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Study: Unexpected activity of estrogenic compounds during early stages of embryonic development

Chemicals in the environment that mimic estrogen can strongly influence the development of humans and other animals. New research to be presented at the 2012 International Zebrafish Development and Genetics Conference, held June 20-24 in Madison, Wisconsin, reveals that these substances may act even earlier than previously realized, at the very beginning stages of embryonic development.

22 Jun 2012

Researchers develop new mouse model to study supertasting

Supertasting describes the ability to strongly detect food flavors such as bitter and sweet, and it can affect a person's food preferences. For example, supertasters are often averse to green vegetables because their bitter taste is amplified. Supertasters may also prefer foods lower in sugar and fat. Approximately one out of four people is a supertaster, and a supertaster's avoidance of sweet and fatty foods may have protective cardiovascular effects.

22 Jun 2012

Fast food environment promotes obesity in deprived youth

Results from a study carried out in a deprived borough of London in the UK suggest that many children living there purchase food or drink from fast food outlets at least twice a week.

21 Jun 2012

Short-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment postcardioversion could be effective

Short-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion is less effective than long-term treatment, but prevents most recurrences of atrial fibrillation, a study in The Lancet shows.

21 Jun 2012

CDSS best for assessing depression symptoms in schizophrenia

Results from a systematic review of published studies suggests that the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia is the most reliable and valid instrument for assessing depression symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

21 Jun 2012

Cognitive function worse in pediatric BD I than II

Children with bipolar I disorder have significantly poorer cognitive functioning than those with bipolar II disorder, research shows.

21 Jun 2012

Connexin 43 deficiency may protect against bed rest-associated bone loss

Mice lacking connexin 43, the most abundant gap junction protein in bone, have a decreased susceptibility to the effects of mechanical unloading on bone, US researchers report.

21 Jun 2012

$Hip fracture type may determine regional anesthesia benefits$

Hip fracture type may determine regional anesthesia benefits

Use of regional anesthesia may reduce the risk for mortality and pulmonary complications among patients undergoing surgery for hip fracture, research shows.

21 Jun 2012

Proper exsanguinator and tourniquet use poorly understood

Operating theater personnel have a poor understanding of appropriate exsanguinator and tourniquet use, show research results from a hospital in Ireland.

21 Jun 2012

Even small-stage oral SCC metastases impact prognosis

The presence of even small tumor-cell deposits in the lymph nodes of patients with early oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma reflects a potential for the primary tumor to metastasize, report researchers in Head and Neck.

21 Jun 2012

Bowel disturbance common until the end

Patients treated by palliative care services experience bowel disturbances until the end of life, with severe problems increasing as death approaches, report Australian researchers.

21 Jun 2012

One in five short-stay nursing home patients sustains a fall after admission

One in five short-stay nursing home patients sustains a fall after their admission, and certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing is associated with decreased fall risk, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

21 Jun 2012

Long QT Syndrome may cause unexplained ExD deaths

The headlines are often filled with this scenario: a person displaying violent, bizarre and agitated behavior is subdued by law enforcement personnel and later dies in custody. It appears to be a case of police brutality - but is it? According to William P. Bozeman, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, some of these deaths may be caused by an abnormal cardiac condition called Long QT Syndrome, compounded by a situation of Excited Delirium (ExD) Syndrome.

21 Jun 2012

UCL scientists discover simple pattern that describes tree-like shape of all neurons

Neurons come in an astounding assortment of shapes and sizes, forming a thick inter-connected jungle of cells. Now, UCL neuroscientists have found that there is a simple pattern that describes the tree-like shape of all neurons.

21 Jun 2012

Distinct brain regions organize objects based on their physical size

The human brain can recognize thousands of different objects, but neuroscientists have long grappled with how the brain organizes object representation; in other words, how the brain perceives and identifies different objects. Now researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences have discovered that the brain organizes objects based on their physical size, with a specific region of the brain reserved for recognizing large objects and another reserved for small objects.

21 Jun 2012

One in eight people with heart attack experience significant symptoms of PTSD

One in eight people who suffer a heart attack or other acute coronary event experience clinically significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a meta-analysis of 24 studies led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers.

21 Jun 2012

Concordia research helps develop first brain map of love and desire

Thanks to modern science, we know that love lives in the brain, not in the heart. But where in the brain is it - and is it in the same place as sexual desire? A recent international study is the first to draw an exact map of these intimately linked feelings.

21 Jun 2012