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Health - Life Sciences - 06.05.2010

New understanding of dengue fever could help with vaccine
Study shows that some of the human immune system's defences against the virus that causes dengue fever actually help the virus to infect more cells - News Release Under STRICT EMBARGO for 14. U.S. Eastern Time / 19. UK Time Thursday 6 May 2010 Some of the human immune system's defences against the virus that causes dengue fever actually help the virus to infect more cells, according to new research published today in the journal Science .

Life Sciences - Health - 06.05.2010

Biologists discover extra layer of protection for bacterial spores
A spore from the bacterium Bacillus subtilis reveals bands, or protective coats, surrounding the spore's center. The outermost dark layer is a previously undetected extra coating of protection, which biologists have labeled the "spore crust." The discovery of this additional veneer offers insights into the resistance of bacterial spores.

Health - Social Sciences - 06.05.2010

Violent teenage girls fail to spot anger or disgust in others’ faces
Girls appear to be "protected" from showing antisocial behaviour until their teenage years, new research from the University of Cambridge has found. The study sheds new light on antisocial behaviour in girls compared with boys and suggests that rather than violence or antisocial behaviour simply reflecting bad choices, the brains of people with antisocial behaviour may work differently from those who behave normally.

Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 05.05.2010

Obesity epidemic may be flattening out - but no time for complacency say experts
The prevalence of childhood obesity might be stabilising in developed countries, but there is still much to be done to combat this major threat to health, according to a Seminar published on Online First and in an upcoming issue of The Lancet. In 2010, more than 40 per cent of children in the North American and eastern Mediterranean World Health Organisation (WHO) regions, 38 per cent in Europe, 27 per cent in the western Pacific and 22 per cent in southeast Asia are predicted to be overweight or obese.

Health - Life Sciences - 05.05.2010

Bone marrow stem cells in MS show promise
A groundbreaking trial to test bone marrow stem cell therapy with a small group of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been shown to have possible benefits for the treatment of the disease. Bone marrow stem cells have been shown in several experimental studies to have beneficial effects in disease models of MS.

Life Sciences - Health - 05.05.2010

New insights into the mystery of natural HIV immunity
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. When people become infected by HIV, it's usually only a matter of time, barring drug intervention, until they develop full-blown AIDS. However, a small number of people exposed to the virus progress very slowly to AIDS ' and some never develop the disease at all. In the late 1990s, researchers showed that a very high percentage of those naturally HIV-immune people, who represent about one in 200 infected individuals, carry a gene called HLA B57.

Life Sciences - Health - 05.05.2010

Near misses are like winning to problem gamblers
The brains of problem gamblers react more intensely to near misses than casual gamblers, new research from the University of Cambridge has found. The results could help explain what keeps problem gamblers betting even though they keep losing. The study involved scanning the brains of 20 gamblers using functional magnetic resonance imaging while they played a computerised slot machine.

Health - Chemistry - 05.05.2010

New atherosclerosis vaccine gives promising results
[NEWS, 5 May 2010] A new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet shows that the immune defence's T cells can attack the bad LDL cholesterol and thereby cause an inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis. By producing a vaccine against the'T cell receptors, the researchers have managed to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis in animals.

Health - Economics / Business - 03.05.2010

Adult survivors of childhood cancers more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder
Young adult survivors of childhood cancers are four times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than their siblings who have not had cancer, according to a Childhood Cancer Survivors Study by UCLA researchers and colleagues. The study focused on 6,542 childhood cancer survivors over age 18 who were diagnosed with cancer between 1970 and 1986 and 368 of their siblings as a control group.

Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 03.05.2010

Chocolate for a long life
A reasonable amount of chocolate lowers blood pressure and prevents the risk of heart attacks. German nutritionists obtained this result from an eight-year survey of 19,357 people aged 35 to 65 years.

Health - Life Sciences - 03.05.2010

Screening test hope for bone disease
Scientists have discovered three genes linked to the development of Paget's disease, a painful bone condition. The international team of scientists believes the genes are involved in regulating the rate at which bone is repaired, providing an explanation of why the disease might occur. The results - published in the journal Nature Genetics - confirm that genes play a crucial role in the development of Paget's disease, which explains why many patients have a family history of the condition.

Health - 03.05.2010

Important control mechanism behind autoimmune diseases discovered
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a new control mechanism in our immune system. The discovery is of potential significance to the treatment of serious diseases such as MS (multiple sclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis, and SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus).

Life Sciences - Health - 02.05.2010

Purple is the New Green
May 03, 2010 — Purple bacteria were among the first life forms on Earth. They are single celled microscopic organisms that play a vital role in sustaining the tree of life. This tiny organism lives in aquatic environments like the bottom of lakes and the colorful corals under the sea, using sunlight as their source of energy.

Health - Life Sciences - 30.04.2010

Scientists clock onto how sunlight puts a spring in our step
Scientists have discovered two "body clock” genes that reveal how seasonal changes in hormones are controlled and could ultimately help find treatments for seasonal affective disorder. Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester also found that one of these genes (EYA3) has a similar role in both birds and mammals.

Health - 29.04.2010

Swedes are less active than we think we are
[NEWS 20 April 2010] Swedish younger males are less active than US younger males. Swedish females have higher physical activity than US females, across all age groups. This is shown in a first time ever comparison of physical activity between two countries population. The results was newly published by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in the scientific journal "American Journal of Epidemiology" To date, international comparisons of physical activity levels in adults have been based on self-report.

Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 28.04.2010

Smoking during pregnancy may be linked to teenage obesity
PA 103/10 Smoking during pregnancy is a known risk factor for a variety of health problems for the baby, including low birth weight, respiratory issues and even sudden infant death syndrome. Now a new study suggests exposure to cigarette smoke in the womb may also contribute to another problem — abdominal obesity in late adolescence.

Health - Social Sciences - 28.04.2010

Nearly 4 million Californians report sexual or physical violence from a spouse or companion
Nearly 4 million adults in California reported being a victim of physical or sexual violence at the hands of a spouse, companion or other intimate partner, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Although reported incidences of intimate partner violence, or IPV, are widespread, especially among women and certain ethnic groups, reported IPV was surprisingly high among lesbians, gays and bisexuals in California, who are almost twice as likely to experience violence as heterosexual adults, researchers said.

Health - Administration - 28.04.2010

Causes of death in AIDS patients
New research shows that Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) continues to dramatically reduce rates of mortality from HIV infection in high-income countries, such that non-AIDS-related deaths exceed AIDS deaths after approximately four years of taking ART. The study, by researchers from the University of Bristol and a large group of international collaborators, examined data from the Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration (ART-CC) which involved nearly 40,000 patients who started ART between 1996 and 2006 in Europe and North America.

Health - Mechanical Engineering - 27.04.2010

New microscopy technique reveals mechanics of blood cell membranes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Thanks to an interdisciplinary team of researchers, scientists now have a more complete understanding of one of the human body's most vital structures: the red blood cell. Led by University of Illinois electrical and computer engineering professor Gabriel Popescu, the team developed a model that could lead to breakthroughs in screening and treatment of blood-cell-morphology diseases, such as malaria and sickle-cell disease.

Life Sciences - Health - 27.04.2010

Chimps carry mummified infants
New observations of wild chimpanzees in Bossou, Guinea, have given insights into the behaviour of chimp mothers who carry the mummified remains of their dead infants with them. An international team report in Current Biology that, in late 2003, an outbreak of respiratory disease in Bossou killed five chimps, including two infants.