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Strongest evidence yet for the role of genetic factors in smoking addiction

In the first study to analyze the impact of genetic factors on multiple stages of tobacco use in both men and women, a team of researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University has found some of the strongest evidence yet for the role of genetic factors in smoking.

13 Apr 2004

Extended lymph node dissection, a treatment for gastric cancer

Extended lymph node dissection – a treatment for gastric cancer involving the surgical removal of lymph nodes near the tumor, in distant areas of the stomach, and in some cases, in combination with the removal of the spleen and pancreas tail – has shown no long-term survival benefit for gastric cancer patients

12 Apr 2004

Study suggests ways to prevent prostate cancer

Current information on prostate cancer risk factors suggests that some cases might be prevented. One possible risk factor that can be changed is diet. You may be able to reduce your risk of prostate cancer by changing the way you eat.

11 Apr 2004

A protein involved in the release of neurotransmitters in the brain is essential to learning and memory

A study published today in Neuron offers the first evidence that lack of this protein - known as RIM1 alpha - causes profound deficits in the learning process. The discovery is a major step in understanding the molecular events that underlie learning and memory - complex processes that can be impaired in human neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, mental retardation and schizophrenia.

7 Apr 2004

Study shows frequent masturbation reduces chance of developing prostate cancer

An Amercian study has shown sexual activity has been hypothesized to play a role in the development of prostate cancer, but epidemiological data are virtually limited to case-control studies, which may be prone to bias because recall among individuals with prostate cancer could be distorted as a consequence of prostate malignancy or ongoing therapy.

7 Apr 2004

New study could lead to new drugs to prevent premature birth

Dr Raheela Khan, of the University’s Academic Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology based at the newly-opened University of Nottingham Medical School at Derby, is working with colleagues Dr Balwir Matharoo-Ball and Dr Dave Barratt in the University’s School of Pharmacy on the research looking at what makes some women go into labour before their baby is due.

6 Apr 2004

Fluorescent molecule used to examine real time chemical reactions that result in smooth-muscle contraction

Smooth muscle, found in the walls of blood vessels and in internal organs such as lungs, stomach and the bladder, contracts as the end result of a series of chemical reactions. In a new study, UT Southwestern researchers report that one set of chemical reactions resulting in the contraction of the smooth-muscle cells is augmented by a second chemical pathway that kicks in when the first pathway is limited.

5 Apr 2004

The National Cancer Institute has awarded USC scientists $3.5 million for a study of the enzyme that faithfully copies our genetic information

The National Cancer Institute has awarded USC scientists $3.5 million for a study of the enzyme that faithfully copies our genetic information, enabling it to pass from one generation to the next. The grant will fund structural, biochemical and computer studies designed to reveal how the enzyme, DNA polymerase, makes so few mistakes.

5 Apr 2004

Cephalosporins three times more effective than penicillin

Pediatricians treating a child who has strep throat should reconsider the role of penicillin given that a newer class of antibiotics called cephalosporins are three times more effective, according to a study being published in the April issue of Pediatrics. The findings will spark widespread debate, because they contradict long-established guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association,and World Health Organization.

5 Apr 2004

ULTRACET® Effective And Well Tolerated For Post-Surgical Pain

A new study published in the latest edition of a leading medical journal has shown that treatment with ULTRACET® (37.5 mg tramadol hydrochloride/325 mg acetaminophen tablets) demonstrates similar efficacy and better tolerability than TYLENOL® with Codeine No. 3 when each is compared to placebo.

5 Apr 2004

BRITONS risk dying prematurely from cancer due to ignorance

An NOP survey, released today by Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, reveals that only three per cent of those surveyed know that people who are overweight are more likely to develop cancer than people of normal weight, while 70 per cent are aware of the link with heart disease.

5 Apr 2004

Sheepskin reduces the incidence of pressure ulcers by 58 per cent.

A major cause of patient pain and suffering and additional healthcare costs in hospitals and aged care facilities - pressure ulcers (bed sores)- can be more than halved by using a simple but effective bedding overlay product developed by CSIRO.

5 Apr 2004

New study to benefit pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers

Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are set to benefit from the first study of its kind in the UK. Researchers at the Highlands and Islands Health Research Institute (HIHRI) will undertake a three-year study, which is being funded from £500,000 worth of awards from the Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) Chief Scientist Office.

4 Apr 2004

New Study Links Passive Smoke to Heart Attacks

A study published in today's British Medical Journal suggests that banning smoking in a community can result in an almost immediate drop-off in the number of heart attacks in that community. The study, which was originally presented at the 52nd Annual College of Cardiology Scientific Session in 2003, examined the number of people in Helena, Mont., who were admitted to the hospital for a heart attack before, during and after a local ordinance banned smoking in public and workplaces.

3 Apr 2004

Fatty acid pathway, glucose produce triacetic acid lactone

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have designed a potential roadmap to use a biosynthetic pathway taken from a common microorganism to produce compounds that could serve as precursors to explosives or components in everyday devices such as liquid crystal displays or anti-cancer agents.

1 Apr 2004

Link Between Stress And Multiple Sclerosis Attacks

A new study that combined results of previously published research findings suggests that acute attacks of multiple sclerosis may be associated with stressful life events. The study, appearing in the British Medical Journal and funded in part through National MS Society postdoctoral fellowships, is a “meta-analysis” (which statistically combines findings) of previously published studies of the topic of stress and MS.

1 Apr 2004

First patient dosed with Tesmilifene in pivotal breast cancer study

YM BioSciences Inc., the cancer drug development company, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in its 700 patient Phase III registration trial.

31 Mar 2004

Lack of iodine prompts new Australian study

A fear that Australians could be suffering serious ill effects from lack of iodine in their diets has prompted a new study of New South Wales, Riverina residents by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Biomedical Sciences.

30 Mar 2004

Antarctic fish may aid cardiac research

A species of fish that lives in Antarctic waters may hold clues to climate change and lead to advances in heart medicine. Researchers from the University of Birmingham and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are investigating the behaviour and physiology of the little-known 'Antarctic Cod' that has survived in Antarctica's extreme environment for around 30 million years.

30 Mar 2004

Study to look at whether patients needing surgery the most are those receiving it

Researchers from Otago University's Wellington and Dunedin Schools of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Victoria University's Health Services Research Centre aim to find out what happens to patients GPs think would benefit from surgery. They will be looking at how long patients wait, who has surgery in public hospitals, who goes to private hospitals, what the costs of waiting are to patients and to the health system and what the benefits are of having surgery.

29 Mar 2004