A new study demonstrates that mechanical forces affect the growth and remodeling of blood vessels during tissue regeneration and wound healing. The forces diminish or enhance the vascularization process and tissue regeneration depending on when they are applied during the healing process.
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Boston, MA – Age- related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe visual loss among the elderly. Researchers had previously identified several relatively common genetic variants which together predict a person's increased risk for AMD, but a significant number of persons without the disease also have these variants. Now, for the first time, investigators have been able to clearly show a specific rare mutation called CFH R1210C that predicts a very high risk of disease and is extremely uncommon among individuals who do not have the disease.
There is an increasing need for pharmacological tools for biomedical and translational research applications. The field of diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) has been very fruitful in providing access to numerous new molecules with diverse shapes and chemical structures in order to discover candidate molecules for therapeutic use. Boston University researchers, in a paper published in the journal Nature Chemistry [23 OCTOBER 2011 | DOI: 10.1038/NCHEM.1178], present a new approach to accessing new, biorelevant structures by "remodelling" natural products.
Chapel Hill, NC – In a study published today in the journal Nature Genetics, a group of scientists including UNC biologist Jason Lieb, PhD, present experiments supporting a longstanding hypothesis that explains how males can survive with only one copy of the X chromosome. The finding provides clarity to a hotly debated topic in science and provides biologists with more information to interpret experiments involving genetic measurements in males and females.
Plain, sloping roofs can collect up to 50% more rainwater than flat roofs with gravel. This water is also of higher quality. These are the conclusions of a study conducted by researchers from Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB, Spain) which suggests the incorporation of systems to collect rainwater in urban planning. The water collected can be used to water streets and gardens, wash floors or vehicles and fill cisterns.
African-Americans with two copies of the APOL1 gene have about a 4 percent lifetime risk of developing a form of kidney disease, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health. The finding brings scientists closer to understanding why African-Americans are four times more likely to develop kidney failure than whites, as they reported in the Oct. 13 online edition of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
The use of organic photovoltaics for the production of electricity from sunlight offers an attractive and promising basis for an innovative and environmentally friendly means of energy supply. They can be manufactured quite economically and, because they are as bendable as plastic wrap, they can be processed flexibly. The problem is that they are yet markedly less efficient than conventional inorganic semiconductor cells. The most crucial process in the conversion of light into electric current is the generation of free charge carriers.
Scientists have discovered more about the intricacies of the immune system in a breakthrough that may help combat viral infections such as HIV.
Co-led by Professor Jamie Rossjohn of Monash University and Associate Professor Andrew Brooks from University of Melbourne, an international team of scientists have discovered more about the critical role Natural Killer cells play in the body's innate immune response.
The findings were published today in Nature.
CHICAGO - Five years ago, Sheri Scott was beginning a new chapter in her life. The recently engaged 31-year-old was eagerly browsing bridal magazines and busy planning for her big day. Unfortunately, just weeks following her engagement, Scott was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, she was juggling medical appointments and planning a double mastectomy instead of a wedding. Soon after her diagnosis, Scott was approached by her doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about preserving her fertility.
(HONOLULU, HAWAII, OCTOBER 24, 2011) -- Autism and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are currently diagnosed primarily through subjective observation of autistic behaviors. but new research presented at CHEST 2011 suggests that a physical abnormality in the airway may be a prominent indicator for autism and autistic spectrum disorders, making it a possible diagnostic marker for this disease.
There may be some truth to the idea that smokers and drinkers eat less and stay thin.
Heavy alcohol consumption was linked to a greater risk of developing lung cancer, while higher BMI and increased consumption of black tea and fruit are associated with lower risk of the deadly disease, according to studies presented last year at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).
(HONOLULU, HAWAII, OCTOBER 24, 2011) — Sildenafil is currently approved for adult pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) but new research presented at CHEST 2011 shows the drug may also provide significant benefits for children with PAH, helping to improve both oxygen delivery and exercise capacity.
PAH, characterized by narrowing of the small arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs, leads to shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling in the lower body, fatigue, and heart failure.
The presence of rhythmic limb movements when sleeping, which may vary in intensity, may be an indicator of periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).
In a study of 100 patients with PMLD last year, researchers at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), researchers from Toledo, Ohio noted they divided patients into those who were right-handed and those who were left-handed.
Vancouver – Residents in cardiac surgery who receive extra training on a take-home simulator do a better job once they get into the operating room, Dr. Buu-Khanh Lam today told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
After a mastectomy, women who undergo breast reconstruction with tissue from their own abdomen experience significant gains in psychological, social, and sexual wellbeing as soon as three weeks after surgery. That is one of the conclusions of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results provide new information to breast cancer survivors who are contemplating these types of breast reconstruction procedures.