Biotech Week back issues from December 2008:
Does growth hormone drug slow Alzheimer's disease?(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... A new study shows that a drug that increases the release of growth hormone failed to slow the rate of progression of Alzheimer's disease in humans. The new research is published in the November 18, 2008, print issue of Neurology[R], the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology ...
Traffic pollution worsens symptoms in asthmatic children.(Clinical report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... Traffic pollution, especially in cities, adversely affects respiratory health in children with asthma. A study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Respiratory Research has found that in this vulnerable group, worsening of respiratory symptoms requiring recurrent additional ...
UK study shows kids are active but not eating their '5-a-day'.
Dec 03, 2008 ... Most children are still failing to eat five pieces of fruit and veg a day, though their levels of physical activity do meet current Government recommendations, according to the SPEEDY study (Sport, Physical activity and Eating behaviour: Environmental Determinants in Young people). The ...
Biomarkers used to predict chronological and physiological age.(Chronology)
Dec 03, 2008 ... Scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research have identified for the first time biomarkers of aging which are highly predictive of both chronological and physiological age. Biomarkers are biochemical features that can be used to measure the progress of disease or the effects of ...
Mitochondria could be a target for therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease patients.
Dec 03, 2008 ... A study in the Sept. 21 on-line edition of Nature Medicine describes the function and interaction of a critical molecule involved in cell death in Alzheimer's disease patients. These new findings reveal that blocking this molecule, called Cyclophilin D (CypD), and development of ...
Prehistoric pelvis offers clues to human development.
Dec 03, 2008 ... Discovery of the most intact female pelvis of Homo erectus may cause scientists to reevaluate how early humans evolved to successfully birth larger-brained babies. "This is the most complete female Homo erectus pelvis ever found from this time period," said Indiana University Bloomington ...
How cockroaches keep their predators 'guessing'.
Dec 03, 2008 ... When cockroaches flee their predators, they choose, seemingly at random, amongst one of a handful of preferred escape routes, according to a report published on November 13th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication (see also Research). "By using one of a number of possible ...
New bacteria discovered in raw milk.
Dec 03, 2008 ... Raw milk is illegal in many countries as it can be contaminated with potentially harmful microbes. Contamination can also spoil the milk, making it taste bitter and turn thick and sticky. Now scientists have discovered new species of bacteria that can grow at low temperatures, spoiling raw ...
Adult crime linked to childhood anxiety.
Dec 03, 2008 ... Being nervous, socially isolated, anxious or neurotic during childhood protects young men from becoming criminal offenders until they enter adulthood, but the protective effect seems to wear off after the age of 21. These are the findings of Dr. Georgia Zara, from the University of Turin ...
How often will you use that treadmill?(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... Why not buy that treadmill? You'll be exercising every day, right? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research examines why our expectations of our behavior so often don't match reality (see also University of Chicago Press Journals). Authors Robin J. Tanner (University of ...
Necessary lattes? People short on self-control categorize more items as necessities.
Dec 03, 2008 ... Why do so many of us give up on those New Year's resolutions to lose weight or curb luxury spending? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says it has to do with the way our goals intersect with our natures (see also University of Chicago Press Journals). The ...
Study findings on abscess are outlined in reports from D.A. Braude and colleagues.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Routine emergency department care for uncomplicated peritonsillar abscess involves needle aspiration or incision and drainage," researchers in the United States report (see also Abscess). "Standard technique involves use of a tongue blade and auxiliary light source. We ...
Findings in acid reflux disease reported from Toyama University.
Dec 03, 2008 ... " Impaired salivary secretion has been reported to cause abnormal acid clearance from the oesophagus in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, few studies have explained the differences between non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive oesophagitis (EO) with respect to ...
Research from W.C. Orr and co-authors reveals new findings on acid reflux disease.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "it is not uncommon in a sleep laboratory to encounter individuals who have complaints of disturbed sleep, but who do not meet the criteria for a sleep disorder when evaluated by polysomnography. Because gastroesophageal reflux is known to occur in many individuals without their awareness, ...
Research on acne vulgaris published by J.K.L. Tan et al.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from Windsor, Canada, "Previous smaller studies suggest that age, gender, and duration of acne may individually be associated with clinical acne severity and quality of life (QoL) impact. Our purpose was to concurrently evaluate the association of demographic ...
New acromegaly research reported from Tohoku University.
Dec 03, 2008 ... In this recent study, researchers in Sendai, Japan conducted a study "To investigate morphological changes in the dental arches of acromegaly-like rats recently developed by means of exogenous IGF-1 administration. Human recombinant lGF-I (640 mu g/day) was continuously administered ...
