, 2008) -- Facial expressions of emotion are hardwired into our genes, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The research suggests that facial expressions of emotion are innate rather than a product of cultural learning. ... > full story
Anti-fungal Drug Offers Great Benefits To Some With Severe Asthma, Study Suggests (December 30, 2008) -- Some patients with severe asthma who also have allergic sensitivity to certain fungi enjoy great improvements in their quality of life and on other measures after taking an anti-fungal drug, according to new research. ... > full story
Berry Compound Reduces Aging Effect (December 30, 2008) -- Aged laboratory animals that ate a diet rich in the berry and grape compound pterostilbene performed better than those in a group that did not eat the enriched diet, scientists with the Agricultural Research Service have reported. Pterostilbene reversed measurable negative effects of aging on brain function and behavioral performance. ... > full story
Breast Cancer: Diet High In Vegetables, Fruit And Fiber May Cut Risk Of Cancer Recurrence In Women Without Hot Flashes (December 30, 2008) -- A secondary analysis of a large, multicenter clinical trial has shown that a diet loaded with fruits, vegetables and fiber and somewhat lower in fat compared to standard federal dietary recommendations cuts the risk of recurrence in a subgroup of early-stage breast cancer survivors -- women who didn't have hot flashes -- by approximately 31 percent. These patients typically have higher recurrence and lower survival rates than breast cancer patients who have hot flashes. ... > full story
T'is The Season To Be Jolly? (December 30, 2008) -- As the party season approaches, a timely reminder of the issues surrounding the binge drinking culture are again highlighted by research into "young people and alcohol" a team lead by Professor Christine Griffin, at the University of Bath. The research suggests several considerations for future policy. ... > full story
Nanotechnology May Be Used For Food Safety (December 30, 2008) -- A microscopic biological sensor that detects Salmonella bacteria in lab tests has been developed. The sensor could be adapted to detect other foodborne pathogens as well. ... > full story
Molecule That Targets Brain Tumors Identified (December 30, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a molecule that targets glioblastoma, a highly deadly form of cancer. ... > full story
Voriconazole: A Highly Potent Treatment For Fungal Infections (December 30, 2008) -- The effectiveness of voriconazole in combating fungal infections has been confirmed by a new study to be featured in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. ... > full story
Gardening Provides Recommended Physical Activity For Older Adults (December 30, 2008) -- Gardening is a very popular leisure activity for adults aged 65 or older in the United States. A recent study set out to determine if gardening enables older adults to meet the physical activity recommendation set forth by the CDC and the ACSM. ... > full story
Potential Autoimmunity-inducing Cells Found In Healthy Adults (December 29, 2008) -- It's not just patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis that have self-attacking immune cells; healthy people have them too, according to a new report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. However, in healthy adults, these cells are maintained in an "off" state, perhaps explaining their innocuous nature. ... > full story
Vitamin D Deficiency In Infants And Nursing Mothers Carries Long-term Disease Risks (December 29, 2008) -- Once believed to be important only for bone health, vitamin D is now seen as having a critical function in maintaining the immune system throughout life. The newly recognized disease risks associated with vitamin D deficiency are clearly documented in a report in Breastfeeding Medicine. ... > full story
New Label-free Method Tracks Molecules And Drugs In Live Cells (December 29, 2008) -- A new type of highly sensitive microscopy could greatly expand the limits of modern biomedical imaging, allowing scientists to track the location of minuscule metabolites and drugs in living cells and tissues without the use of any kind of fluorescent labeling. ... > full story
Changing Drivers' Perceptions Of Law Enforcement May Deter Drunk Driving (December 29, 2008) -- In 2007, approximately 1,500 people nationwide were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. Researchers found that the most important deterrence factors for high-risk drivers are their perceptions of the likelihood of being stopped or arrested and their support for deterrence laws. ... > full story
Protein Sports Drinks Proven To Give Best Performance (December 29, 2008) -- Sports drinks containing protein are better at improving athletes' performance. Research published in the International Society of Sports Nutrition has shown that drinks containing a mix of carbohydrate and protein are superior to carbohydrate-only drinks in improving cyclists' recovery from exercise. ... > full story
How Certain Vegetables Combat Cancer (December 29, 2008) -- Women should go for the broccoli when the relish tray comes around during holiday celebrations this season. ... > full story
Diet For Diabetics: Low-glycemic Diet Shows Greater Improvement In Glycemic Control Than High-fiber Diet (December 29, 2008) -- Persons with type 2 diabetes who had a diet high in low-glycemic foods such as nuts, beans and lentils had greater improvement in glycemic control and risk factors for coronary heart disease than persons on a diet with an emphasis on high-cereal fiber, according to a new study. ... > full story
DNA Profiling For Tracing Parental Ancestry Becomes More Accurate And Reliable (December 29, 2008) -- A lesser known but rapidly growing application of DNA profiling is tracing paternal ancestry. NIST researchers recently published a paper with recommendations for genealogy testing that they hope will improve accuracy and reliability. ... > full story
Drilling Holes Through Deadly Bacteria's Kevlar-like Hide (December 29, 2008) -- To protect themselves from human defenses, disease-causing bacteria have evolved a cell wall made from a nearly impenetrable tangle of tightly woven strands. That's made it difficult for scientists to see what goes on inside these potentially deadly organisms. But that era is now over. Researchers have now figured out how to drill holes through the Kevlar-like hide of gram-positive bacteria without obliterating them, and in doing so, they've made it possible to study, from the inside out, most of the known bacteria on the planet. ... > full story
Sleep Disorders: Warning Sign For Neurodegenerative Disease? (December 29, 2008) -- People with a sleep disorder that causes them to kick or cry out during their sleep may be at greater risk of developing dementia or Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Microbiologist Tests Safety Of Spiked Eggnog (December 29, 2008) -- With one in every 20,000 eggs contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, drinking homemade eggnog can be something of a gamble. But an experiment designed to test whether the alcohol in spiked eggnog can kill the deadly bugs suggests that, in general, few bacteria survive in a mixture containing both raw eggs and 20 percent rum and bourbon. ... > full story
Researchers Map New Path To Colon Cancer Therapy (December 29, 2008) -- Researchers have identified a promising new target in the battle against colorectal cancer -- a biochemical pathway critical to the spread of tumors to new locations in the body. ... > full story
Our Unconscious Brain Makes The Best Decisions Possible (December 29, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that the human brain -- once thought to be a seriously flawed decision maker -- is actually hard-wired to allow us to make the best decisions possible with the information we are given. ... > full story
Circumcision Reduces The Risk Of HIV Infection In Heterosexual US Men (December 29, 2008) -- A new US study has found that being circumcised significantly reduced the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual African-American men known to have been exposed to the virus. The findings of the new study, along with similar results from other studies, suggest that circumcision may protect other heterosexual males in the US. ... > full story
Allergies Alone Not Associated With Increased Risk Of Nighttime Breathing Problems (December 29, 2008) -- Allergic rhinitis does not appear to be associated with snoring or daytime sleepiness, but individuals with obstructed nasal passages are likely to experience both regardless of whether they have allergies, according to a new report. ... > full story
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