Body

Fatty liver is independently associated with subclinical heart failure in obese people, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. The findings add more support to the importance of dietary interventions in such patients, researchers said.

We have all seen messages from the "food police" telling us that sugary snacks are bad. But is it possible that seeing these messages actually make us more likely to eat sugary snacks? Researchers at Arizona State University, Nguyen Pham, Naomi Mandel, and Andrea Morales, show, in new research published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, that these messages backfire among dieters. They find that dieters ate 39% more cookies after seeing a "food police" style message that says, "All sugary snacks are bad" than those who saw a positive message."

Exposure to high levels of small particle air pollution is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth - before 37 weeks of pregnancy, according to a new study published online in the journal Environmental Health.

The study, by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati, identified a 19 percent increased risk, with the greatest risk when high exposure occurred during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Breast cancer survivors treated with chemotherapy could be lacking sufficient antibodies to protect against common illnesses, as chemotherapy reduces the body's immune response, according to research published in the open access journal Breast Cancer Research. This work raises the possibility that these survivors could benefit from additional post-treatment monitoring. Further work is required to assess if revaccination would be beneficial.

Migratory birds that are 'set in their ways' could be more vulnerable to environmental impacts - according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Many species of migratory birds are in decline as a result of human impacts such as climate change and habitat loss.

New research published today reveals why some species are more vulnerable than others.

Teens who use e-cigarettes are more likely to try the real thing a year later than those who don't vape, indicates research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

But subsequent regular smoking is linked only to higher levels of e-cigarette use at the outset, the findings show.

DALLAS - Jan. 25, 2016 - UT Southwestern Medical Center chemists have successfully used synthetic nanoparticles to deliver tumor-suppressing therapies to diseased livers with cancer, an important hurdle scientists have been struggling to conquer.

Late-stage liver cancer is a major challenge for therapeutic intervention. Drugs that show promise in healthy functioning livers can cause devastating toxicity in cirrhotic livers with cancer, the researchers explained.

A new procedure developed by surgeons at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center improves the accuracy of axillary staging and pathologic evaluation in clinically node-positive breast cancer, and reduces the need for a more invasive procedure with debilitating complications.

The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has changed treatment guidelines at the institution for a select group of breast cancer patients with lymph node metastasis, who will now receive Targeted Axillary Dissection (TAD).

Philadelphia, January 26, 2016 -- In a paper published today in Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians (ACP) issued High Value Care advice for the evaluation of blood in the urine, or hematuria, as a sign of urinary tract cancer and to help physicians make decisions about referral of patients for urological assessment.

1. ACP issues advice for evaluating blood in the urine as a sign of cancer

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A little over two years after the College Board released research rebutting findings by an Indiana University Kelley School of Business professor concerning the board's testing methods, the professor and his colleagues have raised new questions in a paper about test bias, based on the testing service's own data.

ITHACA, N.Y. - Take a look at any food label and there's a good chance all design elements, from the color palette to the smallest detail, were meticulously chosen.

Now, amid public debate about whether food companies should list genetically modified (GM) ingredients on their labels, that same deliberative process may be crucial to the perceived legitimacy surrounding controversial decisions. A Cornell University study found consumers are more supportive of labeling decisions when they believe the company considered the public's input in the process.

PHILADELPHIA - A decades-long mystery of how the cell's powerhouse, and its energy currency of calcium ion flow, is maintained under different physiological conditions has been solved by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

WORCESTER, MA -- A new optogenetic technology developed by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences & Technology, called optogenetic immunomodulation, is capable of turning on immune cells to attack melanoma tumors in mice. Using near-infrared light, researchers have shown they can selectively activate an immune response by controlling the flow of calcium ions into the cell. This breakthrough could lead to less invasive, and more controlled and selective immunotherapies for cancer treatment.

During spaceflight, astronauts lose bone mineral density, but it is not clear exactly what causes this loss. Scientists trying to understand why recently went fishing for answers. They reared small freshwater fish aboard the International Space Station for 56 days and examined the animals' jawbones and teeth for any potential effects from microgravity.