Science

Science articles

Prostate cancer screening PSA test controversial recommendation
The uproar that began last year when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stated that doctors should no longer offer regular prostate-cancer tests to healthy men continued this week when the task force released their final report.

Photoshop reality check - reality in the eye of the beholder
You know they couldn't possibly look that good. But what did those models and celebrities look like before all the retouching? How different is the image we see from the original? Dartmouth Computer Science Professor Hany Farid and Eric Kee, a PhD student at Dartmouth College, are proposing a method to not only answer such questions but also to quantify the changes.

Brain cell channel defect may cause autism like syndrome
What goes wrong in the brain when an individual suffers from autism. Autism is a spectrum of developmental disorders of impaired social and verbal interaction. Currently, no medication exists to treat its underlying causes, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Depression uncouples brain's hate circuit
Depression frequently seems to uncouple the brain's "Hate Circuit". The study entitled "Depression Uncouples Brain Hate Circuit" is published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Premature birth increases epilepsy risk later in life
Being born prematurely may increase your risk of developing epilepsy as an adult, revealed by researchers in a new study published in the Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Stress linked to breast cancer aggressiveness
Psychosocial stress could play a role in the etiology of breast cancer aggressiveness, particularly among minority populations, according to study results presented at the Fourth AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, held.

Lithium may prevent brain damage in patients with Parkinson's disease
Researcher are focusing on lithium as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease -- PD -- as well as its efficacy in combination with drugs currently used to control the symptoms of the disease. Lithium profoundly prevents the aggregation of toxic proteins and cell loss associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a mouse model of the condition.

16 month olds infer causes of failed actions
Using a very small amount of statistical information, 16-month-old infants can distinguish between the influence of their own actions and the impact of the outside world, new research concludes. The findings, published in this week's journal Science, give researchers insight into how infants integrate prior knowledge with a handful of statistical data to make accurate inferences about the causes of a failed action.

Are dietary supplements working against you?
Well, according to a study published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, there seems to be an interesting asymmetrical relationship between the frequency of dietary supplement use and the health status of individuals.

Omega 3 and fish during pregnancy curbs postpartum depression symptoms
Fish has long been considered in myriad cultures to be "brain food," but only recently has bona fide science begun to support this deep-rooted belief.

Brain's learning capacity recharged during sleep
During sleep, we're busy recharging our brain's learning capacity, which can take up half the night, revealed a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.

Reducing diet in pregnancy may affect brain growth in fetus
Eating less during early pregnancy impaired fetal brain development in a nonhuman primate model, revealed by researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio.

Protein may improve muscle function of muscular dystrophy
A novel potential therapy based on a natural human protein significantly slows muscle damage and improves function in mice who have the same genetic mutation as boys with the most common form of muscular dystrophy, according to a paper published online Dec._27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

New way to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria
Treating municipal wastewater solids at higher temperatures may be an effective tool in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, says researchers from the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering.

Implementing best practices to manage childhood asthma
The Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN), announced it is targeting four high risk cities with nearly $4 million for programs that will combine evidence-based science, case management and asthma trigger removal plans to manage a disease that requires more than the right medical care.

New Guidelines published for Cardiopulmonary resuscitation - CPR
Elsevier announces the publication of the 2010 European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines in the journal Resuscitation. These guidelines are based on an extensive international review of all the science supporting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Novel antimalarial drug candidate identified
Novartis announced that scientists at the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD), in collaboration with researchers from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a novel compound that shows promise as a next generation treatment for drug resistant malaria.

Everyday stress may lead to over eating, weight gain, obesity
Stress can take a daily toll on us that has broad physical and psychological implications. Science has long documented the effect of extreme stress, such as war, injury or traumatic grief on humans. Typically, such situations cause victims to decrease their food intake and body weight. Recent studies, however, tend to suggest that social stress--public speaking, tests, job and relationship pressures--may have the opposite effect--over-eating and weight gain.

Natural plant sunscreen shows promise in preventing skin cancer
Maybe you worshipped the sun in your youth or weren't as meticulous as you should have been with sunscreen. If so, take heart: Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio are finding that certain plant substances, when given in combinations, may suppress damage that can cause skin cancer.

New diabetes risk assessment developed
A team from the University of Leicester, led by Professor Melanie Davies from the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and Professor Kamlesh Khunti from the Department of Health Sciences, has developed an easy way for people to assess their risk of having diabetes.

Acupuncture's molecular effects pinned down
Scientists have taken another important step toward understanding just how sticking needles into the body can ease pain. In a paper published online May_30 in Nature Neuroscience, a team at the University of Rochester Medical Center identifies the molecule adenosine as a central player in parlaying some of the effects of acupuncture in the body.

