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Ohio State University procures IonFlux 16 high throughput automated patch clamp instrument

Fluxion Biosciences, Inc. announced today that the Ohio State University Department of Pharmacology has purchased the IonFlux 16, the first high throughput automated patch clamp instrument of its kind geared towards the academic researcher. The IonFlux instrument will enable large scale pharmacology experiments on this group's nAChR targets, which previously were not feasible using a manual patch clamp rig.

From Fluxion Biosciences 11 Aug 2010

Quality of translations of clinical trial consent forms questioned

The first study to look at simplified English-language consent forms translated into another language calls into question the common belief that a translated consent form meets readability standards. The study appears in IRB: Ethics & Human Research.

11 Aug 2010

Lower outdoor temperature associated with 2% increase in heart attack risks

Lower outdoor temperatures are linked to an increase in the risk of heart attacks, according to a new study by scientists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).For the study (published in the British Medical Journal and released online today at bmj.com), the researcher, led by Krishnan Bhaskaran of LSHTM found that each 1°C reduction in temperature on a single day is associated with around 200 extra heart attacks.

11 Aug 2010

Study examines link between breath, cancer detection

A test using a patient's breath could be developed to detect lung, breast, bowel and prostate cancers, a team of scientists have discovered. While these results are only preliminary, the study1 published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday), found that sensors could distinguish between the breath of healthy patients and those who have cancer.

11 Aug 2010

Simple morning walk to school could reduce stress reactivity in children: Study

A simple morning walk to school could reduce stress reactivity in children during the school day, curbing increases in heart rate and blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life, according to a new University at Buffalo study.

11 Aug 2010

Researchers receive $1M grant to train Native American communities improve their health

UC Davis School of Medicine researchers will train Native American communities in Northern California to develop and implement culturally appropriate interventions to improve their health by decreasing obesity and type-2 diabetes, through a $1 million research grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

11 Aug 2010

New study refutes common assumptions about consent forms in clinical trials

Although informed consent is an ethical cornerstone in research with humans, some studies suggests that volunteers often do not understand key aspects of the research in which they participate. Recent efforts have been made to improve informed consent by simplifying the consent forms.

11 Aug 2010

Sanofi-aventis, Scripps Genomic Medicine collaborate to advance research in individualized medicine

Sanofi-aventis and Scripps Genomic Medicine, a division of Scripps Health, announced today a strategic alliance to advance research and development initiatives in the field of individualized medicine.

11 Aug 2010

Tamir Biotechnology's three compounds effective show potential for yellow fever

Tamir Biotechnology, Inc.(formerly Alfacell Corporation) announced today that scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) confirmed that testing of three of our company's compounds showed in vitro results rarely seen before by the U.S. government for yellow fever.

11 Aug 2010

Ancient immunoglobulin study explains evolution of human intestinal immune responses

A study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has identified the function of one of the earliest antibodies in the animal kingdom, an ancient immunoglobulin that helps explain the evolution of human intestinal immune responses. It was discovered to play a predominant role in the guts of fish and paves the way for a better understanding of human gut immunity as well as for safer, healthier approaches to keeping fish from pathogen infections. The findings appear in the online version of Nature Immunology and will be featured on the cover of the September issue.

11 Aug 2010

New findings identify mGlu2/3 receptors as a promising treatment target for cocaine addicts

Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, which has been implicated in drug addiction. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) represent a family of G-protein coupled receptors that modulate glutamate transmission. Glutamate is an important neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory. Today, these receptors are considered to be promising targets for drug discovery, with therapeutic potential to treat various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction.

11 Aug 2010

Infants of emotionally receptive parents have reduced sleep disruptions: Study

Parents understand the challenge of getting infants to sleep through the night, and now Penn State researchers show that being emotionally receptive can reduce sleep disruptions and help infants and toddlers sleep better.

11 Aug 2010

Common soluble proteins become insoluble and form aggregates while aging: Study

In neurodegenerative diseases, clumps of insoluble proteins appear in patients' brains. These aggregates contain proteins that are unique to each disease, such as amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease, but they are intertwined with small amounts of many other insoluble proteins that are normally present in a soluble form in healthy young individuals. For years, these other proteins were thought to be accidental inclusions in the aggregates, much as a sea turtle might be caught in a net of fish.Now, in a surprising new finding, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, report that many of the proteins present as minor components of disease aggregates actually clump together as a normal part of aging in healthy individuals.

11 Aug 2010

Researchers identify perforant path brain passage associated with Alzheimer's disease

With the help of volunteers aged 18 to 89, UC Irvine researchers have identified for the first time in humans a long-hidden part of the brain called the perforant path. Scientists have struggled for decades to locate the tiny passage, which is believed to deteriorate gradually as part of normal aging and far more quickly due to Alzheimer's disease.

11 Aug 2010

Brain morphological changes associated with cyclic menstrual pain

Primary dysmenorrhea, or menstrual cramps, is the most common gynecological disorder in women of childbearing age. Lower abdominal pain starts with the onset of menstrual flow and this ongoing pain stimulus can cause alterations throughout the nervous system. In a study scheduled for publication in the September issue of PAIN, researchers report abnormal changes in the structure of the brain in PDM patients, whether or not they are in fact experiencing pain.

11 Aug 2010

Spinal muscular atrophy may lead to cardiac dysfunction: Study

Along with skeletal muscles, it may be important to monitor heart function in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These are the findings from a study conducted by Nationwide Children's Hospital and published online ahead of print in Human Molecular Genetics. This is the first study to report cardiac dysfunction in mouse models of SMA.

11 Aug 2010

Scientists identify chemical system effective in cocaine-addiction cure

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug."We found that the amount of blood flow in areas of the brain known to be involved in the rewarding effects of cocaine and craving was different in cocaine addicts, compared with healthy subjects," said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern and lead author of a study that appeared in Neuropsychopharmacology. "Now we have a new target for pharmacologic intervention."

11 Aug 2010

ACD launches RNAscope Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Assay Kit

Advanced Cell Diagnostics, Inc., announces the launch and immediate availability of RNAscope™ FFPE Assay Kit, a line of RUO products designed to detect RNA biomarkers in routine Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded tissue specimens with single molecule sensitivity.

From Advanced Cell Diagnostics 11 Aug 2010

Progestins have tumor-stage specific effects that determine promotion, suppression: Study

Progestins are used in hormone replacement therapies to counteract the negative effects of estrogen on the uterus and reduce the risk of uterine cancer. However, evidence in recent studies and clinical trials has demonstrated that progestins increase the risk of breast cancer. Now, University of Missouri researchers have compared four types of progestins used in hormone replacement therapies and found significantly different outcomes on the progression of breast cancer in an animal model depending on the type of progestins used.

11 Aug 2010

Study suggests zinc supplementation may reduce pneumonia risk

A high proportion of nursing facility residents were found to have low serum (blood) zinc concentrations during an observational study funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Aging. The scientists found that those with normal blood zinc concentrations were about 50 percent less likely to develop pneumonia than those with low concentrations.

11 Aug 2010