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Scientists discover gene associated with myopia

Myopia (nearsightedness) is the most common eye disorder in the world and becoming more common, yet little is known about its genetic underpinnings.Scientists at Duke University Medical Center, in conjunction with several other groups, have uncovered a gene associated with myopia in Caucasian people from several different regions, including Dutch, British and Australian subjects.

13 Sep 2010

Men with low PSA level does not benefit further treatment: Study

Men aged 55 to 74 years who have low baseline blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) are not likely to benefit from further screening and treatment. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The aim of the study is to help physicians and patients weigh the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening and early detection.

13 Sep 2010

Scientists discover SNP association with primary open-angle glaucoma risk

Scientists at deCODE genetics and academic colleagues from Iceland, China, Sweden, the UK and Australia today report the discovery of the most important single-letter variation (SNP) in the sequence of the human genome yet associated with risk of primary open-angle glaucoma. This is the most common form of glaucoma and a major cause of blindness worldwide.

13 Sep 2010

Measuring PSA levels effective in detecting prostate cancer: Study

A new multinational study suggests that regular blood testing to measure levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) is more effective at detecting prostate cancer in men with a genetic predisposition to the disease.

13 Sep 2010

Researchers find amyloid precursor protein function in Alzheimer's disease

In people with Alzheimer's, the brain becomes riddled with clumps of protein, forming what are known as amyloid plaques. Now, a report appearing in the September 17th print issue of Cell appears to have found a function for the amyloid precursor protein that yields the prime ingredient in those plaques.

13 Sep 2010

Researchers elucidate Qua1 spatial structure region of Sam68 protein

Using NMR spectroscopy, Professor Michael Sattler and his team elucidated the spatial structure of the Qua1 region of Sam68, which is responsible for the dimerization of the protein. In collaboration with the research group of Professor Ruth Brack-Werner of the Institute of Virology, the authors showed that this region is essential for the biological function of Sam68.

13 Sep 2010

NanoBio Corporation to present Nanoemulsion Phase I clinical trial data at ICAAC Conference

NanoBio Corporation today announced it will present data from two separate Phase 1 clinical trials at the 2010 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), taking place in Boston, Mass. from Sept. 12-15.

13 Sep 2010

Wisdom teeth contain reservoir of tissues to create stem cells: Study

For most people, wisdom teeth are not much more than an annoyance that eventually needs to be removed. However, a new study appearing in the September 17 Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that wisdom teeth contain a valuable reservoir of tissue for the creation of stem cells; thus, everyone might be carrying around his or her own personal stem-cell repository should he or she ever need some.

13 Sep 2010

New neurological deficit behind amblyopia

Researchers at New York University's Center for Neural Science have identified a new neurological deficit behind amblyopia, or "lazy eye." Their findings, which appear in the most recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, shed additional light on how amblyopia results from disrupted links between the brain and normal visual processing.

10 Sep 2010

Neurons add up pulses, and in decisive moments multiply

Using computer simulations of brain-like networks, researchers from Germany and Japan have discovered why nerve cells transmit information through small electrical pulses. Not only allows this the brain to process information much faster than previously thought: single neurons are already able to multiply, opening the door to more complex forms of computing.

10 Sep 2010

Appeals Court ruled that Feds can temporarily fund stem cell research

The Washington Post: "An appeals court ruled Thursday that the federal government can resume funding human embryonic stem cell research while the court reviews a judge's order that had temporarily prohibited such funding. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted a request from the Justice Department to lift a temporary injunction issued Aug. 23 blocking the funding on the grounds that it violated a law barring funding any research that involves the destruction of human embryos.

10 Sep 2010

Brain is able to invent creative new solutions to perform impossible actions: Study

The human brain is a powerful simulation machine. Sports professionals and amateurs alike are well aware of the advantages of mentally rehearsing a movement prior to its execution and it is not surprising that the phenomenon, known as motor imagery, has already been extensively investigated. However, a new study published in the September 2010 issue of Elsevier's Cortex suggests that there may be more to motor imagery than previously thought.

10 Sep 2010

Structure of key protein for cellular signal transduction elucidated

Scientists of the Institute of Structural Biology of Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München have succeeded in elucidating the structure of an important region of the Sam68 protein. Sam68 is a key protein for cellular signal transduction. The Journal of Biological Chemistry has selected the report of these research findings as one of two "papers of the week" for its September 10, 2010 issue and has chosen the structural model as cover image.

10 Sep 2010

Perception of danger during disaster can impact health long-term

Feeling like your life is in danger during an accident or disaster can have long-term negative effects on health—whether or not the threat to your life was real. This is one of the results of a new doctoral thesis from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet on the experiences and mental health of Stockholm residents who survived the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. A few simple questions to survivors early on could help health care personnel identify those in need of extra support and follow-up, according to Lars Wahlström, the researcher behind the thesis.

10 Sep 2010

Studying the same information several times under different contexts results in better memory

People are more likely to remember specific information such as faces or words if the pattern of activity in their brain is similar each time they study that information, according to new research from a University of Texas at Austin psychologist and his colleagues.

10 Sep 2010

Experts advise men to maintain record of prostate specific antigen test results for risk detection

Experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center advise men to keep a record of their prostate specific antigen (PSA) test results to help determine if they are at increased risk for prostate cancer.

10 Sep 2010

WHO regional meeting in South-East Asia addresses antimicrobial resistance, developing country access to medical devices

During the WHO's 63rd Regional Committee Session for South-East Asia in Bangkok on Wednesday the WHO called for enhanced "efforts at the national and international level to preserve the efficacy of antimicrobial agents through the rational use of antibiotics," Indian Express reports (Thacker, 9/9).

10 Sep 2010

Numerate awarded new contract by Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Numerate, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a new three-year contract by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, to adapt its pioneering small-molecule drug design platform to the rapid design and optimization of drugs against biowarfare agents.

10 Sep 2010

Translational Research issue focuses field of stem cell research, therapy

The use of stem cells for research and their possible application in the treatment of disease are hotly debated topics. In a special issue of Translational Research published this month an international group of medical experts presents an in-depth and balanced view of the rapidly evolving field of stem cell research and considers the potential of harnessing stem cells for therapy of human diseases including cardiovascular diseases, renal failure, neurologic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, pulmonary diseases, neoplastic diseases, and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

10 Sep 2010

Highlights of 23rd Congress of European College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2010

More than 7,000 psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists and neuroscience researchers from all over the world met at the 23rd Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) from 28 August to 1 September 2010 in Amsterdam.

10 Sep 2010