Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for March 26, 2012:
Spotlight Stories Headlines
- Physicists search for new physics in primordial quantum fluctuations- New synthetic biology technique boosts microbial production of diesel fuel
- 'Buckliball' opens new avenue in design of foldable engineering structures (w/ video)
- Researchers find simple and cheap way to mass-produce graphene nanosheets
- Innovative 3-D designs can more than double solar power generated from a given area
- Decade-long study raises new questions about antibiotic use for cystic fibrosis
- Butterfly wings' 'art of blackness' could boost production of green fuels
- Slime mold mimics Canadian highway network (w/ video)
- When ions get closer: New physical attraction between ions in quantum plasmas
- Can a machine tell when you're lying? Research suggests the answer is 'yes'
- Hammerhead shark double whammy
- Stem cell study aids quest for motor neurone disease therapies
- Chronic stress spawns protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer's
- Research: Single antibody shrinks variety of human tumors transplanted into mice
- Genetic study unravels ancient links between African and European populations
Space & Earth news
Technip wins North Sea underwater contract
French oil services group Technip announced Monday it had secured a contract worth about 600 million euros ($795 million) to refurbish and develop oil installations in the North Sea.
Beijing plans rule to curb capital's water usage
Authorities in Beijing plan to pass a rule this year aimed at curbing water usage by the capital's many golf courses and ski resorts, an official said Monday, as the city battles severe shortages.
Cultural inertia is slowing effective action to address climate-change
Resistance at individual and societal levels must be recognized and treated before real action can be taken to effectively address threats facing the planet from human-caused contributions to climate change.
Branson congratulates 'incredible' Cameron dive
British billionaire and adventurer Richard Branson may have lost his unwritten race to the bottom of the ocean with James Cameron, but he told AFP Monday he wants to team up with the Hollywood director.
Director Cameron reaches bottom of Mariana Trench
"Titanic" director James Cameron reached the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean in his solo submarine, mission partner the National Geographic said Sunday.
US ramping up private sector's role in spaceflight
The first flight of a commercial vessel to the International Space Station in late April will signal a bigger role for the private sector and open up space tourism opportunities, industry experts and lawmakers say.
Auburn scientists find tar balls are better left alone
(PhysOrg.com) -- The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the waves of tar balls deposited on the beaches shortly thereafter prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to produce a tar ball fact sheet. Among the factoids was one stating that those sticky, coin-sized clumps of weathered oil, though unsightly and annoying, are not a human health hazard.
Now, brought to the big screen by physicists at SLAC the universe
The mysteries of the universe – from the first stars and supernovas to galaxy clusters and dark matter - are being revealed in stunningly beautiful full-color, high-definition 3-D videos played on a huge screen in an intimate theater on the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory campus.
Getting the lead out
About 250,000 children in the United States have high levels of lead in their systems, say the Centers for Disease Control. Children under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.
Cameron: Earth's deepest spot desolate, foreboding
(AP) -- Diving to the deepest part of the ocean, filmmaker James Cameron says the last frontier on Earth looks an awful lot like another planet: desolate and foreboding.
NRL scientists optimize arctic sea ice data products
Scientists from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Marine Geosciences Division are assisting NASA, the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) and the European Space Agency (ESA) in developing more accurate monitoring and sustainable forecasting of Arctic sea ice.
New twist on 1930s technology may become a 21st century weapon against global warming
Far from being a pipe dream years away from reality, practical technology for capturing carbon dioxide — the main greenhouse gas — from smokestacks is aiming for deployment at coal-fired electric power generating stations and other sources, scientists said here today. Their presentation at the 243rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, was on a potential advance toward dealing with the 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide released into the air each year through human activity.
New research provokes more questions about the origin of the moon
(PhysOrg.com) -- It’s beguiled watchers since before records were kept, and today still, it fills poets with pensive musings, and scientists with enchanting questions. Where did the moon come from, and how did it get there? The prevailing view is that a planet named Theia entered out solar system and banged into our planet with sufficient force to push some of the molten material from our planet into orbit. Over time, that material coalesced to form the moon. Now, new research from geophysical scientist Junjun Zhang and colleagues, suggests that such thinking might be wrong. In their paper published in Nature Geoscience, they find that in comparing titanium isotopes from both the moon and the Earth, that the match is too close to support the theory that the moon could have been made partly of material from another planet.
The earliest stages of planet formation
(PhysOrg.com) -- Small dust particles in a disk of gas around a young star, according to current models, gradually coagulate during the first million years until kilometer-sized objects are formed. These in turn coalesce and grow into planets. The processes at work depend in part on the chemical composition of the dust grains and how their sizes, shapes, and structures evolve.
New research can save tropical forests
Scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have investigated how much carbon the natural forests of Sri Lanka contain. The results are important for work to reduce deforestation of tropical countries, and for international negotiations in climate policy relating to a new climate agreement.
New simulation predicts higher average Earth temperatures by 2050 than other models
(PhysOrg.com) -- Over the past several years, researchers have built a variety of computer simulations created to predict Earth’s climate in the future. Most recently, most models have suggested that over the next fifty years, we’ll see an average worldwide rise in temperature of perhaps 1°C. Now a new group of simulations, using the combined computing power of thousands of personal computers, says that number is too low, and that we might see temperatures rise as much as 3°C, which would of course, be a far more serious situation. The simulations, run by climateprediction.net in conjunction with the BBC Climate Change Experiment, resulted in predictions of a rise in temperature ranging from 1.4°C to 3.0°C by 2050. The large team involved in the project has published their findings in Nature Geoscience.
Study reveals unprecedented impact of Deepwater Horizon on deep ocean
Scientists report they have "compelling evidence" that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has impacted deep-sea corals. Their study, published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences utilized a wide range of underwater vehicles, including the submarine Alvin, to investigate the corals and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography to determine precisely the source of petroleum hydrocarbons found.
