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New prescription smoking-cessation drug not helping smokers quit

The introduction of a new prescription smoking-cessation aid, varenicline, in 2006 has had no significant impact on the rate at which Americans age 18 and older successfully quit smoking, according to a study led by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

18 Aug 2015

New research explores underlying mechanisms by which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance genes

A scientific peek into bacteria boudoirs is revealing how "sex" among disease-causing microbes can lead different species or strains to become resistant to antibiotic medications.

18 Aug 2015

Quanta receives i4i award from NIHR to develop new product concept for nocturnal haemodialysis

Quanta Fluid Solutions Ltd, a pioneering developer of advanced haemodialysis systems, announces it has received an Invention for Innovation (i4i) award worth £1.85 million from the National Institute for Health Research - the research arm of the NHS - to develop a new product concept for nocturnal haemodialysis.

18 Aug 2015

Growing availability of heroin changing the face of opiate addiction in the U.S.

The growing availability of heroin, combined with programs aimed at curbing prescription painkiller abuse, may be changing the face of opiate addiction in the U.S., according to sociologists.

18 Aug 2015

Higher-quality romantic relationships associated with fewer psychosocial difficulties among adolescents, young adults

Adolescents who have romantic relationships tend to have more problems with psychosocial adjustment. In contrast, young adults who have romantic relationships tend to have fewer problems with psychosocial adjustment. Although the links between having a romantic relationship and psychosocial adjustment change with age, a new longitudinal study has found that it's not just having a relationship that matters, but the quality of the relationship: Higher-quality romantic relationships are associated with fewer psychosocial difficulties across adolescence and young adulthood.

18 Aug 2015

Researchers report increasing disparities between resource inputs, outcomes in biomedical research

As more money has been spent on biomedical research in the United States over the past 50 years, there has been diminished return on investment in terms of life expectancy gains and new drug approvals, two Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say.

18 Aug 2015

Scientists map 3-D atomic structure of protein complex that controls neurotransmitter release from brain cells

Scientists have revealed never-before-seen details of how our brain sends rapid-fire messages between its cells. They mapped the 3-D atomic structure of a two-part protein complex that controls the release of signaling chemicals, called neurotransmitters, from brain cells. Understanding how cells release those signals in less than one-thousandth of a second could help launch a new wave of research on drugs for treating brain disorders.

18 Aug 2015

U-M microbiome research may lead to new ways to prevent, fight lung infections in patients

With every breath you take, microbes have a chance of making it into your lungs. But what happens when they get there? And why do dangerous lung infections like pneumonia happen in some people, but not others? Researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School have started to answer these questions by studying the microbiome of the lungs - the community of microscopic organisms that are in constant contact with our respiratory system.

18 Aug 2015

Women's health, marital status and education may put children, grandchildren at higher risk of low birth weight

A woman's weight at birth, education level and marital status pre-pregnancy can have repercussions for two generations, putting her children and grandchildren at higher risk of low birth weight, according to a new study by Jennifer B. Kane, assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine. The findings are the first to tie social and biological factors together using population data in determining causes for low birth weight.

18 Aug 2015

MGH study reveals effects of combined radiation and chemotherapy on the brain tissue of glioblastoma patients

A study from Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center researchers - the first to examine the effects of combined radiation and chemotherapy on the healthy brain tissue of glioblastoma patients - reveals not only specific structural changes within patients' brains but also that the effect of cancer therapy on the normal brain appears to be progressive and continues even after radiation therapy has ceased.

18 Aug 2015

Muscle mass appears to ward off bad cardiovascular effects of obesity

Even without losing fat, more muscle appears to go a long way in fighting off the bad cardiovascular effects of obesity. That emerging evidence has scientists looking hard for new targets to uncouple the unhealthy relationship between fat and cardiovascular disease.

18 Aug 2015

New research identifies cause of disruption in brain's communication channels linked to psychiatric disorders

New research has identified the mechanisms that trigger disruption in the brain's communication channels linked to symptoms in psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. The University of Bristol study, published today [17 Aug] in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, could have important implications for treating symptoms of brain disorders.

18 Aug 2015

Regulation of tumor microenvironment may offer alternate method for cancer treatment

Scientists know that activation of growth factor receptors like epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) promote tumor progression in many types of cancer.

18 Aug 2015

MU researcher proposes method to identify human vulnerabilities

Historically, males have been considered the vulnerable sex, sometimes called "male vulnerability." Charles Darwin noted that boys are more likely to die in infancy than girls and have a higher risk of premature death throughout their lifetimes. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri suggests that research in "male vulnerability" should be expanded to include "female vulnerability."

18 Aug 2015

Tracking retinal changes may help doctors to adjust schizophrenia treatment in the future

Schizophrenia is associated with structural and functional alterations of the visual system, including specific structural changes in the eye. Tracking such changes may provide new measures of risk for, and progression of the disease, according to a literature review published online in the journal Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, authored by researchers at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and Rutgers University.

18 Aug 2015

Calorie control is key to losing or maintaining weight

Physical activity has many health benefits, ranging from reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer to improving mental health and mood.

18 Aug 2015

Newly developed technique delivers wireless power for optogenetics

A miniature device that combines optogenetics - using light to control the activity of the brain - with a newly developed technique for wirelessly powering implanted devices is the first fully internal method of delivering optogenetics.

18 Aug 2015

Vitamin D supplements may help reduce risk of falls in homebound elderly

Every year falls affect approximately one in three older adults living at home, with approximately one in 10 falls resulting in serious injury. Even if an injury does not occur, the fear of falling can lead to reduced activity and a loss of independence.

18 Aug 2015

Kessler Foundation researcher confirms link between sleep disturbances and MS-related fatigue

Kessler Foundation's Lauren Strober, PhD, explores the association of secondary fatigue and sleep disturbances in multiple sclerosis (MS). "Fatigue in multiple sclerosis: a look at the role of poor sleep" was published in Frontiers in Neurology.

18 Aug 2015

Studies show jumping genes more active during development of gastrointestinal cancers

Results of a trio of studies done on human cancer tissue biopsies have added to growing evidence that a so-called jumping gene called LINE-1 is active during the development of many gastrointestinal cancers.

18 Aug 2015

Medical Research News

New prescription smoking-cessation drug not helping smokers quit

New research explores underlying mechanisms by which bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance genes

Quanta receives i4i award from NIHR to develop new product concept for nocturnal haemodialysis

Growing availability of heroin changing the face of opiate addiction in the U.S.

Higher-quality romantic relationships associated with fewer psychosocial difficulties among adolescents, young adults

Researchers report increasing disparities between resource inputs, outcomes in biomedical research

Scientists map 3-D atomic structure of protein complex that controls neurotransmitter release from brain cells

U-M microbiome research may lead to new ways to prevent, fight lung infections in patients

Women's health, marital status and education may put children, grandchildren at higher risk of low birth weight

MGH study reveals effects of combined radiation and chemotherapy on the brain tissue of glioblastoma patients

Muscle mass appears to ward off bad cardiovascular effects of obesity

New research identifies cause of disruption in brain's communication channels linked to psychiatric disorders

Regulation of tumor microenvironment may offer alternate method for cancer treatment

MU researcher proposes method to identify human vulnerabilities

Tracking retinal changes may help doctors to adjust schizophrenia treatment in the future

Calorie control is key to losing or maintaining weight

Newly developed technique delivers wireless power for optogenetics

Vitamin D supplements may help reduce risk of falls in homebound elderly

Kessler Foundation researcher confirms link between sleep disturbances and MS-related fatigue

Studies show jumping genes more active during development of gastrointestinal cancers

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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