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Proteins that underlie cancer

A University of Arkansas scientist who studies constructs of a protein that are associated with the cell transformation that causes cancer has received a five-year, $661,018 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand his research.

17 Oct 2007

Existing drugs may be useful in treating brain tumors

Scientists have shown how developing brain tumors can turn an encounter with a signaling molecule from a fatal experience for the tumor cells into a cue for their own growth and multiplication.

17 Oct 2007

Exercise, osteopenia and men

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis affects more than 2 million men in the United States and nearly 12 million more have osteopenia - clinically significant low bone density that is less severe than osteoporosis.

17 Oct 2007

Study identifies pathway required for normal reproductive development

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) clinical researchers, in collaboration with basic scientists from the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) have identified a new molecular pathway required for normal development of the reproductive, olfactory and circadian systems in both humans and mice.

17 Oct 2007

Reducing class size may be more cost-effective than most medical interventions

Reducing the number of students per classroom in U.S. primary schools may be more cost-effective than most public health and medical interventions, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Virginia Commonwealth University.

17 Oct 2007

Structure of influenza B virus protein gives clues to next pandemic

Determining the structure of a protein called hemagglutinin on the surface of influenza B is giving researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University in Houston clues as to what kinds of mutations could spark the next flu pandemic.

17 Oct 2007

Stretching out does not prevent soreness after exercise

Studies show that stretching before or after exercise has little or no effect on muscle soreness between half a day and three days later, a team of Cochrane Researchers has found.

17 Oct 2007

Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology

Two papers setting out recommendations for the reporting of epidemiological research are published in this week's PLoS Medicine, along with several other journals.

17 Oct 2007

Little difference in risk rates for angioplasty, bypass procedures

Patients with heart disease who undergo coronary angioplasty have an equivalent risk of death and heart attack as patients who undergo coronary bypass surgery, according to Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

17 Oct 2007

Severely mentally ill at high risk for cardiovascular disease

A psychiatrist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that although mortality from cardiovascular disease has declined in the United States over the past several decades, patients with severe psychiatric illness are not enjoying the benefits of that progress.

17 Oct 2007

Simple low-cost interventions can reduce spread of respiratory viruses

Blocking transmission of respiratory viruses is an important part of halting spread of disease if an epidemic breaks out.

17 Oct 2007

Self-management education for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Self-management education programs for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) significantly decrease hospital admissions, researchers report in a new systematic review of studies.

17 Oct 2007

Home-based HIV voluntary counseling and testing in developing countries

A review of existing research suggests that people in two African countries prefer taking HIV tests at home, with the assistance of counselors, instead of at a clinic.

17 Oct 2007

Interactions between carbon nanotubes and individual chemical functional groups

Carbon nanotubes have been employed for a variety of uses including composite materials, biosensors, nano-electronic circuits and membranes.

17 Oct 2007

Discovery of new antibody that helps detect type 1 diabetes

Researchers at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes and University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center's School of Medicine have discovered a fourth antibody in human blood which will help more accurately predict who is predisposed to type 1 diabetes.

17 Oct 2007

Prebiotics in infants for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity

Many parents add prebiotics and probiotics to children's food to help treat health problems, and according to two new reviews, the supplements might also help prevent eczema in babies at high risk.

17 Oct 2007

Scientists reassess heart disease causes

Almost 3,000 Northern Ireland people are to take part in a Queen's study analysing their risks of developing heart disease in the future.

17 Oct 2007

Training for walking after stroke

Repetitive training that simulates everyday leg function can help people walk more easily after stroke, according to a new review of studies.

17 Oct 2007

Lidocaine lollipop helps prepare for upper GI endoscopy

Researchers at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in Lebanon have found that administering a lidocaine lollipop as a single-agent anesthetic to patients undergoing an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy procedure eliminated the need for sedation in the majority of patients.

17 Oct 2007

Parenting interventions for the prevention of unintentional injuries in childhood

Teaching parenting skills could be an effective way to reduce childhood injuries, a new review of studies suggests, especially for disadvantaged families.

17 Oct 2007