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Alcohol treatment services underused due to perception of negative stigma

Despite the existence of effective programs for treating alcohol dependencies and disorders, less than a quarter of people who are diagnosed actually seek treatment. In a recent study by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health researchers report that people diagnosed with alcoholism at some point in their lifetime were more than 60% less likely to seek treatment if they believed they would be stigmatized once their status is known.

3 Dec 2010

Individually tailored dietary treatment for acutely hospitalized elderly reduces mortality

Intense, individually tailored dietary treatment for acutely hospitalized elderly has a significant impact on mortality, according to a new study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

3 Dec 2010

Scripps scientists find way to transform mature human cells into stem cells

Scripps Research Institute scientists have made a significant leap forward in the drive to find a way to safely reprogram mature human cells and turn them into stem cells, which can then change into other cell types, such as nerve, heart, and liver cells. The ability to transform fully mature adult cells such as skin cells into stem cells has potentially profound implications for treating many diseases.

3 Dec 2010

Doctors still prescribe higher-dose menopausal hormone therapy pills

Doctors across the country are still prescribing higher-dose menopausal hormone therapy pills, despite clinical evidence that low doses and skin patches work just as well and carry fewer health risks. That's what researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found in a study that will be published online Dec. 2 in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.

3 Dec 2010

New study offers hope for children with MPS I genetic disorder

A new study offers hope for children born with a rare genetic disease, according to a paper published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

3 Dec 2010

Study raises questions about therapeutic use of botulinum toxin A

A new study by researchers at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, is raising questions about the therapeutic use of botulinum toxin A.

3 Dec 2010

World's first handheld sensor for measuring optical density

BugLab LLC, the industry leader in non-invasive optical monitoring, has introduced the OD Scanner – the world's first handheld sensor for measuring optical density in shake flasks and other small vessels. This device removes the need to open shake flasks to measure optical density (OD). Instead, by directly measuring OD through the container wall, the labor, contamination risk, and inaccuracy associated with sampling and dilution are eliminated.

2 Dec 2010

ROCHE, Baylor Research Institute partner in human immunology research

Baylor Research Institute (BRI), the research arm of Baylor Health Care System, announced today that it has formed a three-year partnership with Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) to jointly develop programs emerging from the human immunology platforms developed at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR), a component of BRI.

2 Dec 2010

Type 2 diabetics who consume alcohol at increased risk for blurry vision

A new study published in the journal Diabetic Medicine reveals that among patients with type 2 diabetes, alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of deterioration of visual acuity.

2 Dec 2010

New clue in leukemia mystery

There is new hope for people with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Research led by Weill Cornell Medical College and published today in the online edition of the journal Cancer Cell reveals a surprising and unexpected cancer-causing mechanism. The investigators discovered that newly identified mutant enzymes in AML create a chemical poison to cause leukemia. Their findings should prove useful in treating patients by providing a molecular target against which to develop new drugs against one subset of AML as well as other cancers.

2 Dec 2010

Study finds higher mortality risk from early heat waves in summer

The risk of dying from a heat wave is highest when heat waves occur early in the summer and are hotter and longer than usual, according to a Yale study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

2 Dec 2010

AVMA condemns actions of animal rights activists against UCLA research neuroscientist

Citing its policy on the use of animals in research, testing and education, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) today condemned the recent actions of animal rights activists who have targeted a University of California research neuroscientist. The scientist's work includes the use of nonhuman primates to research biochemical factors that contribute to methamphetamine and tobacco addiction in adolescents, as well as to better understand cognitive problems that contribute to behavioral, speech and reasoning disabilities in schizophrenics.

2 Dec 2010

HSS creates Center for Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Patient Oriented Research

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) announced the creation of the Center for Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Patient Oriented Research to translate information collected from an extensive patient population into studies that will guide experts in preventing, diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders.

2 Dec 2010

Most low birth weight survivors grow up to become productive adults

Most survivors of extremely low birth weight grow up to become productive adults, according to a study led by a Michigan State University economist.

2 Dec 2010

Argonne researchers awarded 65 million hours of computing time on Blue Gene/P supercomputer

Four researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory lead projects that have been awarded a total of 65 million hours of computing time on Argonne's energy-efficient Blue Gene/P ("Intrepid") supercomputer. The researchers will conduct advanced simulation and analysis, performing virtual experiments that would be almost impossible and impractical in the natural world. They will also develop scalable system software needed to fully harness the power of supercomputers.

2 Dec 2010

New clues on surviving to be 100 years old

University of Georgia research has provided new clues on surviving to be 100 years old, finding that how we feel about ourselves and our ability to adapt to an accumulation of challenging life experiences may be as or more important than health factors.

2 Dec 2010

One-third of LGBT youth attempt suicide

One-third of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth have attempted suicide in their lifetime -- a prevalence comparable to urban, minority youth -- but a majority do not experience mental illness, according to a report by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

2 Dec 2010

Lipids react and change to bacterial stimulus, trigger cell's immune response

For the first time, scientists have described not only the identities and quantities of fat species in a living mammalian cell in this case, a mouse macrophage or white blood cell but they also report how these lipids react and change over time to a bacterial stimulus triggering the cell's immune response.

2 Dec 2010

Inserting plant's clock gene could replace circardian clock defect in humans

A gene that controls part of the 'tick tock' in a plant's circadian clock has been identified by UC Davis researchers. And not only is the plant gene very similar to one in humans, but the human gene can work in plant cells and vice versa.

2 Dec 2010

More effective treatment for severe form of influenza

Flu season is upon us and while getting the nasty bug is bad news, the good news is it's now possible to treat the severe form of the virus more effectively, according to a Ryerson University researcher. Though Canada is not expecting a pandemic flu season this winter Health Canada reports that about 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians die each year from flu-related pneumonia.

2 Dec 2010