New acute pancreatitis study findings have been reported by G. Garcea and co-researchers.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Leicester, the United Kingdom, "Early Warning Scores (EWS) is a widely used scoring system monitoring patient progress, which we have previously shown to predict outcome from acute pancreatitis. This study examined EWS from a larger group of patients to confirm if ...
Reports by X.P. Zhang and co-researchers describe recent advances in acute pancreatitis.
Dec 03, 2008 ... In this recently published article, scientists in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China conducted a study "To study the protecting effects of dexamethasone on ileum mucosa injury of rats with severe acute pancreatilis (SAP). The SAP rats were prepared by improved Aho's methods." ...
Research results from S.T. Ward and colleagues update understanding of acute pancreatitis.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from the United Kingdom, "Most patients admitted with acute pancreatitis undergo arterial blood gas sampling (ABG) to calculate the modified Glasgow score (MGS) and serum amylase and liver function tests (LFTs) are requested frequently during admission. This ...
New addiction medicine study findings recently were reported by researchers at Kyoto University.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Kyoto, Japan, "Several lines of evidence suggest the involvement of the raphe-serotonergic neurons in addiction to psychostimulants and some recreational drugs. In this study, we established rat organotypic mesencephalic slice cultures containing the raphe nuclei ...
New findings from University of Manchester in the area of adverse drug reactions described.(Survey)
Dec 03, 2008 ... In this recent report, researchers in Manchester, the United Kingdom conducted a study "To develop a validated measure of professionals' attitudes towards clinical adverse event reporting (CAER). Cross-sectional survey with follow-up." "201 doctors and nurse/nurse-midwives ...
New findings from University of Washington in the area of african trypanosomiasis described.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, "Development of a safe, effective, and inexpensive therapy for African trypanosomiasis is an urgent priority. In this study, we evaluated the validity of Trypanosoma brucei glycogen synthase kinase ...
Investigators at National Hospital Organization have published new data on aging.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Recently, it has been demonstrated that aortic stiffness is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objective of the present study was to accurately evaluate the aortic stiffness relative to the changes in aging using two-dimensional (2D) strain imaging in 39 ...
New aging data have been reported by scientists at Brigham Young University.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research published in the journal Research on Aging, "An analysis of declines in health and the onset of disability and their links to marital quality using longitudinal data revealed that decreases in health were associated with declines in marital quality but that the ...
New data from University of California illuminate research in aging.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... "In this study, electroencephalography (EEG) was used to examine the relationship between two leading hypotheses of cognitive aging, the inhibitory deficit and the processing speed hypothesis. We show that older adults exhibit a selective deficit in suppressing task-irrelevant information ...
Recent studies by J. White and co-authors add new data to aging findings.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Sperm aging is known to be detrimental to reproductive performance. However, this apparently general phenomenon has seldom been studied in an evolutionary context," scientists in Vienna, Austria report (see also Aging). "The negative impact of sperm aging on parental fitness ...
Reports summarize aging study results from L.I. Fedoreyeva and co-researchers.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Endonuclease WEN2 with an apparent molecular mass 21.5 kD was isolated from subcellular vesicular fraction obtained from aging apoptotic coleoptiles of 8-day-old etiolated wheat seedlings and partially characterized. Similar to wheat endonuclease WEN1 of the same origin described earlier, ...
Research from Seoul National University, Medical Department in the area of aging published.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Hippocampal interneurons are local circuit neurons which are responsible for inhibitory activity in the hippocampus. Parvalbumin (PV) is one of useful markers for GABAergic interneurons, not for principle cells, in the hippocampus," scientists in Seoul, South Korea report (see also ...
Research reports from F. Furukawa and co-authors provide new insights into aging.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Japan, "The structure and function of the epidermis is maintained by cell renewal based on epidermal turnover. Epidermal turnover is delayed by aging, and it is thought that the delay of the epidermal turnover is a cause of aging alternation of skin." ...
Scientists at State University of New York target aging.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from the United States, "This study examined the relationship between aging and regular physical activity. The moderating effects of education and the extent to which employment and health status influence physical activity were also examined." "Multilevel ...
Studies from Far Eastern Memorial Hospital have provided new information about aging.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Progressive herniation of lower eyelid fat has generally been accepted as a part of the aging process in the lower eyelid. Numerous theories have been proposed for the mechanism of periorbital aging, but to the best of the authors' knowledge, the actual occurrence of lower eyelid fat ...
Studies from University of Kansas in the area of aging described.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from the United States, "Old age is associated with enhanced Susceptibility to and poor recovery from brain injury. An exacerbated microglial and astrocyte response to brain injury might be involved in poor outcomes observed in the elderly." "The present ...
