Body

Research provides insights on how to improve face transplants

Over 30 face transplants have been performed to date, but little is known about the long-term outcomes of recipients. A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that faces, when transplanted, change their appearance based on the bone structure of the recipient, and they seem to age at an accelerated rate.

Risk of childhood wheeze from antibiotic use in third trimester of pregnancy

Antibiotic use during the third trimester of pregnancy leads to an increased risk of childhood wheeze, according to new findings.

Antibiotic use in pregnancy and the risk of wheeze is a widely debated topic and a new study has evaluated whether confounding factors could explain this suggested association.

Depression contributes to preventable hospitalizations in Danish study

Individuals with depression are more than twice as likely to have hospitalizations that might be preventable with timely outpatient medical care in the community, a new study finds. In addition, after being discharged from the hospital, individuals with depression were also more likely to return to the hospital within 30 days for the same conditions, the researchers found.

The Lancet: Weight gain between pregnancies linked to increased risk of stillbirth and infant death

Mothers of healthy weight during their first pregnancy who gain even a moderate amount of weight (around 6 kg in a woman of average height) between their first and second pregnancies increase the risk of their baby dying in its first year of life, according to new research involving over 450000 Swedish women, published in The Lancet.

UMD study shows that Affordable Care Act has reduced racial/ethnic health disparities

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has significantly improved insurance coverage and use of health care for African Americans and Latinos, according to a new study led by researchers in the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Texas engineers develop potential treatment for whooping cough

A team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and Synthetic Biologics Inc. have developed two antibodies to potentially treat or prevent pertussis, the highly contagious respiratory tract infection that affects millions of infants around the world and results in an estimated 200,000 child deaths every year.

New class of inhibitory compounds developed to aid melanoma treatments

Irvine, Calif., Dec. 2, 2015 -- A University of California, Irvine pharmacology researcher has helped create a class of inhibitory compounds that can strongly enhance the effect of anti-tumor drugs for melanoma.

In doing so, Daniele Piomelli, the Louise Turner Arnold Chair in the Neurosciences at UCI, and scientists at the Italian Institute of Technology identified how an enzyme called acid ceramidase can accelerate tumor growth in this deadly form of skin cancer.

A cheap, disposable device for diagnosing disease

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The development of a reusable microfluidic device for sorting and manipulating cells and other micro/nano meter scale objects will make biomedical diagnosis of diseases cheaper and more convenient in regions where medical facilities are sparse or cost is prohibitive. Researchers at Penn State have recently filed a patent to develop such a device.

Fries with a side of acrylamide

French fry lovers, beware! You may be exposed to a chemical more commonly associated with heavy industry than crispy fried potatoes. Fortunately, researchers are finding ways to reduce that exposure.

French fries contain acrylamide. The chemical poses a risk for several types of cancer in rodents. However, the evidence from human studies is still incomplete. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers the chemical a "probable human carcinogen."

Scripps Florida scientists create 'fingerprints' for major drug development targets

JUPITER, FL - December 2, 2015 - For the first time, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have created detailed "fingerprints" of a class of surface receptors that have proven highly useful for drug development.

These detailed "fingerprints" show the surprising complexity of how these receptors activate their binding partners to produce a wide range of signaling actions.

Little known about children living with HIV-infected adults in Africa

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- Sub-Saharan Africa has long been known to have the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world. But a new study published in this month's issue of PLOS One reveals that despite the focus on the region, few estimates exist of one of its most vulnerable populations: children living in households with HIV-infected adults.

RNA mystery solved in triple negative breast cancer

(PHILADELPHIA) -- Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have discovered why conventional efforts to block a tiny strand of ribonucleic acid, called microRNA, in triple negative breast cancer cells failed. In a study published December 2nd in the journal PLOS ONE, the new insight enables effective design of RNA blockers against previously intractable microRNAs.

Extinct 3-horned palaeomerycid ruminant found in Spain

The extinct three-horned palaeomerycid ruminant, Xenokeryx amidalae, found in Spain, may be from the same clade as giraffes, according to a study published December 2, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Israel M. Sánchez from the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain, and colleagues.

Engraved schist slab may depict paleolithic campsites

A 13,000 year-old engraving uncovered in Spain may depict a hunter-gatherer campsite, according to a study published December 2, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Marcos García-Diez from University of the Basque Country, Spain, and Manuel Vaquero from Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution - IPHES, Spain.

Manuel Vaquero suggests that this "paleolithic engraving from northeastern Spain brings us the first representation of a human social group."

Transcendental Meditation and lifestyle modification increase telomerase, new study finds

A new study published in PLOS ONE found that the Transcendental Meditation technique and lifestyle changes both appear to stimulate genes that produce telomerase, an enzyme that's associated with reduced blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.

Specifically, these approaches were found to activate two genes that code for telomerase, which adds molecules to the ends of chromosomes, or telomeres, protecting them from deteriorating.