Geologists correct a rift in Africa
The huge changes in the Earth's crust that influenced human evolution are being redefined, according to research published today in Nature Geoscience.
Technology news
Calif. Hmong community launches online translator
(AP) -- When Phong Yang, a Hmong refugee from Laos, landed in California's Central Valley - via stops in Thailand and France - he was 14 years old. He learned to speak Hmong from his parents, but today he has a hard time teaching the language to his children, who are distracted by cell phones and computers.
eBay bans sorbitol sales after Italian death
US online auction giant eBay on Monday banned global sales of sorbitol following the death of a 28-year-old Italian woman who consumed a phial of the sugar substitute as part of a food allergy test.
Yahoo appoints 3 to board in response to investor
(AP) -- Internet company Yahoo has appointed three members to its board of directors, gearing up for a proxy fight with one of its largest shareholders.
Swatch mulling car that runs on hydrogen, oxygen
The world's biggest watch company Swatch is looking at building a car that runs on hydrogen and oxygen, its chief executive and chairman Nick Hayek said in an interview published Sunday.
Europe-US deal to curb highly enriched uranium use
Three of the world's top suppliers of medical isotopes on Monday announced plans to work toward phasing out the use of highly enriched uranium in the production process under a deal with the United States.
NATO launches exercise to beef up cyber defence
NATO's Tallinn-based cyber defence centre on Monday launched a three-day exercise involving European IT and legal experts in a bid to beef up cyber defence skills through gaming.
Facebook urges court to boot ownership suit
Facebook on Monday called on a judge to toss out a New York man's claim to partial ownership of the world's leading social network on the basis that the suit is bogus.
Hacker 'command' servers seized in US: Microsoft
Microsoft on Monday said that cyber crime "command" servers in two US states were seized in an ongoing campaign to sever online crooks from infected computers used as virtual henchmen.
Wind energy enhancement: UC research establishes real-world wind turbine performance metrics
The production of wind-derived renewable energy is growing, and so, it's important to help wind farm owners operate at higher efficiencies with lower costs.
Celebrity hacker pleads guilty in US court deal
A 35-year-old computer hacker pleaded guilty Monday to breaking into the email accounts of stars including Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis, and was taken in custody.
Nuclear power plants can produce hydrogen to fuel the 'hydrogen economy'
The long-sought technology for enabling the fabled "hydrogen economy" — an era based on hydrogen fuel that replaces gasoline, diesel and other fossil fuels, easing concerns about foreign oil and air pollution — has been available for decades and could begin commercial production of hydrogen in this decade, a scientist reported here today.
Google mulls Japan court order to tweak auto-complete (Update)
Google said Monday it was reviewing a Japanese court order to modify its auto-complete feature to safeguard the reputation of a man who complained it falsely links him to crimes.
Using Twitter to predict financial markets
A University of California, Riverside professor and several other researchers have developed a model that uses data from Twitter to help predict the traded volume and value of a stock the following day.
Can a machine tell when you're lying? Research suggests the answer is 'yes'
Inspired by the work of psychologists who study the human face for clues that someone is telling a high-stakes lie, UB computer scientists are exploring whether machines can also read the visual cues that give away deceit.
Slime mold mimics Canadian highway network (w/ video)
Queen's University professor Selim Akl has provided additional proof to the theory that nature computes.
Innovative 3-D designs can more than double solar power generated from a given area
(PhysOrg.com) -- Intensive research around the world has focused on improving the performance of solar photovoltaic cells and bringing down their cost. But very little attention has been paid to the best ways of arranging those cells, which are typically placed flat on a rooftop or other surface, or sometimes attached to motorized structures that keep the cells pointed toward the sun as it crosses the sky.
'Buckliball' opens new avenue in design of foldable engineering structures (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Motivated by the desire to determine the simplest 3-D structure that could take advantage of mechanical instability to collapse reversibly, a group of engineers at MIT and Harvard University were stymied — until one of them happened across a collapsible, spherical toy that resembled the structures they'd been exploring, but with a complex layout of 26 solid moving elements and 48 rotating hinges.
Medicine & Health news
Supreme Court set for key health overhaul hearing
Amid anticipation akin to a major sports event, the US Supreme Court begins hearing arguments Monday on President Barack Obama's landmark health reform, a case with huge implications for the nation and 2012 elections.
Incontinence 20 years after child birth three times more common after vaginal delivery
Women are nearly three times more likely to experience urinary incontinence for more than 10 years following a vaginal delivery rather than a caesarean section, finds new research at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Neuroscience and the pursuit of justice
Dr. Judith Edersheim, co-founder and co-director of the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital, explores how neuroscience can enhance the pursuit of justice.
Developing new oral rotavirus vaccine
The University of Otago is playing a major role in the international development of a new low-cost oral vaccine to protect newborn babies against rotavirus.
The Medical Minute: Advances in laparoscopic colorectal surgery
Until relatively recently, most colon and rectal surgeries, whether elective or unplanned, required a large abdominal incision to achieve. This would typically result in a moderate degree of postoperative discomfort, and would routinely result in an average of five to seven days in the hospital after surgery, with several additional weeks required after hospital discharge for complete recovery.
Long-term outcomes of TAVI show non-cardiac co-morbidities main cause of mortality
Non-cardiac co-morbidities such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease and frailty are the main predictors of late mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), suggesting that patients with these conditions merit closer evaluation and follow-up, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Interventional radiologists fight post-thrombotic syndrome, provide hope for chronic DVT
Interventional radiology treatments re-establish blood flow in people with chronic deep vein thrombosis (DVT), reducing disabling symptoms and improving the quality of life for those afflicted with post-thrombotic syndrome—an under-recognized but frequent long-term complication of DVT. Researchers presented these findings during March's DVT Awareness Month at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco.
