Brain network linked to contemplationA brain network associated with introspective tasks -- such as forming the self-image or understanding the motivations of others -- is less intricate and well-connected in children, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned. They also showed that the network establishes firmer connections between various brain regions as an individual matures.
The researchers are working to establish a picture of how........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/9/2008 6:03:54 PM)
MRI-PET Scanner ComboTwo kinds of body imaging -- positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- have been combined for the first time in a single scanner.
MRI scans provide exquisite structural detail but little functional information, while PET scans -- which follow a radioactive tracer in the body -- can show body processes but not structures, said Simon Cherry, professor and chair of biomedical engineering at UC Davis. Cherry's........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 3/9/2008 6:00:50 PM)
New bacteria contaminate hairsprayResearchers in Japan have discovered a new species of bacteria that can live in hairspray, as per the results of a study reported in the recent issue of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
Contamination of cosmetic products is rare but some products may be unable to suppress the growth of certain bacteria, says Dr Bakir from the Japan Collection of Microorganisms, Saitama, Japan. We discovered a new species........Go to the Infectious disease blog (Added on 3/9/2008 5:02:10 PM)
Lasik Patients Report More Than 95 Percent Satisfaction RateWorldwide, an average 95.4 percent of LASIK patients are satisfied with their new vision, as per the first review of the world body of scientific literature, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery announced recently.
With 16.3 million patients having had LASIK worldwide, and more than a decade of clinical study and technological innovation behind it, LASIK is considered among the most successful elective procedures available........Go to the Ophthalmology news blog (Added on 3/9/2008 4:54:36 PM)
Curbing college drinking problemsParental monitoring can reduce high-school drinking and, as a result, have a protective effect on students drinking at college, says research published this week in the online open access journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.
The findings strengthen the idea that certain parental practices throughout high school and perhaps college could be used to curb high-risk drinking in older adolescents. Underage drinking is........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/7/2008 5:33:05 AM)
Drugs like aspirin could reduce breast cancerAnti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin may reduce breast cancer by up to 20 per cent, as per an extensive review carried out by experts at Londons Guys Hospital and reported in the recent issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
But they stress that further research is needed to determine the best type, dose and duration and whether the benefits of regularly using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) outweigh........Go to the Breast-cancer-blog (Added on 3/7/2008 5:30:28 AM)
Moderate alcohol consumption can lower cardiac riskPrior studies have pointed out the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption as a factor in lowering cardiovascular risk. In a study conducted by the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina and reported in the March 2008 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, scientists observed that middle-aged non-drinkers who began consuming moderate amounts of alcohol saw an immediate benefit of lower cardiac disease........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/7/2008 5:20:11 AM)
Earlier, More Accurate Diagnosis of Alzheimer's DiseaseScientists involved in a large, multi-institutional study using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) were able to classify different types of dementia with very high rates of success, raising hopes that dementia diagnoses may one day be made at earlier stages.
"Previously, researchers have been able to look only at the surface of the brain to differentiate various types of dementia," said........Go to the Neurology news blog (Added on 3/5/2008 9:28:12 PM)
Tests that prevent colorectal cancerNew consensus colorectal cancer guidelines released recently state for the first time that the primary goal of colorectal cancer screening is cancer prevention. Prior guidelines have given equal weight to tests for detecting cancer and preventing cancer. By removing polyps from the large bowel, colonoscopy is the only screening test that also prevents colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer prevention should be the primary goal of screening,........Go to the Colon-cancer-blog (Added on 3/5/2008 8:51:36 PM)
Knock-out Punch For Antibiotic ResistanceMIT graduate student and synthetic biologist Timothy Lu is passionate about tackling problems that pose threats to human health. His current mission: to destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Today, the 27-year-old M.D. candidate and Ph.D. in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology received the prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventing processes that promise to combat bacterial infections by enhancing........Go to the Infectious disease blog (Added on 3/5/2008 8:23:26 PM)
Chemoradiation for pancreatic cancer betterThe addition of the drug gemcitabine with chemoradiation for the therapy of patients who had surgery for pancreas cancer was linked to a survival benefit, eventhough this improvement was not statistically significant, as per a research studyin the March 5 issue of JAMA.
