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Quest to develop synthetic versions of rare natural substances to cure tobacco-related diseases

Within a laboratory on the Florida State University campus, a chemist leads a team of researchers in a quest to develop synthetic versions of rare natural substances. If all goes well, the team’s efforts could pay off in the form of the next generation of cancer-fighting drugs.

12 Oct 2005

Lowering infant's body temperature within the first six hours of life reduces the chances for disability

Lowering an infant's body temperature to about 92 degrees Fahrenheit within the first six hours of life reduces the chances for disability and death among infants who failed to receive enough oxygen or blood to the brain during birth. The research study findings appear in tomorrow's 2005 New England Journal of Medicine.

12 Oct 2005

Study on childhood asthma shows home-based interventions are cost-effective

New data suggest that a home-based environmental intervention program is a cost-effective way to improve the health of inner-city children who have moderate to severe asthma.

12 Oct 2005

New study of the public's priorities for the funding of research into what people eat and how it affects their health

The study, conducted by MORI Social Research Institute, explores any differences between the agendas of the public and research funders at a time when the health implications of the food that we consume have a very high profile. The study was commissioned by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Institute of Food Research (IFR), who will consider the results as part of their strategic planning for future funding.

12 Oct 2005

Hospitals alter billing and collection practices for uninsured patients

Many hospitals have adopted more generous charity-care guidelines for uninsured patients after a barrage of publicity about aggressive hospital billing and collection practices and a spate of lawsuits alleging hospitals overcharged uninsured patients, according to a study released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

12 Oct 2005

One in nine women in the UK now risk contracting breast cancer during their lifetime

Some scientists argue that the cause may be an increased exposure to a number of environmental chemicals, a claim taken up by campaigners in the US and the UK who urge the government to provide better health protection.

11 Oct 2005

Long-term smoking linked to diminished mental proficiency

The association between long-term smoking and diminished mental proficiency in 172 alcoholic and non-alcoholic men was a surprising finding from a study that set out to examine alcoholism's long-term effect on the brain and thinking skills.

11 Oct 2005

Erectile dysfunction may be a sign that coronary artery disease is developing

"We think that erectile dysfunction represents the 'tip of the iceberg' of a systemic vascular disorder; thus potentially preceding severe cardiovascular events. Erectile dysfunction should be part of a cardiovascular risk assessment.

11 Oct 2005

New hormone discovery has implications for liver diseases

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that the small intestine communicates with the liver to control the production of bile acids - a finding that has great medical implications in treating people at risk for certain types of liver disease.

11 Oct 2005

Obesity associated with a threefold increase in SCD1 expression in obese muscle

The gene encoding an enzyme that hinders muscle from burning fat manufactures three times more enzyme in the muscle of obese people than lean people, researchers from Duke University Medical Center and Louisiana State University have found. This causes the obese muscle tissue to both store more fat and burn less fat, the researchers said.

11 Oct 2005

New monoclonal antibody that targets immune system B cells shows promise for treating leukemias

In studies with mice, treatment with a new monoclonal antibody that targets immune system B cells has shown considerable promise for treating leukemias, autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection, according to immunologists at Duke University Medical Center.

11 Oct 2005

Study confirms that couples using natural family planning have intercourse just as frequently as couples using other methods

Couples who use fertility awareness-based methods of family planning have sex just as often as couples who use other contraceptive methods -- they just time it differently, according to a new Georgetown University Institute for Reproductive Health study to be published in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Biosocial Science.

11 Oct 2005

New Orleans floodwaters not as toxic as previously thought

The floodwaters that inundated New Orleans immediately following Hurricane Katrina were similar in content to the city’s normal storm water and were not as toxic as previously thought, according to a study by researchers at Louisiana State University.

11 Oct 2005

Families who regularly share meals together have children with higher self-esteem

Research by two Emory University psychology professors shows that families who regularly share meals together have children who know more about their family history and tend to have higher self-esteem, interact better with their peers and show higher resilience in the face of adversity.

11 Oct 2005

Newly discovered hormone plays an important role in the digestion of fat, cholesterol, and fat-soluble vitamins

A newly discovered hormone plays an important role in the digestion of fat, cholesterol, and fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, E, and D, according to a new study in the October 2005 issue of Cell Metabolism.

11 Oct 2005

Experimental HIV vaccine progresses in trials

A novel vaccine targeted to multiple HIV subtypes found worldwide has moved into the second phase of clinical testing, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced today.

11 Oct 2005

New discoveries help explore the function of regulatory T cells in autoimmune disease and in cancer

More than 150 years after the discovery of Hassall's corpuscles in 1849, the function of these round blobs of cells in the human thymus gland has now been explained. The answer, in turn, ends an intense hunt for the origin of regulatory T cells that has been under way for years.

11 Oct 2005

Paying clinicians to reach a common, fixed performance target may produce little gain in overall quality

...and may largely reward those with higher performance at baseline, according to a study in the October 12 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

11 Oct 2005

Defibrillator implantations performed by physicians with low volume are more likely to have adverse outcomes

As the implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator devices to prevent sudden cardiac death becomes increasingly popular, patients are likely to get the best results when they are treated by physicians who perform the procedures frequently, according to a new study in the Oct. 18, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

11 Oct 2005

Significant link between childhood sexual abuse and symptoms of sexual dysfunction in adults

The study, conducted by scientists from University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and Queensland Institute of Medical Research, is published in the current edition of international journal Archives of Sex Research (Oct 2005).

11 Oct 2005

Research News and Research

Quest to develop synthetic versions of rare natural substances to cure tobacco-related diseases

Lowering infant's body temperature within the first six hours of life reduces the chances for disability

Study on childhood asthma shows home-based interventions are cost-effective

New study of the public's priorities for the funding of research into what people eat and how it affects their health

Hospitals alter billing and collection practices for uninsured patients

One in nine women in the UK now risk contracting breast cancer during their lifetime

Long-term smoking linked to diminished mental proficiency

Erectile dysfunction may be a sign that coronary artery disease is developing

New hormone discovery has implications for liver diseases

Obesity associated with a threefold increase in SCD1 expression in obese muscle

New monoclonal antibody that targets immune system B cells shows promise for treating leukemias

Study confirms that couples using natural family planning have intercourse just as frequently as couples using other methods

New Orleans floodwaters not as toxic as previously thought

Families who regularly share meals together have children with higher self-esteem

Newly discovered hormone plays an important role in the digestion of fat, cholesterol, and fat-soluble vitamins

Experimental HIV vaccine progresses in trials

New discoveries help explore the function of regulatory T cells in autoimmune disease and in cancer

Paying clinicians to reach a common, fixed performance target may produce little gain in overall quality

Defibrillator implantations performed by physicians with low volume are more likely to have adverse outcomes

Significant link between childhood sexual abuse and symptoms of sexual dysfunction in adults

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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