Electrical pulse treatment gives pancreatic cancer patients new hope
Results of a study presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., signal a light at the end of the tunnel for individuals with inoperable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). A new procedure called irreversible electroporation or IRE uses microsecond electrical pulses to force open and destroy tumor cells around a vast and delicate network of blood vessels of the pancreas. The technique has been successful in treating primary and metastatic liver cancer and IRE is now in the first stages of implementation as a treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Diabetes drug can prevent heart disease
The widely used diabetes medicine metformin can have protective effects on the heart, reveals a new study conducted at the Sahlgrenska Academy, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
No pain, no gain: Weight loss, disc disease interventional radiology treatments coming
A minimally invasive treatment may target hunger at its source, another uses X-ray visible embolic beads to block arteries to the stomach and suppress hunger and a third explores the use of stem cells to repair vertebral disc degeneration. Initial results from all these studies were reported at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
Telemedicine improves medication management, patient care
Internet-based telemedicine systems appear to lead to more appropriate and effective pharmacotherapy, better blood pressure control and an overall reduction in cardiovascular risk compared to conventional, periodic office visits, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Cryoablation therapy spot-freezes breast cancer tumors
Individuals fighting metastatic breast cancer, where the disease has progressed to other areas of the body, may finally have another weapon in their arsenal: percutaneous cryoablation. The cancer treatment could potentially be used as a last line of defense to halt individual spots of remaining metastatic disease by freezing and destroying tumors, say researchers presenting a study at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
Coronary CTA rapidly rules out heart attack in emergency patents, reduces hospital stays
Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) scans allow doctors to determine safely and more quickly which patients at low-to intermediate-risk for a heart attack can be discharged from hospital emergency departments (EDs) than traditional methods, according to the results of a large, multicenter American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) trial published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found that low- to intermediate-risk patients who underwent a CCTA were more than twice as likely to be discharged and had significantly shorter hospital stays than those who received traditional care. The ACRIN trial also found that CCTA identified nearly three times as many patients with coronary artery disease as standard methods utilized. Results of the trial were presented today at the American College of Cardiology Annual Meeting.
Community hospitals can safely perform elective angioplasty
New evidence shows that with appropriate preparation, angioplasty can be safely and effectively performed at community hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery units, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Simple strategies boost use of guidelines to treat chest pain
A three-pronged intervention in Brazilian public hospitals significantly improved physician adherence to evidence-based protocols for treating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) – a type of disease causing chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
3-drug regimen equal to double-dose 2-drug approach in preventing clots after angioplasty
In a comparison of drugs to prevent blood clots after angioplasty, a three-drug regimen favored in Asia to increase anti-clotting effect was found to be as safe and effective as a double-dose two-drug treatment commonly used in high-risk patients in Western countries, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Cardiac pre-participation screenings too restrictive for black athletes
Many athletes undergo cardiac screening to detect possible heart conditions before being allowed to participate in student or professional sports. Current European screening guidelines, which are based on data from white athletes, can lead to the over-investigation and potential false disqualification of healthy athletes of African or Afro-Caribbean descent, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
OB/GYN screening may help detect heart disease risk
Simple screening implemented in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) clinics may identify previously undetected heart disease risk among women and has the potential to greatly increase education about prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease in female patients, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Growth in the womb and early infancy predicts bone size and strength in childhood
Researchers from the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, have presented evidence that early growth predicts the size, mineralisation, shape and strength of the hip bone in childhood. The presentation was made at the European Congress on Osteoporosis & Osteoarthritis (IOF-ECCEO12) which took place in Bordeaux, France from March 21-24, 2012.
Medicare/Medicaid rule increases costs without improving patient outcomes for defibrillator implants
The cost to place an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) increased by $844 per case after a new requirement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) went into effect in February 2010, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Vast majority of people who contacted telenurse helpline followed their advice
Seven out of eight people who sought advice from a telephone helpline staffed by nurses followed the self-care advice they received, ranging from providing treatment at home to calling an ambulance, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Cancer trial information leaflets 'not fit for purpose': new study
Patient information leaflets for cancer trials are not up to the job, reveals a new study from the University of Leicester.
Pre-PCI bleeding risk score predicts greater risk, higher costs
A pre-procedure bleeding risk score can accurately identify high-risk, high-cost patients and may provide an opportunity to employ bleeding avoidance strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce total costs related to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures, according to a retrospective study being presented March 26 at the 61st annual American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific session.
Ultimate volumetrics diet book helps people lose weight, manage hunger
A new book by Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences and Helen A. Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Penn State, aims to help people control their hunger while also losing weight. "The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet" will be available in stores and online on April 10.
Non-invasive scans accurately predict 30-day risk for patients with chest pain
Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) -- a non-invasive way to look inside arteries that supply blood to the heart -- can quickly and reliably determine which patients complaining of chest pain at an emergency department can safely be sent home, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Largest study of on-pump and off-pump bypass proves both can be done safely
A large randomized trial comparing bypass surgery done with a heart-lung machine (on pump) and without it (off pump) found no differences in results between techniques overall but some clinically relevant differences, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
DC Female Condom program highly effective in preventing HIV infections
A new economic analysis, conducted by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and featured in the current issue of Springer's journal AIDS and Behavior, showed that the DC Female Condom program, a public-private partnership to provide and promote female condoms, prevented enough HIV infections in the first year alone to save over $8 million in future medical care costs (over and above the cost of the program). This means that for every dollar spent on the program, there was a cost savings of nearly $20.
Ticagrelor effective at reducing first, as well as recurrent and overall cardiovascular events
Ticagrelor, a potent anti-platelet medication, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the summer of 2011 and is known to significantly reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, vascular death and death overall in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), which are characterized by symptoms related to obstruction in coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Now, new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) shows that the use of ticagrelor not only reduces the time to a first cardiovascular event (the metric used in most trials) but also significantly reduces the time to a second cardiovascular event or death, and reduces total events including cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, ischemic events and urgent revascularization. These findings will be presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions on March 25, 2012.