Despite the potential benefits of surgically removing cancer involving the pancreas, there is a 50 percent to 85 percent rate of local relapse linked to liver and........Go to the Pancreatic cancer blog (Added on 3/4/2008 6:20:46 PM)
Achievement gaps within racial groupsA University of Michigan study finds that when it comes to achievement gaps within racial groups, catching up over time is common.
In the first known study to analyze reading and math achievement within racial groups during elementary school, scientists found high achievers within all groups and that a substantial proportion of children catch up to the high achievers in their groups over time.
The study, presented today in Washington,........Go to the Research news blog (Added on 3/4/2008 5:34:34 PM)
Cholesterol-lowering power of dietitian visitsWorried about your cholesterol? You may want to schedule a few appointments with a registered dietitian, to get some sound advice about how to shape up your eating habits, as per a new national study led by University of Michigan Health System researchers.
Not only are you likely to lower your cholesterol levels, you may be able to avoid having to take cholesterol medication, or having to increase your dose if youre already taking one. And........Go to the Research news blog (Added on 3/4/2008 5:28:48 PM)
New potential drug target for the treatment of atherosclerosisA nuclear receptor protein, known for controlling the ability of cells to burn fat, also exerts powerful anti-inflammatory effects in arteries, suppressing atherosclerosis in mice prone to developing the harmful plaques, as per new research by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Their findings, reported in this weeks online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/4/2008 4:46:11 PM)
Links Betweenarts Education And Cognitive DevelopmentLearning, Arts, and the Brain, a study three years in the making, is the result of research by cognitive neuroresearchers from seven leading universities across the United States. In the Dana Consortium study, released recently at a news conference at the Dana Foundation's Washington, DC headquarters, scientists grappled with a fundamental question: Are smart people drawn to the arts or does arts training make people smarter?
For the first........Go to the Neurology news blog (Added on 3/4/2008 4:25:39 PM)
Diagnosis of heart disease with a single CT scanIn the current issue of the journal Circulation, a research team from the Medical University of South Carolinas (MUSC) Heart & Vascular Center report their initial experience with a novel imaging technique that enables comprehensive diagnosis of heart disease based on a single computerized tomographic (CT) scan.
The team, led by Balazs Ruzsics, MD, PhD; Eric Powers, MD, medical director of MUSC Heart and Vascular Center; and U. Joseph........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/4/2008 4:21:16 PM)
After cessation of postmenopausal hormone therapyThe Womens Health Initiative (WHI) scientists have produced another article [1], which probably marks the opening of another set of publications, in which the consequences of a further 2.4-year follow-up (after cessation of the study medication) on the estrogen + progestogen (E + P) cohort are reported. They concluded that, by the end of the post-intervention period, the global index, a newly formed and unvalidated tool used in the WHI trial,........Go to the OBGYN news blog (Added on 3/4/2008 4:16:03 PM)
Dry eye syndrome after LASIK surgeryResearchers at Schepens Eye Research Institute have observed that people with a certain low level of tear production are more likely to develop chronic dry eye syndrome after LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), laser refractive surgery to correct near- and far-sightedness than those with more plentiful tears. Their research, reported in the recent issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science, may offer reliable........Go to the Ophthalmology news blog (Added on 3/3/2008 9:18:26 PM)
Restricting Kids' Video Time Reduces ObesityEntrenched sedentary behavior such as watching television and playing computer video games has been the bane for years of parents of overweight children and physicians trying to help those children lose pounds.
There has been little scientifically based research on the effect of limiting those activities, however.
University at Buffalo scientists now have shown in a randomized trial that by using a device that automatically restricted........Go to the Weight watcher's blog (Added on 3/3/2008 8:41:08 PM)
How to Say "No" to Alcohol AdvertisingTeens who can recognize and resist the persuasive tactics used in alcohol ads are less likely to succumb to alcohol advertising and peer pressure to drink.
The results of a three-year study of inner-city middle school students by Weill Cornell Medical College scientists appears online in the journal Addictive Behaviors (April print edition). Prior research has shown the correlation between advertising and adolescent alcohol, use as well as........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/2/2008 9:05:29 PM)
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Life expectancy rises for the educatedIt's no secret that over the last few decades, life expectancy in the United.