Universal influenza vaccine possible in future
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a new influenza vaccine that brings science one step closer to a universal influenza vaccine that would eliminate the need for seasonal flu shots.

Loneliness feeling may increase blood pressure
Chronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years, according to a new study at the University of Chicago.

Thimerosal in vaccine cannot cause autism - vaccine court, US
US 'vaccine court' ruled in three separate cases that the mercury containing preservative thiomersal does not cause autism. This ruling supports the broad scientific consensus.

New tool illuminates connections between stem cells and cancer
Researchers have a new tool to understand how cancers grow -- and with it a new opportunity to identify novel cancer drugs. They've been able to break apart human prostate tissue, extract the stem cells in that tissue, and alter those cells genetically so that they spur cancer.

Creating personalized biomarkers from tumor DNA to treat cancer
Researchers have developed a new technique for tracking cancer by identifying personalized biomarkers from tumor DNA, reports a new study in the 24 February 2010 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.

Secondary stroke prevention needs improvement
New research finds that one out of 12 people who have a stroke will likely soon have another stroke, and one out of four will likely die within one year.

Two new genes identified causing ankylosing spondylitis
Work done in part by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has led to the discovery of two new genes that are implicated in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an inflammatory and potentially disabling disease.

Cannabis is beneficial for multiple sclerosis
Cannabis can reduce spasticity (involuntary muscle tension or contraction) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, revealed by researchers in a new study.

Ghrelin can slow Parkinson's disease
Stomach hormone - Ghrelin - may be used to boost resistance to, or slow, the development of Parkinson's disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Breast cancer drugs may prevent cervical cancer also
Researchers eliminated cervical cancer in mice with two FDA-approved drugs currently used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Protecting healthy cells from radiation damage in cancer patients
Researchers have found a way to not only protect healthy tissue from the toxic effects of radiation treatment, but also increase tumor death. The findings appear today in Science Translational Medicine.

US to improve monitoring for H1N1
A Presidential advisory group of the US' leading scientists and engineers released a new report assessing the Obama Administration's preparations for this fall's expected resurgence of 2009-H1N1 flu and outlining key steps officials can take in the coming weeks and months to minimize the disease's impact on the nation.

Genetic link to placebo response in depression
In people suffering from major depressive disorder, depression or MDD, genes that influence the brain's reward pathways may modulate the response to placebos, revealed by researchers.

Lupus drug Benlysta effective for SLE patients
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) and GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) announced that BENLYSTA (belimumab, formerly LymphoStat-B®) met the primary endpoint in BLISS-52, the first of two pivotal Phase 3 trials in patients with serologically active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Cortex of brain linked to intelligence and intellectual capacity
A larger brain cortex predicts greater intellectual capacity in a person, revealed by researchers. These findings would help researchers and scientists to find new ways of increasing intelligence.

Rapamycin may extend lifespan of older
Rapamycin extended the expected lifespan of middle-aged mice by 28 percent to 38 percent, revealed by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Smoking promotes insulin resistance and then heart disease
Researchers at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles and Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona have discovered a reason why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Diabetes early signs in kids as young as 7
Research conducted under the direction of Melinda Sothern, PhD, Professor and Director of Health Promotion at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, showing early signs of diabetes in healthy children as young as seven years old will be presented at the American Diabetes Association 2009 Annual Scientific Session Meeting in New Orleans.

Stem cell clue to lung cancer development
Cancer Research UK scientists have revealed that stem cells become 'activated' in severely damaged lungs and help to repair them, according to a study published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.

Ontario's primary health care reforms questioned
Ontario has invested millions of dollars into the healthcare system in response to a serious doctor shortage. But despite improvements in primary care, a study out of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) has found Ontario's chronically sick and poor are the least likely to benefit from the investments.

Frequent feeding linked to childhood obesity
As the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States continues, researchers are examining whether early parent and child behaviors contribute to the problem.

Stop Using Hydroxycut Dietary Supplements for weight loss
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. Some Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries. Iovate has agreed to recall Hydroxycut products from the market.

Positive results of Albuferon in Chronic Hepatitis C
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) announced that Albuferon (albinterferon alfa-2b) met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority to peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) in ACHIEVE 1, a Phase 3 clinical trial of Albuferon in combination with ribavirin in treatment-naive patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (p=0.0008).

Draft version of the Neanderthal genome completed
The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, in Leipzig, Germany, and the 454 Life Sciences Corporation, in Branford, Connecticut, will announce on 12 February during the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and at a simultaneous European press briefing that they have completed a first draft version of the Neandertal genome.

