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RNA Key to Activating Genes Through DNA Manipulation

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Researchers at The Wistar Institute revealed that segments of RNA, which are encoded in the DNA but not translated into protein, will play a key role in activating certain genes with the help of physically manipulating the DNA. These non-coding RNA-activators (ncRNA-a) have a crucial role in turning genes on and off during early embryonic development, researchers say, and have also been connected with diseases, including some cancers, in adults. In ...

Lead Pollution Will Continue to Affect Population Despite Regulatory Efforts

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Experts speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meet in Boston revealed that problems associated with lead pollution will continue to persist despite a number of efforts taken to reduce the effects of the pollution over recent years. "Things have substantially improved with the virtual elimination of leaded gasoline, restrictions on lead paint, and other efforts to limit releases of industrial lead into the environment. ...

Two Studies by UTSW Researchers Could Aid Development of New Treatments for Autoimmune Diseases

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Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are conducting two separate studies that could lead to the development of new treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, and improve the effectiveness of current treatments available for viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. The studies identify a new enzyme that acts as a sensor of innate immunity - the body's first line of defense against invaders - and describe a novel cell signaling pathway. This pathway ...

A Third of Office Romances End in Marriage

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While office romances are usually thought to be short term relationships, a new survey carried out by Career Builder found that nearly a third (30 percent) of office romances ended in marriages. The top industries for finding workplace romance included hospitality, information technology, financial services and healthcare. Famous couples who met on the job include Barack and Michele Obama, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and CBS CEO Leslie Moonves and his ...

Patient Dies from SARS-like Virus

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In Britain, a person suffering from a SARS-like virus has died, report health officials, becoming the sixth death from the illness worldwide. The patient was being treated for so-called novel coronavirus at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, and died on Sunday, the hospital said. The victim was one of three people in the same family with the virus, which appeared to have been caught by one of the family members during a recent ...

Negative Beliefs about Weight Loss

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Keeping weight under control can help reach the target goals of blood glucose, blood lipids and blood pressure. Even a modest amount of weight loss can help in managing lifestyle related conditions.

Rotten Egg Gas may Slow Ageing

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Hydrogen sulphide - the gas that gives rotten eggs their distinctive foul smell could lead to fountain of youth and block damaging chemical reactions inside cells, say scientists. The scientists, who reviewed studies on the malodorous gas and its effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, found that Hydrogen sulphide activates a gene implicated in longevity in a similar way to resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine, the Age reported. Unlike ...

Women Behave Differently to Men

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According to a new book, women behave differently to men because their brains are wired completely uniquely. Men and women are equally smart, but each sex uses different parts of the brain to solve problems or achieve goals, explained neuroscientist Daniel G. Amen in his new book, Unleash The Power Of The Female Brain. Women are better at packing carefully for a family holiday because they have more brain cells in the pre-frontal cortex, the area ...

Obamacare's Health Exchanges Maybe Free of Customers

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CEO Stephen Hemsley, of United Group Inc. - warned that he and his peers may not participate in the Federal run online Health Exchanges, where customers and small businesses could shop for policies next year. "We will only participate in exchanges that we assess to be fair, commercially sustainable and provide a reasonable return on the capital they will require," CEO Stephen Hemsley said. If insurers do not participate in Obamacare, consumers ...

Some Grad Students Were Charged for Health Insurance By Error

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Mike Rowe, a graduate student of the University of Minnesota was confused. He received a new insurance card in the mail and a fee of (Dollar) 950 charged to his student account. He almost threw away his old card before realizing this was a mistake. Many Graduate students were automatically enrolled in the University of Minnesota's Student Health Benefit plan and many of them were charged (Dollar) 950 in their student accounts. According to University, there ...

Childhood Vaccinations-Why Are They So Important?

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In a developing country like India, where majority of the population resides in the rural areas, it is essential that healthcare services and preventive medicine be easily available without social and economic barriers. Public awareness is now, thankfully being spread regarding many grave diseases like polio and tuberculosis, with an aim of reducing the population being affected by such conditions. The steep difference of the rich and the poor in India is ...

Study Says Fibromyalgia Prevalence at 2.1 Percent of General German Population

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The prevalence of fibromyalgia is 2.1% of the general population in Germany, shows study published in Arthritis Care (and) Research. Fibromyalgia is a spectrum disorder rather than a categorical illness. Additionally, a number of fibromyalgia cases in the general population satisfy proposed criteria for physical symptom disorder-the presence of one or more physical symptoms that impair function, which cannot be explained by another clinical or psychiatric illness. Fibromyalgia ...

