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Testes offer a promising new source of stem cells

After a decade of research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists have succeeded in reprogramming adult stem cells from the testes of male mice into functional blood vessels and contractile cardiac tissue.

20 Sep 2007

Selective attention increases both gain and feature selectivity of the human auditory cortex

On Sept. 19, a research report by Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Computational Engineering scientists will appear in the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE, showing that selective attention increases both gain and feature selectivity of the human auditory cortex.

20 Sep 2007

Researchers provide genetic associations from a genome-wide scan for cardiovascular disease traits

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), have completed analyses of a genome-wide scan on a group of two generations of participants from the landmark Framingham Heart Study (FHS).

20 Sep 2007

Racism's cognitive toll: Subtle discrimination is more taxing on the brain

While certain expressions of racism are absent from our world today, you do not have to look very hard to know that more subtle forms of racism persist, in schools and workplaces and elsewhere.

20 Sep 2007

Satter Eating Competence Model stresses positive experience of eating

Enjoying the eating process without focus on dietary restrictions may be key to managing weight and staying healthy, according to researchers who have unveiled a new and effective model for managing eating.

20 Sep 2007

Weill Cornell Medical College to lead new NYC translational research collaboration

Weill Cornell Medical College has been selected by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and lead a new Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC), creating an ambitious and innovative network for biomedical collaboration on New York's Upper East Side.

20 Sep 2007

Discovery of molecular recycling plant provides new insights into learning and memory function

A molecular "recycling plant" permits nerve cells in the brain to carry out two seemingly contradictory functions - changeable enough to record new experiences, yet permanent enough to maintain these memories over time.

20 Sep 2007

Microwaves used to predict fat content in meat products

Microwaves used for zapping instant meals can also be used to determine the fat and salt content of supermarket food, according to research carried out at two Manchester universities.

From The University of Manchester 20 Sep 2007

Major differences revealed in how local authorities in the UK support disabled people

Diverse local authority policies and practices throughout the UK are making big differences to the uptake and operation of 'direct payments' - a system for supporting people who are receiving community care by enabling them to 'purchase' their own care.

20 Sep 2007

Better understanding of circuitry in the brain's emotion center

Whether it's a mugger or a friend who jumps out of the bushes, you're still surprised.

20 Sep 2007

Drug resistance gene has spread from East Coast to Midwest

A resistance gene that allows bacteria to beat an important class of antibiotics has started to appear in microorganisms taken from Midwestern patients, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

20 Sep 2007

Planum temporale found to be responsible for perceiving auditory space

While the visual regions of the brain have been intensively mapped, many important regions for auditory processing remain terra incognita.

20 Sep 2007

Consumers following questionable health and nutrition advice from the web

A new survey shows that an overwhelming number of Americans are following health and nutrition advice found on the Internet - whether they believe it to be accurate or not.

20 Sep 2007

Brits told to get off their bums and exercise!

A new survey of Brits has found that most people are so unwilling to exercise that even the prospect of a heart attack is not enough to persuade them.

20 Sep 2007

Grapheme-color synaesthesia

A psychological phenomenon known as "grapheme-color synaesthesia" describes individuals who experience vivid colors whenever they see, hear, or think of ordinary letters and digits.

18 Sep 2007

Test for lung cancer looks for discomforting quiet among protective genes

When it is quiet – "almost too quiet" – in movies, it is a sign that something is about to go wrong for the good guys.

18 Sep 2007

Re-engineered human T cells effectively target and kill cancerous B cells

Human white blood cells, engineered to recognize other malignant immune cells, could provide a novel therapy for patients with highly lethal B cell cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

18 Sep 2007

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation and BG Medicine collaborate

The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation and BG Medicine have announced a collaboration to discover plasma biomarkers of drug efficacy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic cause of mortality in infants and toddlers.

18 Sep 2007

Researchers genetically engineering microorganisms, such as E. coli, into tiny, cellular factories

Microorganisms may soon be efficiently and inexpensively producing novel pharmaceutical compounds, such as flavonoids, that fight aging, cancer or obesity, as well as high-value chemicals, as the result of research being conducted by University at Buffalo researchers.

18 Sep 2007

Breakthrough in cardiovascular research

Cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis - a condition that greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke - by suppressing the activity of a key protein that protects the heart and blood vessels, researchers at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine have found.

18 Sep 2007