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New CT Scans Accurately Assess Coronary Blockages

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New, ultra-fast computed tomography accurately sorts out which people with chest pain need or don't need cardiac angioplasty, states study. "The CORE 320 study is the first prospective, multicenter study to examine the diagnostic accuracy of CT for assessing blockages in blood vessels and determining which of those blockages may be preventing the heart from getting adequate blood flow," says Joao A. C. Lima, M.D., senior author of the study and professor ...

Fish: The Best and The Worst

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Some fish are contaminated with high levels of methyl mercury. Methyl mercury is a neurotoxin which affects the pregnant or lactating mother's child's brain.

Skin Spray Speeds Up Leg Ulcer Healing

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A spray that can cover a wound with a layer of skin cells has been tested by US and Canadian researchers and the results of their study have been published in the iLancet/i. The new "spray on skin" was tested on 228 people who had leg ulcers. The study showed that the wounds healed better and faster, in those who were treated with the spray. It has been proposed that, despite its cost, the spray could actually reduce treatment money. Leg ...

Crow's Feet: Beauty Tips

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Some of us inherit fine lines and wrinkles - also known as Crows feet - while others develop them. Either ways they can definitely be lightened or removed.

New Genetic Markers Could Signal Colon Cancer Development

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Proteins - part of R-spondin family cause the development of some forms of colon cancer, say researchers. Now, University of Minnesota researchers have discovered that when two types of R-spondins - RSPO2 and RSPO 3 - are reactivated in adults through certain gene mutations, they can signal cells to restart the cell proliferation process, which can lead to tumor growth in the colon. The discovery, which involved multiple researchers from the University's ...

Insufficient Sleep Linked to Aggressive Breast Cancers

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Lack of sleep may trigger aggressive form of breast cancers and the likelihood of recurrence, reveals study. The study, led by Cheryl Thompson, Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, analysed medical records and survey responses from 412 post-menopausal breast cancer patients with Oncotype DX. Oncotype DX is a widely utilized test to guide treatment in early stage breast cancer by predicting likelihood of recurrence. ...

Low-calorie Diet Good for Your Health, Say Researchers

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Low-energy diet can have long term benefits, say researchers. Researchers at Britain-based Robert Gordon University (RBU) reviewed over 30 studies investigating effects of controversial very-low-energy-diet (VLEDs) on obesity and associated disorders. "The evidence suggests that VLEDs can help obese people achieve long-term weight loss and improvements in fertility, respiratory disorders and cardiovascular risk," the review said. The ...

Energy Drinks Boost Heart Function

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Energy drinks exert positive benefits on heart, finds research. "In recent years the energy drink market has exploded, with more people than ever before turning to these products as quick 'pick me ups', whether to stay awake during all night study vigils or gain the edge in sport," said Dr Cameli. "With energy drinks containing both caffeine and taurine concerns have been raised of adverse effects on the heart. While caffeine increases blood pressure, studies ...

New Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes Discovered

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In the elderly, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is found to be a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Obesity, inactivity and aging are known to be associated with insulin resistance, one of the first signs of incipient diabetes. However only a third of those with insulin resistance go on the develop type 2 diabetes. So what marks these people as different? Why do their pancreas' fail? Genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a part but so also does ...

Healthy Lifestyle Cuts Hypertension Risk

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Healthy behaviors reduce the risk of hypertension by two thirds, reveals recent study. According to the World Health Organization, hypertension is the leading cause of mortality in the world, contributing annually to over 7 million deaths (about 15% of all deaths). Therefore, prevention of hypertension is essential to improving health and preventing morbidity and mortality, both in developing and developed countries. The purpose of this study was ...

Successful Pediatric Stem-Cell Tracheal Transplant: Boy Doing Well Two Years On

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A first of its kind, stem cell based tracheal transplant in a 12 year old child is functioning well, according to a two year follow up study published in the journal Lancet. This type of transplants may offer new therapeutic options for patients with organ failure, think the surgeons. This is the first attempt to grow stem cells in vivo i.e. within the body rather than in a laboratory, in a child. Ciaran Finn-Lynch, a 12 year old boy, underwent a stem cell based ...