Male Cancer Survivors May Face Problems Fathering Children

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Cancer is bad enough but it is worse when it strikes the young! Cancer has become a common term and the number of people with this deadly disease is escalating like never before. It is not uncommon for even very young people to be affected with cancer. While treatments for cancer, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are life- saving they come with side effects. However, young men who have undergone these treatments for cancer have ...

CT Angiography Helps Predict Risk of Heart Attack

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In patients with suspected coronary artery disease, coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is an effective tool for determining heart attack risk and other adverse cardiac events, states study published in Radiology. "CCTA should be considered as an appropriate first- line test for patients with atypical chest pain and suspected but not confirmed coronary artery disease," said the study's lead author, Jonathon Leipsic, M.D., FRCPC, from the University ...

Dialysis Efficiency (Kt/V) Calculator

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Dialysis Efficiency Calculator or Kt/V calculator is an interactive tool that indicates how well dialysis is working for you and checks if enough water and waste products are cleared from your blood.

Body Adiposity Index Calculator

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Need an alternative to body mass index (BMI)? Body adiposity index gives you the percentage of fat in your body using just your height and hip circumference. Check to see if you are obese.

New Nasal Spray to Treat Sinusitis

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Researchers have isolated an enzyme from Bacillus licheniformis found on the surface of seaweed to develop a nasal spray to help clear sinusitis. They have described how in many cases of chronic sinusitis the bacteria form a biofilm, a slimy protective barrier that can protect them from sprays or antibiotics. In vitro experiments showed that the enzyme, called NucB dispersed 58 percent of biofilms. "In effect, the enzyme breaks down ...

Cooking Classes Boost Healthy Eating Habits

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Cooking classes can urge one to follow a healthy diet for a long period of time, finds study. Questioning of parents who took part in government-funded courses in Scotland showed they ate more fruit and vegetables and fewer ready meals a year later, the BBC reported. The University of Glasgow researchers said refresher courses would boost the effects further. The study looked at courses lasting between four and eight weeks for ...

Lightning Can Initiate a Migraine Attack

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According to scientists, lightning may stimulate headaches! Recently, a study published in the journal iCephalalgia/i has shown that lightning striking near a person's house can trigger headaches. Frederick Freitag, Director of the Headache Center at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas has said that the alterations produced in the air could possibly trigger electrical changes in the brains of migraine patients and result in severe headaches. ...

Human Skin Cells Key to Beating Blindness

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Australian researchers are turning skin cells into eye cells to find a way to treat a common form of blindness. According to figures, age-related macular degeneration that results from dying retinal cells, affects one in seven older Australians and costs the 5.15 billion dollars a year. The team at Melbourne's Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) takes skin cells from affected patients, turns them into stem cells and then into new retinal cells, ...

New Rice Variety for Dieters

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A new variety of rice from UK has negligible calorie count - only 7.7 per 100 grams as compared to 350 for white basmati. Named Slim Rice, it helps you feel full while barely registering on your waistline. Regular boiled rice contains 64 percent water, while precooked Slim Rice is made up of 97 percent water and the Asian root konjac. Some nutritionists claim that vegetable extract konjac, also known as Moyu, can stabilise blood-sugar levels and ...

Coffee Linked to Low Birth Weight Babies

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Coffee puts pregnant women at risk of damaging their unborn babies, says study. Caffeine is linked to low birth weight babies and prolonged pregnancies. Along with nutrients and oxygen, caffeine feely passes the placental barrier, but the developing embryo does not express the enzymes required to inactivate it efficiently. The WHO currently suggests a limit of 300mg per day during pregnancy but some countries recommend a limit of 200mg, which can be less than ...

Survival Saga of a British Teen in the Australian Outback

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Read this ordeal of a British backpacker who got lost in the Australian outback for three days and almost died due to scorching heat and dehydration. He somehow pulled along for three days drinking his own urine and contact lens solution before he could be rescued. Sam Woodhead, 18, had started working at the Queensland cattle station two weeks back. One day, he set out for a jog from the remote Queensland cattle station and somehow got lost in the outback. ...

Scientists: Fallout from Nuclear Testing Shows That the Achilles Tendon Can't Heal Itself

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Achilles tendon injuries is notorious among athletes and trainers as career killers and are among the most devastating. Now, by carbon testing tissues exposed to nuclear fallout in post WWII tests, scientists have learned why: Like our teeth and the lenses in our eyes, the Achilles tendon is a tissue that does not repair itself. This discovery was published online in the FASEB Journal/a/i. "Tendon injury is a very common disease, which hinders many people from ...