Research from E. Nguyenkhac and co-researchers in the area of alcoholism described.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from Amiens, France, " Systematic screening for liver fibrosis in heavy-drinking patients is a challenge. To assess Fibroscan for non-invasive diagnosis of asymptomatic liver fibrosis in alcohol abuse patients, to determine diagnostic liver stiffness cut-off ...
New allergies study findings have been reported by researchers at Medical University of Vienna.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from Vienna, Austria, "More than 95% of mugwort pollen-allergic individuals are sensitized to Art v 1, the major allergen in mugwort pollen. Interestingly, the CD4 T cell response to Art v 1 involves only one single immunodominant peptide, Art v 1(25-36) ...
New allergies study findings have been reported by researchers at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.(Reprint)
Dec 03, 2008 ... "T cell populations derived from naive mice produce very small amounts of interleukin 4 (IL-4) in response to stimulation on anti-CD3-coated dishes. IL-4 production by such cells is mainly found among large- and intermediate-sized T cells and is dependent upon IL-2," scientists writing in ...
New Alzheimer disease research from University of Freiburg outlined.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), or those with early AD, exhibit noradrenergic degeneration in the locus coeruleus. In MCI patients, upregulations of cholinergic and serotonergic functions were described in the hippocampus," ...
New Alzheimer disease research reported from Y. Wang and co-authors.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "We have reported that activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) by ventricle injection of wortmannin (WT) and GF-109203X (GFX) induces Alzheimer-like memory deficit in rats [Liu et al., J. Neurochem. 87 (2003), 1333]. To further explore the factors responsible for the memory loss, ...
New physiology research reported from Pennsylvania State University.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "The olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) and behavioral responses of hybrids between the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis, and the E-strain European corn borer (ECB(E)), Ostrinia nubilalis were examined and compared to the parental populations. In hybrids and both parents, the ...
Recent findings in Alzheimer disease described by researchers from Edith Cowan University.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Inflammatory changes are a prominent feature of brains affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). Activated glial cells release inflammatory cytokines which modulate the neurodegenerative process," scientists writing in the Journal of Neuroinflammation report (see also Alzheimer Disease). ...
Research from Stockholm University reveals new findings on Alzheimer disease.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from Stockholm, Sweden, "The amyloid beta peptide (A beta) with 39-42 residues is the major component of amyloid plaques found in brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, and soluble oligomeric peptide aggregates mediate toxic effects on neurons. The A beta ...
Researchers from Brown University report on findings in Alzheimer disease.
Dec 03, 2008 ... In this recent report, researchers in the United States conducted a study "To examine the relationship between psychiatric symptoms, cognitive performance, functional capacity and quality of life in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and change in the Health Utilities Index (HUI)-Mark III, a widely ...
Research from Ege University, Medical Department yields new findings on amebiasis.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Amoebiasis is a common and life-threatening disease. The discrimination of the pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica from the non-pathogenic Entamoeba dispar could be done by advanced methods such as enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and PCR," scientists in Izmir, Turkey report (see also Amebiasis). ...
New amyotrophic lateral sclerosis study results from H. Ito et al described.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Edaravone is a free-radical scavenger, an agent being widely used for cerebral ischemia in Japan. To evaluate its efficacy for possible treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we performed a randomized blind trial in ALS model mice," investigators in Osaka, Japan report (see ...
Report summarizes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis study findings from University of Ulm.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from Ulm, Germany, "Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a promising source of biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Using the two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis (2-D-DIGE), we compared CSF samples from patients with ALS (n = 14) with those ...
Reports by F.S. Silva and co-researchers describe recent advances in anaphylactic shock.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from Lisbon, Portugal, "ANAPHYLACTIC REACTIONS ARE life-threatening situations, with sudden onset, that can happen at any time during anesthesia. Muscle relaxants are the most frequently involved drugs, causing 60% of the intraoperative anaphylactic reactions." ...
Findings from M.W. Pombo et al in anatomy reported.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from the United States, "The anatomic approach to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has been a growing trend in orthopaedics. Progress made over the last 7 years has led to a greater understanding of the ACL anatomy and its 2 bundles." ...
New anatomy study findings have been published by scientists at University of Liverpool.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "We provide quantitative anatomical data on the muscle-tendon architecture and geometry of the pelvic limb of an elite sprint athlete, the racing greyhound. Specifically, muscle masses, muscle lengths, fascicle lengths, pennation angles and muscle moment arms were measured," researchers in ...
Research in the area of anatomy reported from Mayo Clinic.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Recent modifications in total knee prosthesis design theoretically better accommodate the anatomy of the female femur and thereby have the theoretical potential to improve clinical results in TKA by more accurately restoring femoral posterior condylar offset, reducing femoral notching, ...
Researchers at Western Michigan University target anatomy.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from the United States, "De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543), by the Belgian anatomy master Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), represents one of the most advanced surgical revolutions in history. The creation of an anatomy book that carefully and systematically introduced the ...
