Body | Page 1312 | Science Codex

Receptor may be key to treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Inhibiting a nuclear receptor in the gut could lead to a treatment for a liver disorder that affects almost 30 percent of the Western world's adult population, according to an international team of researchers.

The researchers found that tempol, an antioxidant drug, and antibiotics can treat and prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice that were fed a high-fat diet. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- NAFLD -- is a build up of fat in liver cells that disrupts liver function and, if left untreated, can lead to liver failure.

Microbial-induced pathway promotes nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder and affects approximately 1 billion people worldwide. It is not clear how this disease develops, but recent studies suggest that the bacterial population in the gut influences NAFLD. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation provides a link between molecular signaling pathways in the gut, the intestinal microbiome, and development of NAFLD.

Non-Gluten proteins identified as targets of immune response to wheat in celiac disease

NEW YORK, NY (December 15, 2014)--Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that, in addition to gluten, the immune systems of patients with celiac disease react to specific types of non-gluten protein in wheat. The results were reported online in the Journal of Proteome Research.

Dartmouth researchers create 'green' process to reduce molecular switching waste

HANOVER, N.H. - Dartmouth researchers have found a solution using visible light to reduce waste produced in chemically activated molecular switches, opening the way for industrial applications of nanotechnology ranging from anti-cancer drug delivery to LCD displays and molecular motors.

The study appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. A PDF is available on request.

Women's age at first menstrual cycle linked to heart disease risk

Women who had their first menstrual cycle at age 10 or younger, or age 17 or older, may be at higher risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and complications of high blood pressure, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

Researchers analyzed data collected from 1.3 million women aged 50 to 64 years old, who were mostly white. After over a decade of observation, those women who had their first menstrual cycle at the age of 13 had the least risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.

Feeling younger than actual age meant lower death rate for older people

Turns out, feeling younger than your actual age might be good for you.

A research letter published online by JAMA Internal Medicine found that older people who felt three or more years younger than their chronological age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt their age or who felt more than one year older than their actual age.

Injuries from indoor tanning include burns, passing out, eye injuries

Skin burns, passing out and eye injuries were among the primary injuries incurred at indoor tanning sites and treated in emergency departments (EDs) at U.S. hospitals, according to a research letter published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Indoor tanning exposes users to intense UV radiation, a known carcinogen. But less is known about the more immediate adverse effects of indoor tanning, according to background information in the article.

Tobacco cessation outreach to disadvantaged smokers

Boston, MA-- Although tobacco use in the United States has declined, substantial socioeconomic, racial and ethnic disparities in smoking prevalence remain, particularly among smokers of low socioeconomic (SES) status, who have more difficulty quitting. New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital has now identified effective ways to help this population quit smoking. These findings are published online in JAMA Internal Medicine on December 15, 2014.

Outreach program gets cessation help to smokers of low socioeconomic status

A strategy that relied on electronic health records (EHRs) to identify smokers and interactive voice-response telephone calls to reach them may help promote tobacco cessation efforts among smokers of low-socioeconomic status (SES), according to a report published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Intravenous vs. oral antibiotics for serious bone infections in children

Children with osteomyelitis (a serious bacterial bone infection) who were discharged from the hospital to complete several weeks of outpatient antibiotic therapy with an oral medication did not have a higher rate of treatment failure than children who received their antibiotic therapy intravenously, according to a study published online by JAMA Pediatrics.

Herceptin found to improve long-term survival of HER2-positive breast cancer patients

VCU Massey Cancer Center physician-researcher Charles E. Geyer, Jr., M.D., was the National Protocol Officer for one component of a large national study involving two National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported clinical trials that demonstrated that trastuzumab significantly improves the long-term survival of HER-2 positive breast cancer patients. The combined study was designed to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of the drug trastuzumab, which is commonly known as Herceptin and is primarily used alongside chemotherapy to treat HER2-positive breast cancer.

Evidence of Viking/Norse metalworking in Arctic Canada

A small stone container found by archaeologists a half-century ago has now been recognized as further evidence of a Viking or Medieval Norse presence in Arctic Canada during the centuries around 1000 A.D.

How blood parasites colonize and persist in small island bird populations

A new study highlights the complex factors at play for parasites that infect animal populations residing on small islands. The findings are important for understanding colonization and extinction as drivers of island biogeography.

Investigators who studied the mechanisms that contribute to colonization and persistence of avian malaria parasites in an island bird population found that increases in the prevalence and diversity of parasites were associated with episodes of offshore winds and less so with infected vagrant birds arriving from the mainland.

Do crows have an impact on the population of their prey?

They steal, raid nests, and keep the company of witches, but the unpopular crow may not be as big a menace as people think. A new Ibis study has found that crows--along with their avian cousins the magpie and the raven--have surprisingly little impact on the abundance of other bird species.

Collectively known as corvids, these birds are in fact being menaced by mankind in the mistaken belief that removing them is good for conservation.

How trap-flowers attract and deceive pollinating food thieves

Researchers have discovered a new pollination system that involves food-thieving flies as pollinators. These flies feed on insect secretions, available when a spider, a praying mantis, or other predatory arthropods feed on insects. The plant mimics compounds released from freshly killed insects to deceive flies that are in search of food.

This pollination strategy applies to Aristolochia rotunda--an herbaceous Mediterranean plant--but likely evolved in other plants as well.