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09/04/2010
DNA fingerprinting pioneer discovers role of key genetic catalyst for human diversity
(University of Leicester) One of the key drivers of human evolution and diversity, accounting for changes that occur between different generations of people, is explained by new research published September 5 by world-renowned scientist Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, who discovered DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester.


09/04/2010
Talented bacteria make food poisoning unpredictable
(Society for General Microbiology) While we are often exposed to bacteria in our food which could cause food poisoning, we don't always become ill -- why should this be so? Professor Colin Hill who is presenting his work at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham today describes how bacteria use different tricks to aid their survival inside the body, helping to explain why food poisoning can be so unpredictable.


09/04/2010
'Jailbreak' bacteria can trigger heart disease
(Society for General Microbiology) Plaque-causing bacteria can jailbreak from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart attack says a scientist at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham.


09/02/2010
For some women, preventive mastectomies pay off
(University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio) A long-term study published in JAMA of women with a genetic predisposition for breast or ovarian cancer showed that those who elected preventive surgeries had a significantly reduced risk of those cancers.The study confirms the view of researcher Dr. Gail Tomlinson at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio that for women with genetic mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2, mastectomies and removal of fallopian tubes and ovaries can be worth it.


09/02/2010
MIT moves toward greener chemistry
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Phosphorus, a mineral element found in rocks and bone, is a critical ingredient in fertilizers, pesticides, detergents and other industrial and household chemicals. Once phosphorus is mined from rocks, getting it into these products is hazardous and expensive, and chemists have been trying to streamline the process for decades.


09/02/2010
Research about Brazilian marine biodiversity brings researchers from 5 countries together
(Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) The Sao Paulo Research Foundation presents the Marine Biodiversity Workshop: Recent Improvements in Bioprospection, Biogeography and Phylogeography to be held on September 9 and 10. This scientific meeting is intended to stimulate the formation of research groups involving both Brazilian and foreign scientists towards the development of research on bioprospection, geographic distribution of sea organisms in the Brazilian Coast as well as the search for natural bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical production.


09/02/2010
UT Health Science Center San Antonio lands $11.6 million to study cardiac proteins
(University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio) Analysis of protein fragments released into the bloodstream after a heart attack may reveal who is at risk of heart failure.


09/02/2010
Increase in Cambodia's vultures gives hope to imperiled scavengers
(Wildlife Conservation Society) While vultures across Asia teeter on the brink of extinction, the vultures of Cambodia are increasing in number, providing a beacon of hope for these threatened scavengers, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and other members of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project.


09/02/2010
Queen's study exposes cognitive effects of Parkinson's disease
(Queen's University) Researchers at Queen's University have found that people with Parkinson's disease can perform automated tasks better than people without the disease, but have significant difficulty switching from easy to hard tasks.


09/02/2010
IAS calls for an end to harassment, intimidation and imprisonment of HIV professionals
(International AIDS Society) Following the imprisonment of Maxim Popov in April 2010, sentenced to 7 years jail primarily for the promotion of HIV prevention efforts in Uzbekistan, the International AIDS Society notes with alarm the detention of a medial practitioner working in HIV prevention in Ukraine.


09/02/2010
Publication of World Health Report 2000 'an act of remarkable courage,' says school expert
(London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) Martin McKee, Professor of European Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has contributed one of three commentaries appearing today in the journal Health Policy and Planning, each of which take a different perspective on the World Health Report 2000 on health systems.


09/02/2010
Americans struggle with long-term weight loss
(Penn State) Only about one in every six Americans who have ever been overweight or obese loses weight and maintains that loss, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.


09/02/2010
Earth from space: Giant iceberg enters Nares Strait
(European Space Agency) ESA's Envisat satellite has been tracking the progression of the giant iceberg that calved from Greenland's Petermann glacier on August 4, 2010.