States has been rising. However, recent data shows that not everyone has.
benefited from this encouraging trend. New findings from Harvard Medical.
School and Harvard University demonstrate that individuals with more than 12.
years of education have significantly longer life expectancy than those who.
never went beyond high school.
We like to believe........Go to the Society medical news blog (Added on 3/11/2008 5:31:12 AM)
Allergic Response Tied to Lipid MoleculesA team of Penn State University scientists is the first to demonstrate that lipid molecules in cell membranes participate in mammals' reactions to allergens in a living cell. The finding will help researchers better understand how allergy symptoms are triggered, and could contribute to the creation of improved drugs to treat them. The work would be published in the 14 recent issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The team studied........Go to the Allergy news blog (Added on 3/9/2008 5:52:36 PM)
Profound Impact Of Our Unconscious On Reaching GoalsWhether you are a habitual list maker, or you prefer to keep your tasks in your head, everyone pursues their goals in this ever changing, chaotic environment. We are often aware of our conscious decisions that bring us closer to reaching our goals, however to what extent can we count on our unconscious processes to pilot us toward our destined future?
People can learn rather complex structures of the environment and do so implicitly, or........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/9/2008 5:08:25 PM)
New colorectal cancer geneCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine scientists published a study in the March 7th issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics identifying the hereditary components of colorectal cancer (CRC.) Identification of Susceptibility Genes for Cancer in a Genome-wide Scan: Results from the Colon Neoplasia Sibling Study is the first large linkage study of families with CRC and colon polyps in the country. Because only five percent of........Go to the Colon-cancer-blog (Added on 3/9/2008 4:57:24 PM)
North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acidsNew research from the Child & Family Research Institute shows the typical North American diet of eating lots of meat and not much fish is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and this may pose a risk to infant neurological development. Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats found in some fish such as salmon and herring and in smaller amounts in eggs and chicken. This discovery is an important step towards developing dietary fat guidelines for........Go to the Weight watcher's blog (Added on 3/9/2008 4:41:18 PM)
Breakthrough in birth-defect researchResearchers have discovered how to prevent certain craniofacial disorders in what could ultimately lead to at-risk babies being treated in the womb.
University of Manchester researchers, working with colleagues at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas, have successfully treated mice with Treacher Collins syndrome a rare genetic disorder characterised by underdeveloped facial bones, absent or deformed ears and occasionally........Go to the Pediatric news blog (Added on 3/7/2008 5:29:06 AM)
Torrefacto-roasted coffee has higher antioxidant propertiesTorrefacto-roasted coffee has higher antioxidant properties than natural roast, as per the dissertation defended by a biologist of the University of Navarra, Isabel Lopez Galilea. She has emphasized in her study that the addition of sugar during the roasting process increases the development of compounds with high antioxidant activity.
The researcher of Department of Food Sciences, Physiology and Toxicology of the University of Navarra........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 3/7/2008 5:26:28 AM)
Chemistry of Mother-daughter conflict A combination of negative mother-daughter relationships and low blood levels of serotonin, an important brain chemical for mood stability, may be lethal for adolescent girls, leaving them vulnerable to engage in self-harming behaviors such as cutting themselves.
New University of Washington research indicates that these two factors in combination account for 64 percent of the difference among adolescents, primarily girls, who engage in........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/5/2008 9:23:15 PM)
Imatinib During Pregnancy May Cause Infant AbnormalitiesWhile doctors already face a number of challenges in treating patients with cancer, treating pregnant women with the disease, in particular, can be quite difficult as studies suggest that certain therapies can harm developing fetuses. As per the results of a study prepublished recently online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology, expectant women treated with imatinib, a usually used treatment for chronic myeloid........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 3/5/2008 8:58:45 PM)
Excessive drinking among the elderlyOne out of ten older adults on Medicare reports drinking more alcohol than is recommended, as per a new study from Brandeis University.
Even though alcohol problems are more prevalent in younger people, a substantial proportion of elderly adults are consuming alcohol in amounts that exceed recommended guidelines, said co-author of study Elizabeth Merrick, senior scientist at Brandeis Universitys Heller School for Social Policy and........Go to the Society medical news blog (Added on 3/5/2008 8:44:57 PM)
Costly placebo works better than cheap oneA 10-cent pill doesn't kill pain as well as a $2.50 pill, even when they are identical placebos, as per a provocative study by Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at Duke University.
