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Adults with asthma may have an increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

According to a 20-year study published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), patients with asthma were 12 times more likely than nonasthmatics to develop COPD later in life.

13 Jul 2004

How HIV/AIDS treatment can best be combined with community-based care in some of the poorest areas of sub-Saharan Africa

A West African community has joined the network of community-based treatment support programs that form Bristol-Myers Squibb's real world field test of how HIV/AIDS treatment can best be combined with community-based care in some of the poorest and most remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

13 Jul 2004

Geographic variations in colour perception

It's long been known that color blindness is caused, usually in men, by changes in the red and green opsin genes, the genes that enable humans to perceive color.

9 Jul 2004

Avian influenza virus in East Asia arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses

An avian influenza virus that has caused three major outbreaks among poultry and killed several people in East Asia over the past seven years arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses.

9 Jul 2004

Skeletal remains of 3,160 individuals reveal changing status of cancer in Europe across the centuries

Cancer incidence rates in the developed world are increasing each year and developing countries are also now showing an increased incidence of the disease.

8 Jul 2004

Research could help disarm deadly retroviruses such as HIV or SARS

Taken to its ultimate outcome, the research that biology professor Dr. Steve Howard is working on could help disarm deadly retroviruses such as HIV or SARS.

7 Jul 2004

Paper makes a convincing case about the importance of older people in a society

Researchers at UC Riverside and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor have discovered a dramatic increase in human longevity that took place during the early Upper Paleolithic Period, around 30,000 B.C. that corresponds to an equally large increase in the evolutionary success and creativity of the group.

6 Jul 2004

Nanotechnology-based applications are accelerating the development of nanomedicine

With the potential for targeted therapy, and therefore reduced side effects, nanomedicine holds the promise of significantly improving quality of life parameters.

5 Jul 2004

Stress alters immunity

Psychologists have long known that stress affects our ability to fight infection, but a major new “meta-analysis” – a study of studies – has elucidated intriguing patterns of how stress affects human immunity, strengthening it in the short term but wearing it down over time.

2 Jul 2004

Guidelines for determining the best possible time to receive bone marrow transplants

Bone marrow transplant, the only cure for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), is a life-saving procedure but carries with it many risks and potential side effects.

2 Jul 2004

RNA enzyme research may lead to ways of monitoring fat metabolism and might even assist in the search for signs of life on Mars

Research aimed at teasing apart the workings of RNA enzymes eventually may lead to ways of monitoring fat metabolism and might even assist in the search for signs of life on Mars, according to University of Michigan researcher Nils Walter.

29 Jun 2004

Leeches add interesting new angle for evolutionary biologists to consider when explaining how parental care has evolved

When it comes to parenting, leeches are quite accomplished. Although some leeches abandon their young at birth, a Monash University study of the Australian leech species, Helobdella papillornata, has found that it broods its eggs and young on its body for several weeks and captures food for its offspring.

29 Jun 2004

Oldest evidence yet of a human hereditary genetic disorder found

The discovery of what is believed to be the oldest evidence yet found of a human hereditary genetic disorder has been announced by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

28 Jun 2004

MRSA "superbug" genome decoded

On 18 June 2004, the BBC reported fears that deaths from the 'superbug' MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) might double in the next five years.

25 Jun 2004

New findings may help better understand how harmless viruses can cause severe disease among patients with weakened immune systems

When a major branch of the mouse immune system is disabled, a normally harmless virus can rapidly mutate into a lethal one, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

17 Jun 2004

EU investigates open access scientific publication

The EU Commission has launched a study on the economic and technical evolution of the scientific publication markets in Europe, the results of which will be available in 2005. The objective is to determine the conditions required for optimum operation of the sector and to assess the extent to which the Commission can help to meet those conditions.

15 Jun 2004

Significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis

Dr. Fraser discusses, for the first time, the significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax.

14 Jun 2004

Blood test that can detect amplification of a certain gene found in cells associated with breast cancer

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have developed a blood test that can detect amplification of a certain gene found in circulating cells associated with breast cancer.

10 Jun 2004

Brain builds early warning detection system by working out the odds on potentially harmful experiences

An experiment conducted by Dr Ben Seymour and colleagues at the Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, University College London, revealed that volunteers couldn’t recall the details of a specific test which had resulted in them receiving a mild electric shock.