Cancer treatment system sculpts radiation beam to match shape of a tumor
Rush University Medical Center will begin offering in late March a new stereotactic radiosurgery treatment program with the latest radiation therapy technology available.
ED chest pain units and physician discretion may lower stress test use
Rhode Island Hospital physicians report that managing chest pain patients within an emergency department chest pain unit by both emergency medicine staff and cardiologists is safe and effective and may lower the use of stress testing. A new study indicates that when patients were jointly managed and when stress testing was largely at the discretion of a cardiologist, stress testing use was lower and there was a low rate of 30-day major cardiac events. The study is published online in advance of print in Clinical Pathways in Cardiology.
Updated policy about consent for pelvic exams in Canada needs revision
An updated policy guiding pelvic examinations of women under anesthetic in Canada has created a gap in terms of consent, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Guideline: IVIg effective for certain nerve and muscle disorders
Intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) is an effective treatment for certain disorders of the nerve and muscles, including Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and a form of neuropathy called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), according to a guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology. The guideline is published in the March 27, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Long arm cast best for immobilizing forearm
(HealthDay) -- Use of a long arm cast provides the best restriction of forearm rotation, according to a study published in the March 7 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
AABB releases new guidelines for red blood cell transfusion
AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) recommends a restrictive red blood cell transfusion strategy for stable adults and children, according to new guidelines being published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Physicians should consider transfusing at a hemoglobin threshold of 7 to 8 g/dL, as the evidence shows no difference in mortality, ability to walk independently, or length of hospital stay between patients on a liberal transfusion strategy or a restrictive strategy. Wide variability in the use of transfusions in the United States indicates that in many settings patients are receiving unnecessary transfusions.
Infusion of drug into the coronary artery may help reduce size of heart damage after heart attack
Administration of a bolus dose of the anticoagulant drug abciximab into the coronary artery involved in causing a certain type of heart attack among patients who were undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention and also receiving another anticoagulant resulted in reduction in the size of damage to the heart muscle at 30 days, while a procedure that involved use of a catheter to remove the blood clot blocking that coronary artery did not produce these results, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the American College of Cardiology's annual scientific sessions.
Protein found to regulate spread of pancreatic cancer cells
Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London have identified a new protein that makes pancreatic cancer cells less 'sticky' and therefore less able to attach to and invade other tissue.
'Coaching Boys into Men' an effective tool for stopping teen dating violence
Male high school athletes' ability to recognize and intervene to stop dating violence -- the physical, sexual and emotional aggression prevalent in adolescent romantic relationships -- is improved with the intervention of some of the most important role models in young men's lives: their coaches.
Dental plaque bacteria may trigger blood clots
Oral bacteria that escape into the bloodstream are able to cause blood clots and trigger life-threatening endocarditis. Further research could lead to new drugs to tackle infective heart disease, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week.
Few young women with cancer take steps to preserve fertility during treatments
A new study has found that very few young women with cancer take steps to preserve their fertility while undergoing cancer therapy. Also, certain groups of young women are more likely to do so than others. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that efforts are needed to provide counseling on fertility preservation in reproductive-aged women diagnosed with cancer.
Researchers identify drugs with fewest side-effects for treating irritable bowel syndrome
Cedars-Sinai researchers have determined that two prevalent drug therapies – rifaximin and lubiprostone – offer some of the best options for treating irritable bowel syndrome, a widespread disorder that affects up to one in five Americans. The findings, based on an analysis of more than two dozen large-scale clinical trials, are contained in a peer-reviewed study published online by The American Journal of Medicine and set to appear in the publication's April print edition.
Sleeping too much or too little can be bad for your heart
Getting too little sleep – or even too much – appears to spell trouble for the heart. New data reveal that adults who get less than six hours of sleep a night are at significantly greater risk of stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure. Even those who reportedly sleep more than eight hours a night have a higher prevalence of heart problems, namely chest pain (angina) and coronary artery disease, a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Showing patients images of their clogged arteries a powerful wake-up call
(HealthDay) -- Showing patients with clogged arteries evidence of their condition makes them more likely to stick with treatments such as weight loss and cholesterol-lowering statins, two related studies found.
Low 'bad' cholesterol levels may be linked to cancer risk
(HealthDay) -- There may be a link between low levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increased cancer risk, according to new research.
Low-dose daily aspirin enough to help heart attack patients: study
(HealthDay) -- Heart attack patients who take either a high or low dose of aspirin daily have the same level of protection against another heart attack or other cardiovascular events such as stroke, according to a new study.
Fewer mitochondria in offspring of parents with diabetes
(HealthDay) -- Normal-weight, insulin-resistant individuals whose parents have type 2 diabetes have fewer mitochondria in their muscles due to lower expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), according to a study published in the April issue of Diabetes.
High blood sugar lowers chances of surviving a heart attack
Patients with high blood sugar run an increased risk of dying if they have a heart attack, and diabetics are less likely to survive in-hospital cardiac arrest than non-diabetics, reveals research at the Sahlgrenska Academy, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery can perform non-emergency angioplasty safely and effectively
(Medical Xpress) -- Patients who have non-emergency angioplasty to open blocked heart vessels have no greater risk of death or complications when they have the procedure at hospitals without cardiac surgery backup. That is the conclusion of a national a study to assess the safety and effectiveness of such procedures at community hospitals.
Tuberculosis vaccine being tested in Phase II trial
The only tuberculosis vaccine currently available is already over 90 years old - and is unsatisfactory in terms of its effectiveness. Although it protects young children against developing tuberculosis, it quickly loses its effectiveness and does not protect young people and adults against the infection. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin have now developed an improved vaccine which has been undergoing clinical trials on humans since 2008. The safety and tolerability of the vaccine candidate is being tested in a Phase II trial on infants in South Africa. The results of the preceding Phase I trial have already shown that the vaccine candidate fulfils the relevant safety requirements and that its mechanism of action works.
