Body | Page 1609 | Science Codex

Offering option of initial HIV care at home increases use of ART

LSTM Researchers found that offering adults in Malawi optional home initiation of care following HIV self-testing resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of adults initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) compared with standard HIV care.

The results are part of a study that was funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in the July 23/30 issue of JAMA, which is HIV/AIDS themed and released early to coincide with the International AIDS Conference taking place in Melbourne, Australia next week.

New trigger for ovulation could make IVF safer

Researchers have successfully used a new and potentially safer method to stimulate ovulation in women undergoing IVF treatment.

Twelve babies have been born after their mothers were given an injection of the natural hormone kisspeptin to make their eggs mature.

Doctors normally administer another hormone, hCG, for this purpose, but in some women, there is a risk that this can overstimulate the ovaries, with potentially life-threatening consequences.

Researchers characterize neurologic response associated with placebo effect

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurological disorder, affecting almost 10 million people worldwide. While there is no cure for this disease, many patients are able to successfully manage their symptoms. Surgical interventions appear to provide relief for some patients.

Autophagy protects insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas

Diabetes affects almost 400 million people worldwide. One of the hallmarks of this disease is a loss of pancreatic β cells, which secrete insulin. In many patients the reduction of β cells is associated an accumulation of a toxic form of a protein produced by β cells, known as islet amyloid polypeptide. There are no therapies or treatment available to restore the β cell populations or function.

A negative HPV test may predict lower cervical cancer risk than a negative Pap

In the US, cotesting for human papilloma virus (HPV) and Pap testing for cervical cancer every 5 years for women aged 30-65 years is now recommended. However, HPV testing alone may provide better reassurance against cervical cancer than Pap testing alone and similar reassurance to cotesting, according to a study published July 18 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Tea Party support linked to educational segregation, new study shows

In January of 2009, Barack Obama assumed the U.S. presidency in the midst of the most severe recession since the great depression of the 1930s. While many Americans hoped the new administration would take an active role in providing relief for those harmed by the economic collapse, a "Tea Party" movement emerged to oppose Obama's agenda.

Yale researchers identify targets for immunotherapy in early-stage breast cancer

July 17, 2014, New Haven, CT – Yale Cancer Center researchers used a new molecular analysis tool to accurately detect the level of an important target for immunotherapy in early-stage breast cancers. The diagnostic test, using RNAScope, measures the amount of PD-L1 (programmed death ligand 1) mRNA in routine formalin-fixed cancer tissues and is devoid of many of the technical issues that plague antibody-based detection methods that have yielded conflicting results in the past. PD-L1 is the target of several novel immune stimulatory therapies in clinical trials.

Genetic variations may modify cardiovascular benefit of aspirin

BOSTON – Aspirin is the gold standard for antiplatelet therapy and a daily low-dose aspirin is widely prescribed for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Immune cell's role in intestinal movement may lead to better understanding of IBS

Learning the role of immune-system cells in healthy digestive tracts and how they interact with neighboring nerve cells may lead to new treatments for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine, in collaboration with other scientists, have reported the role of macrophages in regulating the contractions of the colon to push digested material through the digestive tract.

Measuring the number of protein molecules inside cells

The identification of the genes and proteins involved in a biological process, as well as the way they interact, are essential for the understanding of that process. However, often little is known about the dimensions of molecular biological structures. Knowing how many molecules make up a structure and are required for its function are essential for our understanding of biological mechanisms. Yet, quantifying molecules of infinitesimal size poses a difficult challenge.

A new cellular garbage control pathway with relevance for human neurodegenerative diseases

This news release is available in German.

Consuming probiotics for a month helps diminish fat accumulation in the liver, new study says

Spanish scientists have demonstrated through an experiment on obese rats that the consumption of probiotics during thirty days helps diminish the accumulation of fat in the liver. This new finding, published today by the journal PLOS ONE, is a great step forward on the fight agains the Non-Alcolohic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is closely related to obesity and diabetes.

Novel mechanism for invasion of EV71 virus demonstrated

A new study determines glycosylation and pH-dependent conformational changes of virus receptor SCARB2 as crucial for EV71 attachment, entry and uncoating

PIWI proteins and piRNAs regulate genes in the germline and beyond

Non-coding RNAs represent one of the most exciting aspects of current biomedical research. Non-coding RNAs include long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which are generally longer than 200 nucleotides (nt) and small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) that are mostly 20-35 nt. Among sncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are commonly 21 nt in length, and both specifically bind to the AGO subfamily of the ARGONAUTE (AGO)/PIWI family proteins.

Four new species of tuco-tucos identified from Bolivia

Lincoln, Neb., July 18, 2014 -- A research team led by Scott Gardner of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has identified four new species of Ctenomys, a genus of gopher-like mammal found throughout much of South America.

Commonly called tuco-tucos, the burrowing rodents range from 7 to 12 inches long and weigh less than a pound. They demonstrate the broad range of biological diversity in the lowlands and central valleys of Bolivia, where all four new species were found, Gardner said.