09/02/2010
First clinical trials successfully completed on potent new hepatitis C drug
(Cardiff University) The first clinical trials on a new investigational drug being developed to treat infections caused by hepatitis C virus have been successfully completed.Completion of the initial phase (phase 1a) of trials of INX-189, discovered and first prepared by researchers at Cardiff University's Welsh School of Pharmacy in 2008, means the chances of it becoming an approved medicine have significantly improved.


09/02/2010
Satellite data reveal why migrating birds have a small window to spread bird flu
(Wiley-Blackwell) In 2005 an outbreak of the H5N1 "bird flu" virus in South East Asia led to widespread fear with predictions that the intercontinental migration of wild birds could lead to global pandemic. Such fears were never realized, and now research published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology reveals why the global spread of bird flu by direct migration of wildfowl is unlikely, while also providing a new framework for quantifying the risk of avian-borne diseases.


09/02/2010
Rochester leads international effort to improve muscular dystrophy treatment
(University of Rochester Medical Center) A large international study aimed at improving the care of muscular dystrophy patients worldwide is being launched by physicians, physical therapists, and researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, along with counterparts at 41 other institutions around the world. The study will compare treatments for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common form of the disease that affects children.


09/02/2010
US neurologists agree on protocols for treatment of infantile spasms
(Wiley-Blackwell) Researchers from across the US, as part of the Infantile Spasms Working Group, established guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of infantile spasms. The goal of the ISWG is to improve patient outcomes by creating protocols that educate pediatricians on early diagnosis and treatment options. Full details of this study appear online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.


09/02/2010
Researchers identify how bone-marrow stem cells hold their 'breath' in low-oxygen environments
(UT Southwestern Medical Center) UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified unique metabolic properties that allow a specific type of stem cell in the body to survive and replicate in low-oxygen environments.


09/02/2010
Hair provides proof of the link between chronic stress and heart attack
(University of Western Ontario) Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have provided the first direct evidence using a biological marker, to show chronic stress plays an important role in heart attacks. Drs. Gideon Koren and Stan Van Uum developed a method to measure cortisol levels in hair providing an accurate assessment of stress levels in the months prior to an acute event such as a heart attack. The research is published online in the journal Stress.


09/02/2010
What's causing life-threatening blood clots in brain surgery patients?
(Loyola University Health System) One of the most severe complications of brain surgery is a pulmonary embolism. But a study in the Journal of Neurosurgery suggests that screening methods used to access the risk of pulmonary embolisms may fall short.


09/01/2010
Imaging reveals key metabolic factors of cannibalistic bacteria
(University of California - San Diego) Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have revealed new details about how cannibalistic bacteria identify peers suitable for consumption. The work, which employed imaging mass spectrometry, is a first step toward a broader effort to map all signaling molecules between organisms.


09/01/2010
Non-invasive therapy significantly improves depression, UCLA researchers say
(University of California - Los Angeles) A unique new therapy that applies electrical stimulation to a major nerve emanating from the brain is showing promise for major depression. In a recently completed clinical trial at UCLA, trigeminal nerve stimulation achieved an average of a 70 percent reduction in symptom severity over an 8-week study.


09/01/2010
Yale develops new animal model for hemophilia A
(Yale University) Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have developed a new animal model for studying hemophilia A, with the goal of eventually treating people with the disorder. Hemophilia A, a hereditary defect that prevents blood from clotting normally, is caused by a variety of mutations in the factor VIII gene.


09/01/2010
Race, insurance status cited in uneven death rates among pedestrians hit by cars
(Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions) Uninsured minority pedestrians hit by cars are at a significantly higher risk of death than their insured white counterparts, even if the injuries sustained are similar, new research from Johns Hopkins suggests.


09/01/2010
Induced pluripotent stem cell retain an inactivated X chromosome
(University of California - Los Angeles) Female induced pluripotent stem cells, reprogrammed from human skin cells into cells that have the embryonic-like potential to become any cell in the body, retain an inactive X chromosome, stem cell researchers at UCLA have found.