Using metabolic 'pollution' to target improved anticancer treatments
Advances in chemotherapy have dramatically improved the outlook for many cancer patients, but the side effects of this treatment are daunting. A new generation of chemotherapy drugs with fewer side effects is the goal of Edward J. Merino, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Cincinnati.
The innate ability to learn language
All human languages contain two levels of structure, said Iris Berent, a psychology professor in Northeastern’s College of Science. One is syntax, or the ordering of words in a sentence. The other is phonology, or the sound structure of individual words.
Genetic risk, stressful early infancy join to increase risk for schizophrenia
Working with genetically engineered mice and the genomes of thousands of people with schizophrenia, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they now better understand how both nature and nurture can affect one’s risks for schizophrenia and abnormal brain development in general.
Immune cells with a killer instinct: Tried-and-tested anti-tumour drug displays new effect
Imiquimod, a drug used to treat skin cancer, has been shown to have a previously unknown effect on immune cells. The drug transforms cells known as dendritic cells into "tumour killers" that attack the tumour directly and destroy its cells. The dendritic cells adopt an ingenious approach here – they not only produce special substances with a cell-damaging effect, they also manage to fight the tumour without the help of T and B cells and natural killer (NK) cells. This complex interaction was discovered by scientists participating in a doctoral programme of the Austrian Science Fund FWF. It was also recently published and commented on in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Tavi study shows low mortality rate, improvement in function at 30 days
Patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) at experienced medical centers had significant improvement in valve function as well as low mortality and stroke rates at 30 days, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Bone marrow stem cells improve heart function, study finds
A research network led by a Mayo Clinic physician found that stem cells derived from heart failure patients' own bone marrow and injected into their hearts improved the function of the left ventricle, the heart's pumping chamber. Researchers also found that certain types of the stem cells were associated with the largest improvement and warrant further study.
Stem cell therapy possibly helpful in heart failure patients
A new study found that using a patient's own bone marrow cells may help repair damaged areas of the heart caused by heart failure, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
New class of platelet blockers proves effective in phase III trial
Adding vorapaxar, an investigational platelet blocker, to standard antiplatelet therapy significantly reduces the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with known atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Study reveals safety of CT scans for rapid rule out of heart attacks in ER chest pain patients
A highly detailed CT scan of the heart can safely and quickly rule out the possibility of a heart attack among many patients who come to hospital emergency rooms with chest pain, according to the results of a study that will be presented by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session and published concurrently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The multicenter randomized trial comparing coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and traditional cardiac testing methods revealed that chest pain patients with negative CT scans can be discharged safely from the hospital within hours. The findings may offer a new strategy for relieving the emergency room crowding that plagues many of America's hospitals, and could help to trim millions of dollars off the costs of care for one of the leading causes of ER visits.
Small change makes big difference in compliance rates for follow-up stress test after chest pain
Stress tests are an important tool to help diagnose narrowed arteries in people who come to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain, but who are not confirmed as having a heart attack. Scheduling a follow-up exercise stress test before patients leave the ER more than doubles their likelihood of following through with the test, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Heart patients do better with non-surgical valve replacement than standard medical therapy
Patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis who are too sick for open-heart surgery have better survival rates and an improved quality of life after undergoing catheter-based heart valve replacement than if the patients had been treated with standard medical therapy, according to a study authored by a Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute physician based on results from a multicenter clinical trial.
The body's bacteria affect intestinal blood vessel formation
Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered a previously unknown mechanism which helps intestinal bacteria to affect the formation of blood vessels. The results, which are presented in Nature, may provide future treatments of intestinal diseases and obesity.
Simple heart failure checklist reduces readmission rates, improves care, could save billions
Use of a new, simple and inexpensive checklist appears to drastically lower the likelihood of heart failure patient readmission and improve quality of care when used before patients leave the hospital, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Seeing is believeing with clogged arteries
It seems a picture is worth more than a thousand words for people who see evidence of coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease in men and women. Simply seeing a build-up of calcium in the walls of the arteries appears to prompt patients to better adhere to both statin therapy and recommendations for weight loss, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Rapid rise in blood pressure before midlife may cause irreversible heart damage
The current "watch-and-wait" approach to high blood pressure readings in younger people may set patients on a course for irreversible heart damage, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Chronic right ventricular pacing works for ICD patients with left ventricular dysfunction
Cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillators (CRT-D) is appropriate for patients who have left ventricular dysfunction and require chronic ventricular pacing, based on the findings of an observational study that being presented March 26 that the 61st annual American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific session.
Platelet inhibitor reduces size of large heart attacks
The anti-platelet drug abciximab, delivered directly to lesions caused by a heart attack, significantly decreased damage to the heart muscle in high-risk patients while clot aspiration showed no impact, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
New 'massage method' quadruples protection against tooth decay
Do you really want to avoid cavities in your teeth? Try massaging them with a high-fluoride toothpaste after lunch.
Bed-sharing, smoking play role in sudden infant death
(HealthDay) -- Although the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) dropped by more than 50 percent following the start of a U.S. campaign encouraging parents to put babies to sleep on their backs, new research suggests that risk factors other than "tummy sleeping" may explain why SIDS rates have not declined further.
