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Voters pick Obama to tackle nation's health care problems

Health care - cost and coverage - has been a hot topic among presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 election.

13 Oct 2008

Preventing lung disease in indigenous communities

A pilot health initiative partly developed at the University of Sydney could significantly reduce the debilitating impact of chronic lung disease within indigenous communities.

13 Oct 2008

Methamphetamine enters brain quickly and lingers

Using positron emission tomography (PET) to track tracer doses of methamphetamine in humans' brains, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory find that the addictive and long-lasting effects of this increasingly prevalent drug can be explained in part by its pharmacokinetics - the rate at which it enters and clears the brain, and its distribution.

13 Oct 2008

Experts say more exercise and better diet the key to childhood obesity

With experts saying the life expectancy of Australian children will be shortened by two years if something is not done about the country's obesity epidemic, researchers in Britain are saying the one hour of moderate exercise a day recommended to children from health experts may not be enough to tackle the problem of childhood obesity.

13 Oct 2008

Pump up the volume - but risk permanent hearing damage

Scientists are warning that listening to music through earphones, at high volumes, can cause permanent hearing damage - they say noise-induced hearing damage above 80-85 decibels is a known phenomenon and such damage can be prevented to a large extent by reducing the noise exposure levels and duration.

13 Oct 2008

1 in 7 men destined to go bald due to genes

Scientists have discovered that 1 in 7 men have a genetic risk for baldness. Researchers at Canada's McGill University and King's College London along with scientists at drug company GlaxoSmithKline have solved the mystery of male pattern baldness but say treating it will require more research.

13 Oct 2008

Pregnant women can still think straight

The notion that women who are pregnant can't think straight at times has been thoroughly debunked by research from Australia.

13 Oct 2008

Link found between mitochondria and tumor formation in stem cells

Researchers report on a previously unknown relationship between stem cell potency and the metabolic rate of their mitochondria -a cell's energy makers. Stem cells with more active mitochondria also have a greater capacity to differentiate and are more likely to form tumors.

12 Oct 2008

Quark Pharmaceuticals' siRNAs examined alone and in xombination with chemotherapy

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the journal Cancer Research published results on efficacy of siRNA targeting its proprietary target gene against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the edition dated October 1, 2008.

12 Oct 2008

Ultrafast photodynamics of DNA

DNA, the molecule that acts as the carrier of genetic information in all forms of life, is highly resistant against alteration by ultraviolet light, but understanding the mechanism for its photostability presents some puzzling problems. A key aspect is the interaction between the four chemical bases that make up the DNA molecule.

12 Oct 2008

Nanowire sensors show huge potential for point-of-care disease detection

Yale scientists have created nanowire sensors coupled with simple microprocessor electronics that are both sensitive and specific enough to be used for point-of-care (POC) disease detection, according to a report in Nano Letters.

12 Oct 2008

Abdominal venous thrombosis risk factors

Abdominal venous thrombosis may present as BCS or SVT. Hereditary and acquired risk factors have been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of abdominal venous thrombosis.

12 Oct 2008

Vulnerable plaque may be easier to detect through optical coherence tomography

Research results indicate that optical coherence tomography (OCT), a newly evolving imaging method, may be the best tool available to detect vulnerable plaque in coronary arteries. The findings will be presented at the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF).

12 Oct 2008

New discovery on how fruits and vegetables protect from cancer

Scientists have found a new possible explanation for why people who eat more fruit and vegetables may gain protection against the spread of cancers.

12 Oct 2008

Funding boost for Alzheimer's research in Bristol

Researchers at the University of Bristol are about to start work on new projects investigating the causes of Alzheimer's disease.

12 Oct 2008

Landmark study unlocks stem cell, DNA secrets to speed therapies

In a groundbreaking study led by an eminent molecular biologist at Florida State University, researchers have discovered that as embryonic stem cells turn into different cell types, there are dramatic corresponding changes to the order in which DNA is replicated and reorganized.

12 Oct 2008

Bisphenol A linked to diabetes and heart disease in adults

A research team from the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and the University of Iowa, have found evidence linking Bisphenol A (BPA) to diabetes and heart disease in adults.

12 Oct 2008

Statins may prevent miscarriages in antiphospholipid syndrome

Hospital for Special Surgery researchers have found that statins may be able to prevent miscarriages in women who are suffering from pregnancy complications caused by antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), according to a study in mice.

12 Oct 2008

New devices used to reduce arterial occlusions, provide cardiac support

Research results highlighting three new devices used to reduce blockages in peripheral and coronary arteries and to provide cardiac support will be presented at the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF).

12 Oct 2008

Study reveals that signs of heart disease are attributed to stress more frequently in women than men

Research presented at the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), found that coronary heart disease (CHD) symptoms presented in the context of a stressful life event were identified as psychogenic in origin when presented by women and organic in origin when presented by men. The study could help explain why there is often a delay in the assessment of women with heart disease.

12 Oct 2008