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New insights into how working memory works

Memory tests performed with amnesiacs have enabled researchers to refute a long-held belief in an essential difference between long-and short-term memories.

1 Jun 2006

Startling data about infection-induced amputation and diabetes

Persons with diabetes who develop an infection are at a 55-fold greater risk for hospitalization, and an alarming 154-fold greater risk for amputation.

1 Jun 2006

Molecular pathway may contribute to age related diseases

A common molecular denominator in aging and many age-related diseases is oxidative stress.

1 Jun 2006

Gene variation linked to more severe Crohn's disease

Building on previous evidence supporting the theory that the pathophysiology of Crohn's Disease is altered by genetic variation, recent studies have found that the combination of immune signals given by three variants of a single candidate gene affects the severity of the disease.

1 Jun 2006

Sex during pregnancy myth debunked

A new study debunks the widely held belief that engaging in sexual intercourse during the final weeks of pregnancy can hasten labor and delivery.

1 Jun 2006

Avian flu facts

Avian influenza (also called "bird flu") refers to the strains of the virus that infect birds. Bird flu can cause widespread illness and death among birds, though there are many different strains, which vary in strength.

1 Jun 2006

Shortages of specific medicines and supplies in Indonesia

The emergency continues in Indonesia, as World Health Organization (WHO) works with authorities work to provide medical care to survivors, to acquire the right kinds of medicines and equipment.

1 Jun 2006

The impact of an abortion ban on socio-economic outcomes of children

In his bestselling book Freakonomics, Steven Levitt argues convincingly that the legalization of abortion in the United States contributed to a subsequent decline in crime rates.

1 Jun 2006

Costly IVIg could be replaced with synthetic blood product

Patients suffering from a life-threatening bleeding disorder are closer to having access to a more effective treatment.

1 Jun 2006

$21 billion for HIV/AIDS, is it paying off?

This year, the U.S. federal government will spend $21 billion for HIV/AIDS research, treatment, prevention, and related activities. Is this enormous expenditure paying off?

1 Jun 2006

Two specific genes, Wnt4 and Fgf9 fight to determine sexual differentiation

Whether or not a fertilized mammalian egg ultimately develops into a male or female is determined by the winner of a tug of war between two different genes encoding signaling proteins and the divergent pathways they control.

1 Jun 2006

Fatigue is a major problem after liver transplantation

A new study on fatigue experienced by patients after undergoing liver transplantation found that it is a major problem that does not tend to improve with the passage of time.

1 Jun 2006

Scientists gain better understanding of Proteus mirabilis

Scientists now have inside information to use in the fight against Proteus mirabilis - a nasty bacterium that can cause kidney stones, as well as hard-to-treat urinary tract infections.

1 Jun 2006

Siestas may help treat obesity and eating disorders

The Spaniards may have been right all along - a siesta after a hearty lunch is natural, new research suggests.

From The University of Manchester 1 Jun 2006

Monitoring anemia provides clues to prostate cancer treatment response

Researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute and Southwest Oncology Group have identified a new method of determining how men with advanced prostate cancer will respond to treatment.

1 Jun 2006

Inappropriate TV exposure increases the risk of sleeping difficulties in children

TV-viewing, and particularly exposure to adult-targeted programs, such as current affairs programs, TV series and police series and movies, markedly increases the risk of sleeping difficulties in 5-6 year old children

1 Jun 2006

Organ-recipients' deaths prompt call for suppliers of pet rodents to screen for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

A case involving seven transplant recipients killed by a rodent-borne virus that they apparently acquired from donated and infected human organs has prompted a recommendation that regulatory authorities require suppliers of pet rodents to screen their colonies for the virus.

1 Jun 2006