Pregnancy increases risk of heart attack
Heart attacks during pregnancy tend to be more severe, lead to more complications, and also occur for different reasons than commonly seen in the non-pregnant general population, suggesting that, in some cases, the standard approach to managing this condition may not always be best, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Underweight patients face increased risks during defibrillator implantation
Patients who are underweight or small in stature are twice as likely to experience complications or die during insertion of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) compared to obese and normal-weight patients, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Heart healthy lessons plus better food offerings lower heart disease risk factors in sixth-graders
Sixth-graders taking part in a 10-week program that included interactive lessons to get heart smart coupled with healthier food and beverage options in the cafeteria and vending machines had marked reductions across all cardiovascular risk factors, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Community-based prevention programs improve psychological, heart health
Intensive community-based lifestyle interventions tailored to individuals and focused on psychological health can significantly reduce multiple risk factors for heart disease in low-income and minority women, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
When targeting obesity in sixth-graders, gender matters
Intervention programs aimed at curbing obesity in adolescents may be more effective if they are gender-specific, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Widespread CPR training saves lives
A nationwide effort in Denmark to increase the number of people trained in CPR led to an increase in bystander CPR and ultimately contributed to increased cardiac arrest survival rates in that country, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Research points to new way of preserving fertility for boys undergoing cancer treatment
(Medical Xpress) -- Treatments for childhood cancers are increasingly successful with cure rates approaching 80%, but success often comes with a downside for the surviving men: the cancer treatments they received as boys can leave them sterile as adults. Now, a research team led by Ralph Brinster of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has completed a 14-year experiment that gives hope for a technique that could restore their fertility.
Dare you protest against God? Perspectives from a CWRU psychology study
or inactions? This was the key question behind recent studies led by Case Western Reserve University psychologist Julie Exline.
Specialized training of complex motor skills may induce sports-specific structural changes in the human brain
A new study, using brain imaging technology, reveals structural adaptations in short-track speed skaters' brains which are likely to explain their extraordinary balance and co-ordination skills. The work by Im Joo Rhyu from the Korea University College of Medicine, and colleagues, is published online in Springer's journal Cerebellum.
Two-thirds of people failing to take treatment for high blood pressure in former Soviet Union
New research has found that treatment of hypertension has failed to improve in the last decade in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the leading causes of avoidable deaths in the former Soviet Union.
Potential new approach to treatment of chronic lung diseases
(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at UCD have identified a potential new treatment for life-threatening complications associated with chronic obstructive lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Chronic obstructive lung diseases, most commonly caused by smoking, affect over 100,000 people in Ireland.
Great results in the psych lab -- but do they hold up in the field?
(Medical Xpress) -- How well do findings in the psychology lab generalize to real life? This criterion—“external validity”—is probably the most important for experimental psychology. So it was good news when, in 1999, Craig A. Anderson and his colleagues compared laboratory and field research on 38 topics in 21 meta-analyses (or analyses of numerous other studies), and found a lot of agreement between the results of the two. Greg Mitchell, a social psychologist at the University of Virginia School of Law, wanted to know if these findings hold up in a bigger sample—and whether there were differences among different kinds of psychological research. So, in a new paper published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Mitchell replicated the Anderson study with 217 lab-field comparisons from 82 meta-analyses, in such areas as industrial-organizational (I-O), social, consumer, and developmental psychology.
Novel drug in pill form safer than standard approach to treat blocked lung blood vessels
A novel oral anti-coagulant outperformed the injected standard therapy on important safety measures for initial and long-term treatment of pulmonary embolism – a blockage of lung blood vessels usually caused by a clot – and showed comparable efficacy, according to data from the EINSTEIN-PE trial presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Early-life exposure to secondhand smoke affects girls more than boys, new study suggests
The negative health effects of early-life exposure to secondhand smoke appear to impact girls more than boys—particularly those with early-life allergic sensitization, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.
In hospitals, a tradeoff between better clinical quality and a good patient experience
Hospitals that adopt strategies to reduce errors and meet government requirements face an initial tradeoff between improved clinical quality and a decline in the quality of individual patients' experiences, according to new research.
Catheter-placed heart valve shows strong performance at two years
Two-year data show comparable death and durability for catheter-placed heart valves and open-heart surgery in very old and ill patients, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Can eradicating a common stomach bug make taking aspirin safer?
Researchers have launched a major clinical trial to investigate whether eliminating a common stomach bug could help to make taking aspirin safer in some patients.
Studies: Surgery can put diabetes into remission
(AP) -- New research provides clear proof that weight-loss surgery can reverse and possibly cure diabetes. Doctors say it should be offered sooner to more people with the disease - not just as a last resort.
New memory for HIV patients
The hallmark loss of helper CD4+ T cells during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may be a red herring for therapeutics, according to a study published on March 26th in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Two drugs already on the market show promise against tuberculosis
A two-drug combination is one of the most promising advances in decades for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) — a disease that kills 2 million people annually — a scientist reported today at the 243 National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The treatment, which combines two medications already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), delivers a knockout punch to forms of TB that shrug off other antibiotics.
Stand up: Study provides new evidence on the harms of prolonged sitting
Standing up more often may reduce your chances of dying within three years, even if you are already physically active, a study of more than 200,000 people published in Archives of Internal Medicine today shows.
Bariatric surgery dramatically outperforms standard treatment for type 2 diabetes
In the first published study of its kind, researchers from the Catholic University/Policlinico Gemelli in Rome, Italy, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center found that bariatric surgery dramatically outperforms standard medical treatment of severe type 2 diabetes.
Antibody injection lowers LDL, adding to effectiveness of statin therapy
A novel monoclonal antibody identified in a new study dramatically lowered circulating LDL cholesterol by 40 percent to 72 percent, a development with potential to provide a new option for patients who are resistant to cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins or to the current standard of care, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Lowering LDL, the earlier the better
Coronary atherosclerosis – a hardening of the arteries due to a build-up of fat and cholesterol – can lead to heart attacks and other forms of coronary heart disease (CHD). Lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, reduces the risk of CHD, and researchers found that lowering LDL beginning early in life resulted in a three-fold greater reduction in the risk of CHD than treatment with a statin started later in life, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Carotid artery stenting found to be safe in the elderly
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and a multicenter team of investigators have found that carotid artery stenting (CAS) is safe and effective in patients age 70 and older.
