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Computer scientists developing nurturing computers

Imagine a day when your computer will be able to let you know if you need a break, alert you to take medication or even go to the doctor.

10 Sep 2004

Homophobic lyrics in reggae music, a health issue for black gay men

The issue of homophobic lyrics by certain reggae artists is being hotly debated in the media in the run-up to the MOBO awards in late September.

10 Sep 2004

New view of chromatin and gene activity

A genome - the DNA instructions for an organism - does not act alone. DNA is packaged with proteins into 'chromatin', which may be more or less tightly condensed. A popular proposal is that active genes are in 'open' chromatin (to allow access to them) and inactive genes are in tightly packed 'compact' chromatin.

10 Sep 2004

Discovery of way to regulate brain blood could lead to new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s

There may be new treatments for stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders, thanks to the discovery of a mechanism for regulating brain blood flow made by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

10 Sep 2004

Herbals, surgery and anesthesia don't always mix

The woman who swears by gingko biloba wonders why her mouth won't stop bleeding after wisdom tooth surgery. What she doesn't know is that the herbal remedy she takes religiously to enhance mental alertness also acts as a powerful blood thinner that inhibits clotting.

10 Sep 2004

Disruption of protein folding causes neurodegeneration, mental retardation

Excess accumulation in brain cells of a fat molecule called GM1-ganglioside (GM1) disrupts the folding of newly assembled proteins into their proper shapes, triggering nerve degeneration and mental retardation in children.

10 Sep 2004

Pan American Health Organization mobilizes staff to Caribbean for hurricane Ivan

The Pan American Health Organization is mobilizing eight experts to the Caribbean to help deal with Hurricane Ivan, the most powerful storm to hit the Caribbean in ten years.

10 Sep 2004

Efforts to prevent school children smoking are not targeted early enough, as children experimenting with tobacco by age seven

New Zealand based research on youth tobacco use suggests that current efforts to prevent school children smoking are not targeted early enough, as it found a significant number are already experimenting with tobacco by age seven.

10 Sep 2004

Program that targets allergens and tobacco smoke in the home resulted in fewer asthma symptoms in children

A program that targets allergens and tobacco smoke in the home resulted in fewer asthma symptoms in children participating in the intervention than in those who were not, according to a new study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in seven metropolitan areas nationwide.

10 Sep 2004

Transthyretin discovery may halt progression of Alzheimer's

In a finding that may cause a dramatic shift in the way scientists and researchers search for a therapy for Alzheimer's disease, a team of researchers led by Jeff Johnson, an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy, has discovered that increased expression of a protein called transthyretin in the brain appears to halt the progression of the disease.

10 Sep 2004

Enterovirus-71 case confirmed in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection has confirmed a case of enterovirus-71 involving a two-year-old girl.

10 Sep 2004

DEA approves retail alert network

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced its partnership with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) for the implementation of the Retail Alert Network (RAN), an online information hub and analysis resource for crimes occurring in and around retail outlets and local communities.

10 Sep 2004

Magnetic resonance imaging helps measure osteoarthritis

Researchers from Australia's Monash University have revolutionised knee scans with the development of new technology that harnesses the power of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

10 Sep 2004

Interim report on blood dioxin study made public

Interim results of state-of-the-art tests carried out for some long term residents in the New Plymouth suburb of Paritutu, New Zealnd, have shown a higher than normal level of dioxin in their blood.

10 Sep 2004

Early success of the meningococcal B immunisation programme celebrated

Experts in science and medicine will focus on New Zealand's Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme today and tomorrow at an Immunisation Conference in Rotorua.

10 Sep 2004

Missing genes may help explain why plague bacteria are so deadly

What makes the germ that causes plague so fearsomely lethal, while a close relative only produces digestive disorders and is rarely fatal?

10 Sep 2004

Area of brain crucial for the generation of dreams

In a study published September 10, 2004, in the online edition of the Annals of Neurology, scientists describe a patient who lost all dreaming, and very little else, following a stroke in one distinct region of the brain, suggesting that this area is crucial for the generation of dreams.

10 Sep 2004