Since 2003 England Sees Yearly Rise in Emergency Admissions for Kids

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According to research, the number of children admitted to hospital as emergencies has steadily increased every year since 2003, with the largest rises seen among the under 5s. The research was published online in the iArchives of Disease in Childhood/i. Common infections account for much of this rise, say the authors, who suggest this indicates a "systematic failure in the NHS" to assess children with acute illness that could be better managed by family doctors, ...

Genetic Predisposition to Brain Injury After Preterm Birth is Sex-specific Suggests Study

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Variation in a gene involved in inflammation is associated with developmental problems after preterm birth in females, but not males reports scientists in a new study. The study will be presented on February 14 between 1:15 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting , in San Francisco. This randomized study, Sex-specific genetic susceptibility to adverse neurodevelopmental outcome after early preterm ...

Cameroon Gay Rights Lawyer Seeks Refuge in the United States

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A Cameroonian lawyer has sought refuge with his family in the United States as he has received death threats for defending gays and lesbians in a country where homosexuality is outlawed. In his home country, homosexuality is associated with "sorcery and black magic," said Yaounde lawyer Michel Togue, amid rising concern by international rights groups about the treatment of gays in many African nations. "Homophobia is on the rise, and intolerance is ...

Pope Benedict XVI Could No Longer Carry Out His Papal Duties

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With very little fuss, Pope Benedict XVI has taken one of the most momentous steps in modern Catholic Church history. In a speech in Latin, the 85-year-old Benedict told a group of cardinals on Monday that his advancing age meant he could no longer carry out his papal duties. "I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the cardinals," the frail pontiff said in a whisper. The leader of 1.2 billion ...

When It Comes to Style of Social Networking Men and Women Are Poles Apart Finds Study

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A new study has revealed that men and women socialize differently, as it turns out that the gender differences hold true in online games that involve social interaction. A quantitative study of data assembled from the online multiplayer game Pardus shows how females and males manage their social networks drastically differently. "It is fascinating that we maybe see traces of a million years of social evolution in a computer game," Santa Fe Institute ...

Vigilance Over SARS-like Virus Urged By WHO

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Countries were urged to be vigilant over the spread of a potentially fatal SARS-like virus after a new case in Britain brought the global number to 12 by the World Health Organization. "Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns," the United Nations health agency said in a statement. On ...

Despite Treatment ADHD Symptoms Persist for Most Young Children Finds Study

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According to a federally funded multi-center study led by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center nine out of 10 young children with moderate to severe attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continue to experience serious, often severe symptoms and impairment long after their original diagnoses and, in many cases, despite treatment. The study, published online Feb. 11 in the iJournal of the American Academy of Child (and) Adolescent Psychiatry/i, is the largest ...

Sunlight Spurs Greenhouse Gas Release from Arctic: Scientists

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Ancient carbon trapped in Arctic permafrost when exposed to sunlight melts and collapses, releasing climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air much faster than suspected by scientists. University of Michigan aquatic bio-geochemist George Kling and colleagues studied places in Arctic Alaska where permafrost is melting and causing the overlying land surface to collapse, forming erosional holes and landslides and exposing long-buried soils to sunlight. The ...

Researchers: Love of Music 'Not Natural But Learnt'

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Our love of music and appreciation of musical harmony is learnt and not based on natural ability concludes a new study by University of Melbourne researchers. Associate Professor Neil McLachlan from the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences said previous theories about how we appreciate music were based on the physical properties of sound, the ear itself and an innate ability to hear harmony. "Our study shows that musical harmony can be learnt ...

Scientists Discover Molecule That Drives Cancer Cells to 'Commit Suicide'

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The body can destroy cancerous tumours itself discovers scientists in a key breakthrough that could change the course of medicine. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have identified a molecule, known as TIC10, which activates a protein that helps fight the disease, the Daily Mail reported. The protein, called TRAIL, suppresses tumour development during immune surveillance, the immune system's process of patrolling the body for cancer cells. ...

Man Left Paralyzed Speaks for First Time in 20 Years Using IPad

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A 55-year old man from South Yorkshire in Britain who was left brain damaged following an assault more than 20 years ago managed to 'speak' his first words with the help of Apple's iPad. Kevin Beverley was involved in an attack that left him with broken bones and severe brain damage with his right side paralyzed. He also lost his ability to speak which meant that he spent over two decades communicating only through gestures and noises. Beverley has now learnt ...