Pacemaker prevents fainting among select patient population
A select number of patients who suffer from neurally mediated synope (NMS) – a disorder in which the brain fails to regulate heart rate and blood pressure – may be good candidates to receive a dual-chamber pacemaker to prevent common NMS-related fainting spells, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.
Study examines link between blood biomarkers and risk of Alzheimer's disease
A meta-analysis of previously published studies found that the ratio of blood plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides Aβ42:Aβ40 was significantly associated with development of Alzheimer disease and dementia, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology.
Heart-damaging side effects of cancer drugs under-reported in studies
The under-reporting of the possible side effects of heart damage from cancer drugs puts patients at an increased risk for heart failure, according to two researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Change in health insurance status linked to greater emergency department use
Recent changes in health insurance status were linked to greater emergency department use by newly insured and newly uninsured adults, according to a study published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine. The article is part of the journal's Health Care Reform series.
Warfarin related to low rate of residual stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation
A review of clinical trials comparing warfarin with other medications for stroke prevention suggests that warfarin was associated with a low risk of stroke or non-central nervous system embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (rapid, irregular heart beat), according to a study published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine.
Antipsychotic medication associated with modest heart attack risk in older patients with dementia
Antipsychotic medication was associated with a modest and time-limited increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) among older patients treated with cholinesterase inhibitors for dementia, according to a study published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine.
Immunotherapy associated with improved seizure outcomes among patients with autoimmune epilepsy
Early-initiated immunotherapy appears to be associated with improved seizure outcomes among patients with autoimmune epilepsy, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology.
High court throws out human gene patents
(AP) -- The Supreme Court on Monday threw out a lower court ruling allowing human genes to be patented, a topic of enormous interest to cancer researchers, patients and drug makers.
US Supreme Court opens health care reform case
The US Supreme Court appeared set to press ahead with an explosive review of President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law Monday at the start of three days of complex hearings.
Does the brain 'remember' antidepressants?
Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) often undergo multiple courses of antidepressant treatment during their lives. This is because the disorder can recur despite treatment and because finding the right medication for a specific individual can take time.
Essential tremor patient regains independence following surgery
For nearly 30 years, Tom Rogers' left hand would shake when he tried to use it, making even simple tasks such as drinking a glass of water, writing a check, or making a sandwich challenging. The tremor eventually became so disruptive that he lost use of his dominant hand. Rogers sought care and learned that his tremor was a symptom of Parkinson's disease, yet felt he was suffering from something different.
New analysis of premature infants' heartbeats, breathing could be cues for leaving NICU
Late gestation is a busy time for babies getting ready for life outside the womb, particularly for functions critical to life such as breathing and maintaining an adequate heartbeat. These two functions are connected in mature infants and healthy people throughout life, so measuring their level of connectedness can give doctors a cue about whether an infant is ready to head home or needs to remain in the care of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Current methods to analyze this connection are not yet fully developed, leaving doctors and nurses without an optimal way to deal with periodically missing data or natural variations in breathing or heartbeat. Now, however, researchers in Virginia have found a way around this problem by using a new analytical method that looks for so-called cardiorespiratory interaction using individual breaths and heartbeats and relating the two in time. The findings shed light on which infants may be mature enough to leave the NICU, showin! g that postnatal age seems to be an indicator of maturity, but birth weight or gestational age at birth are not.
Confusion about emergency contraception access common
(HealthDay) -- While most pharmacies report having emergency contraception (EC) in stock, misinformation regarding what age women can take it without a prescription is common, according to a study published online March 26 in Pediatrics.
Research gives hope to detecting cancer in early stages
Research from Queen Mary, University of London has uncovered the mechanism which causes normal cells to develop into cancer, giving hope in the fight against one of the UK's biggest killers.
Raisins and soy may ward off high blood pressure
Eating raisins and soy appears to help ward off high blood pressure, a key risk factor in heart disease, according to two studies presented at a major US cardiology conference on Sunday.
Increased production of neurons in hypothalamus found in mice fed high fat diets
(Medical Xpress) -- A research team made up of people from a wide variety of biological sciences has found that mice fed a diet high in fat tend to see an increase in the number of neurons created in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain associated with regulating energy use in the body. The team, as they describe in their paper published in Nature Neuroscience, write that the increase in neurons occurs in a part of the hypothalamus called the median eminence, which lies outside the blood-brain barrier.
Monthly shot lowers cholesterol 66 percent: study
A monthly injection of an experimental drug made by the US biotech firm Amgen reduced patients' cholesterol by up to 66 percent, according to a small study described at a US cardiology conference.
Brain 'talks over' boring speech quotes
(Medical Xpress) -- Storytelling is a skill not everyone can master, but even the most crashing bore gets help from their audience’s brain which ‘talks over’ their monotonous quotes, according to scientists.
Study suggests new way to treat chronic pain
Nearly one in five people suffers from the insidious and often devastating problem of chronic pain.
Research: Single antibody shrinks variety of human tumors transplanted into mice
Human tumors transplanted into laboratory mice disappeared or shrank when scientists treated the animals with a single antibody, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The antibody works by masking a protein flag on cancer cells that protects them from macrophages and other cells in the immune system. The scientists achieved the findings with human breast, ovarian, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate cancer samples.
Chronic stress spawns protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer's
Repeated stress triggers the production and accumulation of insoluble tau protein aggregates inside the brain cells of mice, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in a new study published in the March 26 Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Smokers could be more prone to schizophrenia, study finds
Smoking alters the impact of a schizophrenia risk gene. Scientists from the universities of Zurich and Cologne demonstrate that healthy people who carry this risk gene and smoke process acoustic stimuli in a similarly deficient way as patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, the impact is all the stronger the more the person smokes.