Nanotechnology used to probe effectiveness of antibiotics
A group of researchers led by scientists from the London Centre for Nanotechnology, in collaboration with a University of Queensland researcher, have discovered a way of using tiny nano-probes to help understand how an antibiotic is effective against bacteria.

Routine scans for low back pain do not improve outcomes
Physicians should not immediately order routine scans for low-back pain unless they observe features of a serious underlying condition, researchers in the Oregon Evidence-Based Practice Center at Oregon Health & Science University report.

Abraxis BioScience to Create Abraxis Health - Pioneering Personalized Medicine
Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), a fully integrated, global biotechnology company, announced that the Board of Directors has approved a strategic plan to create Abraxis Health, Inc., an independent, stand-alone company to be spun-off from Abraxis BioScience that will be dedicated to becoming a fully integrated, next-generation, evidence-based, personalized healthcare company.

Milnacipran for management of fibromyalgia approved
Pierre Fabre Laboratories announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved the marketing application filed by Forest Laboratories, Inc. and Cypress Bioscience, Inc. for Milnacipran.

Detox - a waste of money
A report by Voice of Young Science dismisses 'detox myth' saying detox remedies are a waste of money. Detox has no meaning outside of the clinical treatment for drug addiction or poisoning.

Hypertension susceptibility gene STK39 identified
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people's risk of developing high blood pressure, according to the results of a study being published online Dec. 29, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Secret of sharp memory in old age revealed
Researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine wondered if the brains of the elderly with still laser sharp memory -- called "super aged" -- were somehow different than everyone else's.

Acomplia rimonabant obesity drug withdrawn
Sanofi-aventis announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended to the European Commission (EC) the temporary suspension of the marketing authorisation of Acomplia(R) (rimonabant) for the approved indication of overweight and obese patients.

Kids from low income families are without health insurance
New research at Oregon Health & Science University reveals millions of children from low- to middle-income families are going without health insurance, even when at least one parent has private health insurance through his or her employer.

Fatty acids linked to Alzheimer's disease
Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) and the University of California have found that complete or partial removal of an enzyme that regulates fatty acid levels improves cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Vitamin B does not slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease
A clinical trial led by Paul S. Aisen, M.D., professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, showed that high-dose vitamin B supplements did not slow the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.

Erasing drug-associated memories to treat drug addiction
Erasing drug-associated memories may prevent recovering drug abusers from relapsing, researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered.

Vitamin C injections slow tumor growth
High-dose injections of vitamin C, also known as ascorbate or ascorbic acid, reduced tumor weight and growth rate by about 50 percent in mouse models of brain, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report in the August 5, 2008, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

FDA should take steps to challenge bogus immunity claims
US Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) urges FDA to crack down on food frauds saying that Kraft, General Mills, Dole, & others ripping off consumers with bogus immunity claims.

Canadian woman acquires new accent after stroke
A canadian woman in southern Ontario is one of the first cases in Canada of a rare neurological syndrome (foreign accent syndrome) in which a person starts speaking with a different accent, McMaster University researchers report in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

Positive school environments reduce student smoking
A survey of high-school children in Scotland has shown that pupils who experience positive and inclusive social environments in schools are less likely to take up smoking. The teachers who succeed in creating a positive environment in school may be responsible for their pupils staying smoke-free.

Sleep deprivation affects visual ability
Researchers have found that a sleep-deprived brain can normally process simple visuals, like flashing checkerboards. But the ‘higher visual areas' – those that are responsible for making sense of what we see – didn't function well.

Novel approach to treat Alzheimer's disease
JADO Technologies GmbH, the leading developer of RAFT intervention therapeutics, announced the publication of a paper in Science demonstrating a potential novel strategy for therapeutic intervention in Alzheimer's and other diseases by targeting discrete sub-compartments in the cell membrane (RAFTS).

Brain and genes to improve anxiety treatment
Right now, about half of all people who take medicine for an anxiety disorder don't get much help from it. And doctors have no definitive way to predict who will, and who won't, benefit from each anti-anxiety prescription they write.

CD16 monocyte could be a biomarker for progression of HIV
An increase in the CD163+/CD16+ monocyte subset could be a biomarker for the progression of HIV disease, according to researchers at Temple University, reported in the March issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.

Stress affects learning and memory
Short-term stress lasting as little as a few hours can impair brain-cell communication in areas associated with learning and memory, University of California, Irvine researchers have found.

