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Biomarker discovery bodes well for better cancer diagnostics

While new findings from Ohio State University scientists suggest a genetic marker that could help distinguish between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer and gauge who will do well with cancer treatment, a pharmacologist at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia sees the discovery as much more.

2 May 2007

Distrust played a role in residents' response to Hurricane Katrina warnings and advice

While investigating the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans evacuees, a group of UCLA researchers stumbled across something they had not been looking for the deep level of distrust the largely minority victims felt toward public health authorities.

2 May 2007

Green tea shows potential for HIV-associated dementia prevention

A compound derived from green tea greatly diminished the neurotoxicity of proteins secreted by the human immunodeficiency virus, suggesting a new approach to the prevention and treatment of HIV-associated dementia, also known as AIDS dementia complex.

2 May 2007

New compounds show potential for cognitive disorders

UC Irvine researchers have identified a new class of compounds that could be used for drugs to treat cognitive disorders that accompany schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and ADHD, according to an article published today in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

2 May 2007

Culture can alter the brain's perceptive mechanisms

Researchers in Illinois and Singapore have found that the aging brain reflects cultural differences in the way that it processes visual information.

2 May 2007

Combination treatment cures mice of a very aggressive human breast tumor

A combination of three different drugs that block the HER-2 receptor, a critical cellular growth signal for some breast cancers, eradicated aggressive breast tumors in mice and could point the way toward developing better treatments inpatients, said researchers from the Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

2 May 2007

New class of nontoxic cancer treatments

A new class of compounds developed by two University of Kentucky researchers shows promise as a nontoxic treatment of some cancers previously treated with toxic chemotherapy, the researchers report today.

2 May 2007

Event structure perception

In order to comprehend the continuous stream of cacophonies and visual stimulation that battle for our attention, humans will breakdown activities into smaller, more digestible chunks, a phenomenon that psychologists describe as "event structure perception."

2 May 2007

New assessment model gauges lung cancer risk

Clinicians may be one step closer to having a critical tool in identifying which smokers are at higher risk for developing lung cancer, the deadliest of all cancers, thanks to an assessment model generated by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

2 May 2007

Pistachio nuts protect the heart against disease

Experts already consider nuts to be rich in the nutrients that reduce hardening of the arteries, one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes and they are regarded as a desirable part of a healthy diet.

2 May 2007

Teenagers who suffer migraines at risk of suicide

Researchers in Taiwan say teens who suffer from migraine headaches on a daily basis, are at greater risk for suicide than teens who don't have migraines.

2 May 2007

Migraine sufferers may have form of brain damage

Scientists in the U.S. are suggesting that people with migraines may also be suffering from some form of brain damage.

2 May 2007

Brain scans provide evidence of the damage of war

Scientists in the United States have found that some veterans of the first Gulf War have differences in their brain structure.

2 May 2007

Smelling for first time results from knowing abnormalities in congenital loss of smell

New discoveries about the biochemical basis of the majority of cases of the congenital inability to smell any odor, no matter how strong, have enabled their discoverer, Dr. Robert I. Henkin, director of The Taste and Smell Clinic in Washington, DC, to treat such patients, enabling them to smell something for the first time in their lives.

1 May 2007

Adolescent risk inventory can help decrease teen risk behaviors

Research shows that adolescents who engage in one form of risky behavior, like drug or alcohol use, are likely to engage in other risky behaviors like self-harm, or having unprotected sex, but often times these behaviors are not discussed during a medical or mental health exam.

1 May 2007

Caution against over-aggressive use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for cancer-related anemia

Echoing recent FDA warnings, a research group from Northern Ireland cautions against over-aggressive use of a group of drugs called "erythropoiesis-stimulating agents" (ESAs) to treat anemia in some cancer patients, according to a commentary in the April issue of The Oncologist, published by AlphaMed Press.

1 May 2007

Researcher aims for better understanding of human breathing disorders

If you gasp at Jon Kelty's research, the Central Michigan University professor likely will take note.

1 May 2007

Moderate coffee drinking reduces many risks

Although the American Society for Nutrition's popular ,controversy session, at Experimental Biology 2007 focuses on the health effects of coffee drinking, panel chair Dr. James Coughlin, a toxicology/safety consultant at Coughlin & Associates, says that recent advances in epidemiologic and experimental knowledge have transformed many of the negative health myths about coffee drinking into validated health benefits.

1 May 2007

Pistachios may decrease a person's cardiovascular disease risk

A handful of pistachios may lower cholesterol and provide the antioxidants usually found in leafy green vegetables and brightly colored fruit, according to a team of researchers.

1 May 2007

More research needed to involve families in psychosocial interventions

Family-oriented psychosocial interventions seem to be beneficial in improving the mental and physical well-being of both patients with chronic illness and their family members, but the results aren?t as robust as researchers had hoped.

1 May 2007