April 20, 2010 -- A study by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) carried out in Krakow, Poland has found that prenatal exposure to pollutants can adversely affect children's cognitive development at age 5, confirming previous findings in a New York City (NYC) study.
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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Vitamin supplements, diet, geographic location, demographic information or lifestyle, independently or in combination, cannot accurately predict vitamin D concentrations in blood, researchers at the University at Buffalo have found.
This finding indicates that data such as vitamin D from foods and supplements or latitude of residence (northern vs. southern) cannot be used dependably as surrogate markers to assess the risk of breast and colon cancer.
Researchers have discovered 2,363 new DNA sequences corresponding to 730 regions on the human genome by using new approaches. These sequences represent segments of the genome that were not charted in the reference map of the human genome.
ST. PAUL, MN—Burgeoning restrictions on water use, fertilization, and pesticide application are becoming important considerations in golf course design and management. In response, scientists are searching for sustainable methods to lessen the environmental impact of golf courses. Other factors, including increasing energy costs, human health concerns, and environmental awareness are also prompting turfgrass managers to consider the use of alternative turfgrasses as a lower input, sustainable maintenance practice.
In all cancers, whether in kidney, breast, lung, colon, skin or any other tissue, cells show high Myc protein levels. Excess Myc causes cells to multiply in an exaggerated manner, giving rise to the development of tumours. One of the most pressing questions about Myc is how healthy cells keep the expression of this protein in check.
Scientists from the University of Granada in Spain have generated artificial human skin by tissular engineering basing on agarose-fibrin biomaterial. The artificial skin was grafted onto mice, and optimal development, maturation and functionality results were obtained. This pioneering finding will allow the clinical use of human skin and its use in many laboratory tests on biological tissues –which, additionally, would avoid the use of laboratory animals. Further, this finding could be useful in developing new treatment approaches for dermatological pathologies.
The relative importance of genetic factors in tinnitus is low, according to new research from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. This is the first large population-based study to measure the heritability of tinnitus.
The study looked at prevalence of tinnitus and to what degree it is hereditary. Prevalence of tinnitus was 15.1 percent, which correlates well with findings from other countries.
Tinnitus is a symptom with a variety of underlying causes, such as impaired hearing or exposure to noise and medicines.
Fredericksburg, TX—April 20, 2010—A new study from the Journal of Marital & Family Therapy warns of the dramatic rise in the use of psychotropic medications for children. One in every fifty Americans is now considered permanently disabled by mental illness, and up to eight million children take one or more psychotropic drugs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 20, 2010)––Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have identified a potentially significant molecular player in the development of aggressive breast cancer. The team's findings show that a protein called NEDD9 is critical in the formation of breast tumors induced by high levels of the cell-surface receptor HER2/neu in mice. HER2-driven breast cancer is known to be one the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Hepatic fibrosis (HF) occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases and approximately 25%-40% of HF cases may ultimately progress to hepatic cirrhosis. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) contribute significantly to the occurrence of HF and the activation of HSC is the key issue in the pathogenesis of HF. Taurine is a kind of important anti-injury substance in the body. Taurine has a protective effect on various types of liver injury. It has been clear that the antifibrotic mechanism of taurine may involve its inhibition of the activation and proliferation of HSCs.
Gastric adenomyoma (AM) is a rare, benign tumor, characteristically composed of glands and cysts, lined by columnar, flattened epithelia and a prominent smooth muscle stroma. Patients with gastric AM may be asymptomatic, or present as nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms.
A research article to be published on April 21, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team led by Dr. Wen-Yong Sun from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital reported a case of gastric AM seen in a 68-year-old man with a 1-week history of melena.
BOZEMAN, Mont. – For people who would like to be better skiers and enjoy the sport more, Montana State University professor John Seifert has some tips.
Australian scientists have shown for the first time that even modest weight loss reverses many of the damaging changes often seen in the immune cells of obese people, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes.
The immune system is made up of many different kinds of cells that protect the body from germs, viruses and other invaders. These cells need to co-exist in a certain balance for good health to be maintained. Many factors, including diet and excess body fat, can tip this balance, creating cells that can attack, rather than protect, our bodies.
Neural vasoregulation represents a rapid and potent mode of altering vascular tone but has not been investigated thoroughly during portal hypertension. Heat shock protein-90 (HSP-90) is well-known to act as a molecular chaperone optimizing endothelial and neural NO-synthase (eNOS, nNOS) enzyme activity and thus, NO production. Although HSP-90 has been shown to mediate in large parts the enhanced eNOS-dependent NO overproduction in the splanchnic circulation during portal hypertension, it is not clear what role HSP-90 plays in nNOS-mediated vasorelaxation in this scenario.
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) represents a key modulatory molecule in inflammation and carcinogenesis. COX-2 is known to have multiple tumorigenic effects. Increased expression of COX-2 has been observed in a variety of tumors including pancreatic cancer. In the literature, the prognostic significance of COX-2 expression including the role of antibody used for an evaluation of COX-2 expression profile have been discussed. A significant inverse relationship between COX-2 overexpression and survival rates has previously been reported in retrospective studies of different types of malignancies.