Psoriasis Patients at High Risk of Diabetes: Research

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According to a recent research work, patients with psoriasis are at an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory disease that affects approximately 125 million people worldwide. A new study of the entire Danish population confirms previous reports of increased risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with psoriasis and shows that risk increases with severity of psoriasis. Psoriasis, atherosclerosis, ...

Midlife Fitness Delays Chronic Disease

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Fitness at middle age increases the chances of aging healthily and lowers risk of chronic disease, finds recent study. For decades, research has shown that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels lessen the risk of death, but it previously had been unknown just how much fitness might affect the burden of chronic disease in the most senior years - a concept known as morbidity compression. "We''ve determined that being fit is not just delaying the ...

Gene That Influences Survival in ALS Identified

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Novel gene that influences survival time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been discovered by University of Massachusetts Medical School researchers. The study, published today in iNature Medicine/i, describes how the loss of activity of a receptor called EphA4 substantially extends the lifespan of people with the disease. When coupled with a UMMS study published last month in Nature identifying a new ALS gene (profilin-1) that also works in conjunction with EphA4, ...

Working Moms Spend Less Time on Kids' Diet, Exercise: Study

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Mothers with full-time jobs spend less time on kids' diet and exercise, states study. Male partners do little to make up the deficit: Employed fathers devote just 13 minutes daily to such activities and non-working fathers contribute 41 minutes, finds the study, which will be printed in the December issue of iiEconomics and Human Biology/i/i. The findings are consistent across socio-economic lines measured by the mothers' education, family ...

New Once-a-day Pill to Treat HIV Approved by US

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FDA has approved a new once-a-day pill to treat HIV infection. The single daily dose provides a complete treatment regimen for HIV infection, the US Food and Drug Administration said in a statement, and is part of a progression of increasingly simplified treatment options. "Through continued research and drug development, treatment for those infected with HIV has evolved from multi-pill regimens to single-pill regimens," said Edward Cox, director of the Office ...

When Malignant Brain Tumors Appear at Multiple Sites Survival Statistics Show Hard Fight

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According to research, when aggressive, malignant tumors appear in more than one location in the brain, patient survival tends to be significantly shorter than when the disease starts as a single tumor. This takes place even though patients in both groups undergo virtually identical treatments. The research is from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute. "We''ve known that certain independent factors, such as age at diagnosis, ...

Changing Epidemiology of Rare Disease Links Sinus Irrigation With Contaminated Tap Water, 2 Deaths: Research

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When water containing the iNaegleria fowleri/i ameba, a single-celled organism, enters the nose, the organisms may migrate to the brain, causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a very rare-but usually fatal-disease. A new study published in iClinical Infectious Diseases /idescribes the first reported cases in the United States implicating nasal irrigation using disinfected tap water in these infections. Now available online, the study highlights the ...

The Generation of New Neurons from Neural Stem Cells Controlled By Astrocytes

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Astrocytes are cells that have many functions in the central nervous system. Some of the functions are the control of neuronal synapses, blood flow, or the brain's response to neurotrauma or stroke. Reduces brain tissue damageProf. Pekny's laboratory together with collaborators have earlier demonstrated that astrocytes reduce the brain tissue damage after stroke and that the integration of transplanted neural stem cells can be largely improved by modulating ...

Research: Histone-modifying Proteins, Not Histones, Remain Associated With DNA Through Replication

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It's widely accepted that molecular mechanisms mediating epigenetics include DNA methylation and histone modifications. Despite this, a team from from Thomas Jefferson University/a has evidence to the contrary regarding the role of histone modifications. A study of iDrosophila/i embryos from Jefferson's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/a published ahead of print in iCell/i August 23 found that parental methylated histones are not transferred ...

Destructive Power of Hurricanes Could Be Reduced By Cloud Seeding

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The hurricanes are one of the most destructive forces of nature on Earth. Environmental scientists working to tame these hurricanes have proposed using cloud seeding to decrease sea surface temperatures where the storm form. Theoretically, the team claimed the technique could reduce hurricane intensity by a category. The team focused on the relationship between sea surface temperature and the energy associated with the destructive potential of hurricanes. ...