Scientists at University of Texas target anatomy.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from the United States, "Osteological cranial features, such as foramina, assist in phylogenetic and ecological interpretations of fossil mammals. However, the validity of using foramina in these interpretations when their contents are not well documented is ...
Studies conducted at University of Liverpool on anatomy recently published.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Liverpool, the United Kingdom, "We provide quantitative muscle-tendon architecture and geometry data for the racing greyhound thoracic limb. Muscle mass, belly length, fascicle lengths, pennation angles and moment arms were measured, as were tendon masses and ...
Data from H. Sato and colleagues advance knowledge in anesthesia.
Dec 03, 2008 ... In this recent article published in the European Journal of Anaesthesiology, scientists in Sapporo, Japan conducted a study "To investigate the effect of urinary flow rate on the urinary bladder temperature, we compared the accuracy and precision of urinary bladder temperature with ...
Data on anesthesia discussed by researchers at University of Rostock.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Over the last 15 years, there has been growing interest in the noble gas xenon as a new inhalational anesthetic. This is due to its favorable pharmacological properties such as short onset and offset, as well as its hemodynamic suability," scientists writing in the journal Minerva ...
Researchers at Vanderbilt University target anesthesia.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research, "Anesthesia provider models were characterized based on responsibilities and technique privileges and the distribution of clinical resource and process variables using a survey of 1,135 hospitals offering ...
Researchers from Chung-Ang University provide details of new studies and findings in the area of anesthesia.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... "This study compared emergence and recovery characteristics after either enflurane anaesthesia or crossover from enflurane to desflurane anaesthesia. At an estimated 1 h prior to the end of operation, enflurane was either reduced (group E, n = 23) or replaced with desflurane (group X, n = ...
Studies from Y. Fu et al provide new data on anesthesia.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Kunming, People's Republic of China, "Pentobarbital and ketamine are commonly used in animal experiments, including studies on the effects of aging on the central nervous system. The electroencephalogram is a sensitive measure of brain activity." "The ...
Findings from E.R. Gizewski and co-authors provide new insights into aneurysm.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... "A controversial discussion concerning treatment of aneurysms in elderly patients exists. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical outcome in patients older than 65 years harboring intracranial aneurysms after endovascular treatment," investigators in Essen, Germany report (see also ...
New aneurysm research has been reported by J.G. Romano et al.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from the United States, "The determinants of ischemic complications in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are not well defined. The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of microemboli in SAH-related cerebral ischemia." "Forty patients with ...
Reports outline aneurysm study findings from N. Anzalone and colleagues.
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Our aim was to compare contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) and 3D time-of-flight (TOF) MRA at 3T for follow-up of coiled cerebral aneurysms. Fifty-two patients treated with Guglielmi detachable coils for 54 cerebral aneurysms were evaluated at 3T MRA. 3D TOF MRA (TR/TE = 23/3.5; ...
Research on aneurysm described by V.L. Rayz and colleagues.(Report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... "Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods can be used to compute the velocity field in patient-specific vascular geometries for pulsatile physiological flow. Those simulations require geometric and hemodynamic boundary values," researchers in the United States report (see also Aneurysm) ....
Research on aneurysm discussed by M. Kroon and co-researchers.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Stockholm, Sweden, "Saccular aneurysm growth in a human middle cerebral artery is modeled. The aneurysm growth model was presented in a companion paper by Kroon and Holzapfel (''A Model for Saccular Cerebral Aneurysm Growth by Collagen Fibre Remodelling,'' J ....
Researchers from University of Toronto provide details of new studies and findings in the area of aneurysm.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research from Toronto, Canada, "A substantial percentage of coiled aneurysms are associated with persistent filling of an aneurysmal component due to incomplete initial treatment or re-growth. Traditionally follow-up of coiled aneurysms has consisted of repeated ...
New angina data have been reported by researchers at University of Toronto.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to recent research published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, "Chronic stable angina (CSA) is a major debilitating health problem in Canada. A paucity of relevant cardiovascular data sets has precluded a detailed examination of the impact of interventions on CSA-related ...
Research from O. May et al broadens understanding of angiography.
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Herning, Denmark, "The aim on the study was to examine whether moving during a 2-hour observation period in bed after coronary angiography was associated with a higher incidence of bleeding complications compared to a standard regimen, where the patients were told ...
Research on angiography discussed by scientists at University of Melbourne.(Clinical report)
Dec 03, 2008 ... According to a study from Parkville, Australia, "The deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap is increasingly used for autologous breast reconstruction, with low donor-site morbidity cited as a major advantage of this operation. Preoperative imaging of the donor-site vasculature is ...