Decade-long study raises new questions about antibiotic use for cystic fibrosis
When it comes to treating cystic fibrosis, the current standard of aggressive antibiotic treatments may not always be the best answer, a decade-long study led by researchers at the University of Michigan has found.
Regular chocolate eaters are thinner: study
Katherine Hepburn famously said of her slim physique: "What you see before you is the result of a lifetime of chocolate." New evidence suggests she may have been right.
Stem cell study aids quest for motor neurone disease therapies
A breakthrough using cutting-edge stem cell research could speed up the discovery of new treatments for motor neurone disease (MND).
Biology news
Vaccinating chickens could prevent food-borne illness
A vaccine could be developed to prevent Campylobacter being carried in chickens. This approach could drastically cut the number of cases of food poisoning, saving the UK economy millions each year, says an American scientist presenting his work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin.
Researchers find protein to up yield from oilseed crops
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Montana State University have developed a protein that can be expressed in oilseed crops to increase the oil yield by as much as 40 percent, a development that could have an impact on the biodiesel industry. Patents on this technology have been issued and research is ongoing.
Evolution revolution
Developments in evolutionary biology have a significant impact on the way we look at the world and ourselves in it, according to a conservation scientist who will be speaking on the subject at Cambridge University’s annual Science Festival.
To get the full story you need to know the motifs
Genome sequencing alone provides researchers with only limited information on the organism works because it neither reveals how the system is regulated nor does it indicate the role of each specific DNA sequence or RNA transcript. For that, scientists need to identify the system's regulatory and functional molecules, which are the ones calling the shots.
Maternal gene causes more piglets to be born
A sow gives birth to more piglets if the DIO3 gene from its mother is expressed instead of the same gene inherited from its father. This is shown during research conducted by the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre in Wageningen UR.
Smaller genome, greater applications
Bacteria are often the ideal machines in industry. The inputs they require are cheap substances such as amino acids and sugar, and their outputs are valuable products such as bioplastics.
The time is ripe for Salmonella
The ripeness of fruit could determine how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week. Their work could lead to new strategies to improve food safety, bringing many health and economic benefits.
J. Craig Venter describes biofuels, vaccines and foods from made-to-order microbes
Just as aspiring authors often read hundreds of books before starting their own, scientists are using decades of knowledge garnered from sequencing or "reading" the genetic codes of thousands of living things to now start writing new volumes in the library of life. J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., one of the most renowned of those scientists, described the construction of the first synthetic cell and many new applications of this work today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society, which is underway this week.
Using viruses to beat superbugs
Viruses that can target and destroy bacteria have the potential to be an effective strategy for tackling hard-to-treat bacterial infections. The development of such novel therapies is being accelerated in response to growing antibiotic resistance, says Dr David Harper at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin.
Scratching the surface of social interaction
It can be difficult to uncover the behavior of small, shy, nocturnal primates like the brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus), especially in the dense rainforests of Madagascar where this lemur lives. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Ecology shows that the social interactions of brown mouse lemurs can be monitored by mapping the transfer of tagged lice.
Saving habitat key to songbird's survival
(PhysOrg.com) -- The chirpy buzz of the golden-winged warbler’s song might not sound like a dirge, but it very nearly is one.
Removal of invasive tree improves health of American Samoa forests
Removal of the Tamaligi tree (Falcataria moluccana), an invasive and destructive non-native tree on Tutuila Island, American Samoa greatly improves the health of its diverse native forests, according to a recently published study appearing in the journal Biological Invasions.
Study shows some Gulf dolphins severely ill
Bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, are showing signs of severe ill health, according to NOAA marine mammal biologists and their local, state, federal and other research partners.
Study reports novel drug technology that boosts therapeutic proteins
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Miller School-led research team has created a groundbreaking drug technology platform that enables the body to increase its protein levels, a novel invention that potentially could usher in treatment for a wide variety of serious diseases resulting from a lack of specific proteins.
From scourge to saint: E. coli bacteria becomes a factory -- to make cheaper, faster pharmaceuticals
Escherichia coli – a bacteria considered the food safety bane of restaurateurs, grocers and consumers – is a friend. Cornell University biomolecular engineers have learned to use E. coli to produce sugar-modified proteins for making pharmaceuticals cheaper and faster. (Nature Chemical Biology, March 25, 2012.)
To drive infections, a hijacking virus mimics a cell's signaling system
New biological research reveals how an invading virus hijacks a cell's workings by imitating a signaling marker to defeat the body's defenses. By manipulating cell signals, the virus destroys a defensive protein designed to inhibit it. This finding, from studies in human cell cultures, may represent a broader targeting strategy used by other viruses, and may lay the scientific groundwork for developing more effective treatments for infectious diseases.
Hammerhead shark double whammy
Identity confusion between a new, yet unnamed shark species, originally discovered off the eastern United States by Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center (NSU-OC) researchers, and its look-alike cousin—the endangered scalloped hammerhead shark—may threaten the survival of both species.
Genetic study unravels ancient links between African and European populations
Large numbers of people moved between Africa and Europe during recent and well-documented time periods such as the Roman Empire, the Arab conquest, and the slave trade, and genetic evidence of these migrations lives on in Europeans today. But were there more ancient migrations? In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers present the first genetic evidence for prehistoric gene flow between Africa and Europe, dating back as far as 11,000 years ago.
New synthetic biology technique boosts microbial production of diesel fuel
(PhysOrg.com) -- Significant boosts in the microbial production of clean, green and renewable biodiesel fuel has been achieved with the development of a new technique in synthetic biology by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). This new technique – dubbed a dynamic sensor-regulator system (DSRS) – can detect metabolic changes in microbes during the production of fatty acid-based fuels or chemicals and control the expression of genes affecting that production. The result in one demonstration was a threefold increase in the microbial production of biodiesel from glucose.
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