Solar Activity Might Be the Cause Of Extremely Cold European Winters

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It has been assumed that the Sun's 11-year cycle influences climate of certain regions on Earth. Until now, scientists couldn't find strong evidence to prove it. Now, armed with a unique proxy, an international team of researchers has shown that unusually cold winters in Central Europe are related to low solar activity-when sunspot numbers are minimal. The freezing of Germany's largest river, the Rhine, is the key. Although the Earth's ...

1.5 Million Obese Adults In Britain

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Britain has around 1.5 million adults who can be classed as "morbidly obese", The Sun reported Friday. Weight loss operations in the country have soared by a whopping 530 percent in the last six years, it quoted government figures as saying. According to data released by the National Health Service (NHS), thousands of people are too fat to get out their own homes or beds and face premature death, disease and disability, The Sun said. There ...

Ancient Arctic Village Mapped By Google

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Google seems to be surfing new places. The search engine has said in a statement that it is surfing new places in the remote northern outposts of the Canada's Arctic region with its mapping device. "Search for Cambridge Bay on Google maps and you will fly to a tiny hamlet located deep in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavat in Canada's Arctic circle surrounded by an intricate lacework of tundra, waterways and breaking ice. High above the Arctic circle, it is a place ...

'No-Brainer','Touch Base' And Other Office Phrases That Drive You Crazy

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Researchers say that an average worker is left irritated at least 10 times a day by rubbish phrases like 'touch base' and 'close of play'. According to a new study, one in five employees admit taking on the role of 'office waffler' in a misguided attempt to impress their colleagues. Much like the character of David Brent played by Ricky Gervais in the hit sitcom 'The Office', a surprising 16 percent even believe it improves their chances of promotion. ...

You Can Cope With Scary Situations If You Talk About Your Negative Feelings

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We use language every day to express our emotions. This form of expression could actually help us cope with a scary situation. Katharina Kircanski and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles investigated whether verbalizing a current emotional experience, even when that experience is negative, might be an effective method for treating for people with spider phobias. In an exposure therapy study, participants were split into different ...

Humans Can't Stand Unfairness: Study

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According to a new study, people unlike chimpanzees will reject an offer of water, even when they are severely thirsty, if they perceive the offer to be unfair. The findings have important implications for understanding how humans make decisions that must balance fairness and self-interest. It's been known for some time that when humans bargain for money they have a tendency to reject unfair offers, preferring to let both parties walk away with nothing ...

Paying Attention to Food Quantity can Make People Eat Less: Researchers

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Researchers suggest that learning how to stop enjoying unhealthy food sooner may play a pivotal role in combating obesity problem. New research from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management explores how satiation, defined as the drop in liking during repeated consumption, can be a positive mechanism when it lowers the desire for unhealthy foods. "When people talk about self-control, they really imply that self-control is willpower ...

New Forensic Test to Identify Hair and Eye Colour of Criminals

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A new forensic test predicts the hair and eye colour of a criminal, say scientists. The team that developed the test said that it could provide valuable leads in cases where perpetrators cannot be identified through DNA profiling. The Hirisplex system could allow investigators to narrow down a large group of possible suspects. Predicting phenotypes - outward traits such as hair colour or eye colour - from DNA information is an emerging ...

Scientists Discover Happiness Gene

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Happiness gene discovered, but works only in women, states study. The findings could help explain why women are often happier than men, the predominantly female team of US researchers said. The study focused on a gene called MAOA that affects the levels of feel-good chemicals in the brain. Almost 350 men and women were asked how happy they were and gave a saliva sample that was tested for their DNA. The MAOA gene comes in ...

Microwave Ovens May Help Produce Cheaper Solar Energy Technology, Say Researchers

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Microwave ovens have found an important application in the solar energy industry, say researchers. Engineers at Oregon State University have for the first time developed a way to use microwave heating in the synthesis of copper zinc tin sulfide, a promising solar cell compound that is less costly and toxic than some solar energy alternatives. "All of the elements used in this new compound are benign and inexpensive, and should have good solar ...