Soaking potatoes in water before frying reduces acrylamide
Pre-soaking potatoes in water before frying can reduce levels of acrylamide, revealed by researchers. This is a good news for chips lovers everywhere. The research published in SCI's Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Gene mutations may extend human life span
Mutations in genes governing an important cell-signaling pathway influence human longevity, scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found. Their research is described in the March 4 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Anemia drugs for cancer patients raises blood clots risk
Treating anemia with a class of drugs known as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (blood clots in the deep veins of the legs or in the lungs) and death among patients with cancer, according to an article in the February 27 issue of JAMA.

Do animals think like autistic savants?
When Temple Grandin argued that animals and autistic savants share cognitive similarities in her best-selling book Animals in Translation (2005), the idea gained steam outside the community of cognitive neuroscientists.

Cholesterol lowering drug may fight staph infection
An international team of researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has blocked staph infections in mice using a drug previously tested in clinical trials as a cholesterol-lowering agent. The novel approach, described in the February 14 online edition of Science, could offer a new direction for therapies against a bacterium that's becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Improving the safety testing of chemicals
Testing the safety of chemicals ranging from pesticides to household cleaners will benefit from new technologies and a plan for collaboration, according to federal scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who announced a new toxicity testing agreement.

Weight gain from artificial sweeteners
Use of no-calorie sweeteners may make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. Cutting the connection between sweets and calories may confuse the body, making it harder to regulate intake, revealed by researchers.

Parkinson's disease risk reduced with high blood pressure drugs
Parkinson's disease risk is reduced in people taking drugs known as calcium channel blockers to treat high blood pressure, revealed by researchers in US.

In Vitro Fertilization Research Centre in AIIMS, India
The Indian Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, dedicated to the Nation the first state of the art In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Research Centre established at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Genetic mutation increases risk of preterm birth
Genetic mutations in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene appear to have significant association with inflammatory injury to the placenta and developing baby, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh's department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences report at the 28th annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Scientific sessions continue through Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Dallas Hyatt Regency at Reunion.

Overweight pregnant women may have fatter children
Mothers-to-be beware. Women who are overweight during pregnancy may be more likely to have fatter children susceptible to chronic health problems, University of New South Wales (UNSW) research shows.

Gene therapy promising for chronic pain relief
Now, chronic pain can be successfully treated with novel targeted gene therapy. In an effort to find a more effective treatment for chronic pain, researchers at Mount Sinai developed a gene therapy technique that simulates the pain-killing effect of opiate drugs.

Brain strong during waking hours, weaken during sleep
Most people know it from experience: After so many hours of being awake, your brain feels unable to absorb any more, and several hours of sleep will refresh it. Now new research from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health clarifies this phenomenon, supporting the idea that sleep plays a critical role in the brain's ability to change in response to its environment. This ability, called plasticity, is at the heart of learning.

Newly discovered virus linked to skin cancer
Researchers using sequencing technique discovered a new cancer virus Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) causing Kaposi's sarcoma, is associated with another rare but deadly skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma.

Exercise may benefit older breast cancer survivors
An Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute study is examining different forms of exercise for women older than 65 who have had breast cancer. Different exercises may benefit older breast cancer survivors.

Fragile X syndrome affecting brain cells
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are uncovering how brain cells are affected in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism.

Brain imaging and genetic studies link thinking patterns to addiction
Alcoholics are more impulsive than non-addicted people making financial decisions, revealed by researcher Charlotte Boettiger at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Potential drugs for mental retardation and autism treatment
Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have corrected key symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice. The work, which will be reported in the Dec. 20 issue of Neuron, indicates that a certain class of drugs could have the same effect in humans. These drugs are not yet approved by the FDA, but will soon be entering into clinical trials.

Test for targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia
An Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researcher has discovered that a particular hormone is responsible for driving a cancer enzyme to cause an often deadly red blood cell cancer.

Understanding chronic myeloid leukemia
Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have opened a new window into the roots of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). "We are looking under the surface of CML to understand better where the cancer is coming from. We have discovered abnormal cells in the early stem cell population in some CML patients, which don't belong to the CML clone. These are abnormal cells that are not part of the CML clone," said Thomas Bumm, M.D., OHSU Cancer Institute member.

Distorted self image the result of visual brain glitch, UCLA study
Although they look normal, people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD, perceive themselves as ugly and disfigured. New imaging research reveals that the brains of these people look normal but function abnormally when processing visual details.

Aging improves parent, child relationships
The majority of relationships between parents and their adult children improve as parents transition to old age, a Purdue University researcher has found. Karen Fingerman, an associate professor of developmental and family studies in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences, examined relationships adults 70 and older have with at least one of their adult offspring.

88 Science articles listed above.

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