"Physicians want to think it's the medicine and not their enthusiasm about a particular drug that makes a drug more therapeutically effective, but now we really have to worry about the nuances of interaction between patients and physicians," said Ariely, whose........Go to the Research news blog (Added on 3/4/2008 6:18:38 PM)
Study uncovers cause of flu epidemicsThe exchange of genetic material between two closely related strains of the influenza A virus may have caused the 1947 and 1951 human flu epidemics, as per biologists. The findings could help explain why some strains cause major pandemics and others lead to seasonal epidemics.
Until now, it was believed that while reassortment when human influenza viruses swap genes with influenza viruses that infect birds causes severe pandemics, such as........Go to the Infectious disease blog (Added on 3/4/2008 5:36:01 PM)
Gene mutations linked to longer lifespansMutations in genes governing an important cell-signaling pathway influence human longevity, researchers 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.
The report is the latest finding in the Einstein scientists ongoing search for genetic clues to longevity through their study that by now has recruited more........Go to the Research news blog (Added on 3/4/2008 5:26:27 PM)
PANTHER sensor quickly detects pathogensScientists at MIT Lincoln Laboratory have developed a powerful sensor that can detect airborne pathogens such as anthrax and smallpox in less than three minutes.
The new device, called PANTHER (for PAthogen Notification for THreatening Environmental Releases), represents a "significant advance" over any other sensor, said James Harper of Lincoln Lab's Biosensor and Molecular Technologies Group. Current sensors take at least 20 minutes to........Go to the Infectious disease blog (Added on 3/4/2008 4:54:14 PM)
Women are Treated Less Frequently than Men with StatinsWomen and men experience a similar prevalence of adverse drug reactions in the therapy of coronary artery disease; however, women are significantly less likely than their male counterparts to be treated with statins, aspirin, and beta-blockers as per a new study by scientists at Rush University Medical Center. The study is reported in the recent issue of the journal Gender Medicine.
"Developments in disease recognition and novel therapy........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/4/2008 4:40:31 PM)
Sticky blood protein yields clues to autismA number of children with autism have elevated blood levels of serotonin a chemical with strong links to mood and anxiety. But what relevance this hyperserotonemia has for autism has remained a mystery.
New research by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers provides a physical basis for this phenomenon, which may have profound implications for the origin of some autism-associated deficits.
In an advance online publication in........Go to the Pediatric news blog (Added on 3/4/2008 4:17:43 PM)
Students With Cell Phones May Take More RisksCarrying a cell phone may cause some college students - particularly women - to take risks with their safety, a new study suggests.
A survey of 305 students at one campus observed that 40 percent of cell phone users said they walked somewhere after dark that they normally wouldn't go.
A separate survey observed that about three-quarters of students said that carrying a cell phone while walking alone at night made them feel somewhat or a........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/3/2008 10:07:11 PM)
Gender differences in forgivingForgiveness can be a powerful means to healing, but it does not come naturally for both sexes. Men have a harder time forgiving than women do, according to Case Western Reserve University psychologist Julie Juola Exline. But that can change if men develop empathy toward an offender by seeing they may also be capable of similar actions. Then the gender gap closes, and men become less vengeful.
Exline is the lead author on the Journal of........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/3/2008 8:56:15 PM)
Testosterone Could Guard Against Eating DisordersTestosterone appears to protect people against eating disorders, providing further evidence that biological factors - and not just social influences - are associated with anorexia and bulimia, as per new research findings at Michigan State University.
An ongoing, six-year study of 538 sets of twins in Michigan indicates that females who were in the womb with male twins have lower risk for eating disorder symptoms than females who were in the........Go to the Weight watcher's blog (Added on 3/3/2008 8:45:55 PM)
Increased allergen levels in homes linked to asthmaResults from a new national survey demonstrate that elevated allergen levels in the home are linked to asthma symptoms in allergic individuals. The study suggests that asthmatics that have allergies may alleviate symptoms by reducing allergen exposures inside their homes. The work was carried out by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the University of Iowa, Rho Inc., and the Constella Group. The teams........Go to the Allergy news blog (Added on 3/2/2008 8:57:15 PM)
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