Babies from Bilingual Families can Differentiate Between Languages Pretty Early in Life

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A new study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience reveals that babies born into families that are bilingual, or speak more than one language, are able to differentiate between the languages by the time they are just seven months old. Researchers at University of British Columbia said that the babies are not only able to recognize different languages but are also able to follow them in the correct word order, for example prepositions and articles appearing before ...

Thousands Marry in First 'post-Moon' Mass Wedding in South Korea

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Since the death of their "messiah" and controversial church founder Sun Myung Moon, thousands of Unification Church members got married in a mass wedding in South Korea. Some 3,500 identically-dressed couples -- many of mixed nationality who had met just days before -- took part in the ceremony at the church's global headquarters in Gapyeong, east of the capital Seoul. Mass weddings, some held in giant sports stadia with tens of thousands of couples, ...

New Drug Could Prevent Liver Damage in Alcoholics

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Liver damage is one of the most common problems associated with regular consumption of alcohol but a team of American researchers could have found a solution to the problem, a new study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology reveals. According to the study, researchers at University of California have developed a pill that lowers the blood alcohol concentration (BAC), thereby preventing excess damage to the liver. The researchers conducted their study ...

Neurologist Study the Connections Between Neurons in the Brain

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Duke University neurologist and neuroscientist Nicole Calakos studies what happens when the connections between neurons in the brain aren't as adaptable as they should be in the basal ganglia. Ganglia is the brain's "command center" for turning information into actions. Learning, memory and habits are encoded in the strength of connections between neurons in the brain, the synapses. These connections aren't meant to be fixed, they're changeable, or ...

Study Finds That Fidgeting During Interviews Helps Men Relax

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A study has found that fidgeting helps men relax during job interviews, as it leads them to find it easier to tackle complex problems. However, it has the opposite effect for women, the Daily Mail reported. The researchers, from the University of Roehampton, in south west London, said that these findings could significantly change the way that people approach interviews. To look at whether hair flicks, lip bites, foot taps and other ticks ...

Gut Bugs Help Build Healthy Bones: Study

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According to a new study a natural probiotic supplement can help treat people with osteoporosis and produce healthy bones. Probiotics are bugs that can help balance the immune system. "We know that inflammation in the gut can cause bone loss, though it's unclear exactly why," said Laura McCabe, professor of physiology and radiology, Michigan State University (MSU). "The neat thing we found is that a probiotic can enhance bone density." ...

Russian Army Plans to Recreate Human Liver Using Human Stem Cells

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With a tender for creation of an artificial human liver from human stem cells and animal tissue, the Russian military plans to enter the rapidly developing field of bioengineering. The tender for development of the artificial liver, dubbed "Code Prometheus", was published on state tender website Zakupki.gov.ru by the Federal Agency for the Procurement of Military and Special Equipment. The winner of the 518 million rubles ( (Dollar) 17 million) tender must produce ...

Research Details New Way of Looking at Drug Discovery

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New developments are urgently needed in the field of drug discovery. Garret FitzGerald, MD, FRS, chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine (and) Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has long said the current drug-development system in the United States is in need of change, "representing an unsustainable model." Even though the number of drugs approved has risen ...

Cause of Arrhythmia Identified

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Researchers at University of British Columbia have made use of powerful X-rays and identified what exactly causes arrhythmia, a condition characterized by irregular heart beat. Characterized by the heart beating too fast, too slow or inconsistently, arrhythmias may cause a decrease of blood flow to the brain and body, resulting in heart palpitation, dizziness, fainting, or even death. Presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association ...

Prevent Obesity During Pregnancy

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Before and during pregnancy, a much neglected part of the obesity epidemic is that it has resulted in more overweight/obese women. Their offspring also tend to have higher birth weights and more body fat and carry an increased risk of obesity and chronic diseases later in life. However, the nutritional factors and mechanisms involved pre and during pregnancy that may influence child obesity remain uncertain. A recent publication by ILSI Europe identifies and discusses ...

Research Traces Evolutionary Origins of Human Dietary Patterns

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The diets and ways of prehistoric populations have been extensively studied by William Leonard. A paper on his research will be presented Friday, Feb. 15, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The research shows that the transition from subsistence to a modern, sedentary lifestyle has created energy imbalances that have increased rapidly -- evolutionarily speaking -- in recent years and now play a major role in ...

Study Claims Self-Regulation of Drug Advertising by Pharmaceutical Companies 'An Industry Sponsored Ruse'

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A new study published in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law has come down hard on pharmaceutical industry, stating that it is trying to deflect criticism and avoid any new Federal regulation by showing that it is self-regulating its direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising which is nothing by "an industry sponsored ruse". The paper, "The Politics and Strategy of Industry Self-Regulation: The Pharmaceutical Industry's Principles for Ethical Direct-to-Consumer ...

Genetic Mutation That Causes Pompe Disease in Dogs also Responsible for the Same Disease in Humans

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Professor Hannes Lohi and his colleagues at the University of Helsinki's Canine Genetics Research Group have developed a genetic test that can be used to detect Pompe disease, a severe glycogen storage disease usually appearing in Lapphunds but also seen in humans, a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE reveals. This research was completed at the Canine Genetics Research Group lead by professor Hannes Lohi in the University of Helsinki and Folkhalsan Research ...

Study Shows Increasing Number of People Meet Diabetes Control Markers Over the Last Decade

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A study jointly funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that the number of people who meet the recommended goals in the three key markers of diabetes control has increased substantially. The report, published online February 15 in iDiabetes Care/i, shows that, from 1988 to 2010, the number of people with diabetes able to meet or exceed all three of the measures that demonstrate good diabetes management ...

Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Model for African American Women Underestimates Risk

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Researchers at Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) have found that the prediction model used to detect breast cancer risk among African Americans tends to underestimate the risk in certain subgroups. The model predicted estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer, which is a more aggressive form of breast cancer that disproportionately affects African American women, more poorly than ER-positive breast cancer. The study, published ...

Natural Probiotic Supplements can Help Osteoporosis Patients

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Osteoporosis patients could be helped by natural probiotic supplements after a new study conducted by researchers at Michigan State University found that such supplements aid in the development of healthier bones. But the same can't be said for female mice, the researchers said. "We know that inflammation in the gut can cause bone loss, though it's unclear exactly why. The neat thing we found is that a probiotic can enhance bone density," said lead author ...

First Pregnancy Ending in Small-for-Gestational-Age Birth Increases Risk of Recurrence During Second Pregnancy as Well

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A new study presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in San Francisco reveals that the risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) increases during a second pregnancy if babies born during the first pregnancy have been found to be SGA as well. The aim of this study was to assess and describe in detail the incidence of SGA infants and the SGA recurrence rate in general. Additionally, it sought to assess the incidence ...

Intra-Amniotic Debris Increases Risk of Preterm Birth in First Pregnancy

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The presence of intra-amniotic debris present in nulliparous women with a short cervix increases the risk of early (less than 35 weeks) preterm birth, a new study presented at The Pregnancy Meeting, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting in San Francisco reveals. The babies born to women with debris had worse outcomes than those born to women without debris, likely due to the earlier delivery. The multicenter study, presented by Dr. ...

Health Benefits of Omega Fatty Acids

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Potential clues to the mechanism underlying the health benefits of omega fatty acids has been uncovered by a search for genes that change their levels of expression in response to nutrient deprivation. In the Feb. 15 issue of iGenes (and) Development/i, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers describe finding that feeding omega-6 fatty acids to iC. elegans/i roundworms or adding them to cultured human cells activates a cellular renewal process called ...

Eradication of Barrett's Esophagus After Endoluminal Therapies Have a High Success Rate

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Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a precancerous condition with a known risk of progressing to cancer, especially when high-grade dysplasia (HGD, abnormal cells) is observed. A new study from researchers at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania reports that endoluminal (endoscopic) therapies, combining resection and ablation techniques, for patients with Barrett's esophagus and high-grade dysplasia or early mucosal cancer have a high success rate, with durable ...

New Strategy for Interfering With a Potent Cancer-causing Gene Identified

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In 70% of patients, Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive blood cancer that is currently incurable. In a bold effort, CSHL scientists are among those identifying and characterizing the molecular mechanisms responsible for this cancer in order to generate potential new therapeutics. CSHL Assistant Professor Christopher Vakoc, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues, including the group of Professor Robert Roeder Ph.D. at The Rockefeller University, report ...

Around-the-clock Labor Coverage Decreased the Odds of Cesarean Delivery

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In a study, researchers will report findings that suggest around-the-clock labor and delivery coverage decreased the odds of cesarean delivery. The study is to be presented on February 16 between 8 a.m., and 10 a.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting , in San Francisco. The objective of the study was to determine if the implementation of "laborists" to provide around-the-clock coverage of labor ...