Candidate is a subtype of HDL cholesterol that promotes inflammation
Groundbreaking research reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology indicates that a certain form of the normally “good” high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol linked to cardiovascular health plays a counterproductive role in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis, promoting atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease in many of
Presentations: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2005
Cardiology researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have found that a single injection of a harmless virus engineered to carry a beneficial, mutant gene enabled animals to manufacture their own supply of the gene’s protein product that protects against plaque buildup in blood vessels. As a result, the amount of plaque was significantly reduced, as was an immune reaction that can lead to plaque buildup and r
A common anti-seizure drug may be effective against certain conditions associated with lupus, according to animal research at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
The drug, valproic acid (Depakote), prevents skin disease and reduces the severity of kidney disease in a mouse model of lupus, said Nilamadhab Mishra, M.D., a rheumatologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
“Valproic acid may be a potential cost-effective disease-modifying agent in lupu
Research shows disruption to key immune cells in mice
Although lead is a well-known human health hazard, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have discovered a new aspect of how it may work in mice to harm the function of T-cells, which regulate the body’s immune response to bacteria, viruses and other bugs.
The discovery adds insight to the latest trend in lead research, as scientists shift their emphasis from the immediate public health threat t
There’s hope for the less-than-perfect male – if you’re a swordtail fish, that is. As the size and age of female swordtail fish increase, so does the preference for males with asymmetrical markings, according to a new Ohio University study.
Molly Morris, associate professor of biological sciences, and colleagues found that older female swordtails spent more time with asymmetrically striped males than symmetrical males when offered a choice.
These findings are the first
New findings may help with social interaction
New brain imaging research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that when people with autism look at a face, activity in the brain area that responds is similar to that of people without autism.
The finding is surprising, as it is widely known that autistic individuals tend to avoid looking directly at faces. The research also counters previous published reports that the face-processing area at the back
Breast cancer associated gene 2 is key
Researchers at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre have found a new protein marker linked to positive outcome in patients with breast cancer.
The research published today in Cancer Research is the first to show that patients with high levels of the protein BCA2 are less likely to experience breast cancer re-occurrence than patients with low levels of BCA2.
“For the first time we have been able to sh
In what promises to be an important advance, researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a novel laser by bonding optical gain layers directly to a silicon laser cavity. This hybrid laser offers an alternative to silicon Raman lasers and is an order of magnitude shorter. The laser is optically pumped, operates in continuous wave mode, and only needs 30 mW of input pump power.
This evanescent silicon laser demonstration is the first step toward an electrica
Nesting preferences important to accidentally imported ants
Many insects enter the United States accidentally, as hitchhikers on various plants imported in commerce, but how many really stay?
Conventional thinking says the answer is in the numbers of both insects and times they enter, but new findings to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggest that opportunity alone is no guarantee of a successful invasion.
Of 232 species of a
Latest study shows surprising variations in individual nanotube efficiency
Nanotubes are the poster children of the nanotechnology revolution. These tiny carbon tubes – less than 1/50,000 the diameter of a human hair – possess novel properties that have researchers excitedly exploring dozens of potential applications ranging from transistors to space elevators.
Nanotubes also produce light with a number of interesting properties, which have led researchers to propose
New Saint Louis University study of twins examines quality of life issues
You can blame your parents for your hair that frizzes in high humidity and for your short stature. And now researchers at Saint Louis University School of Public Health say your genetic makeup partly dictates how physically and mentally healthy you feel.
Their study, which was funded by the National Institute of Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, found that genetics are about
Siemens and Dräger Medical extend partnership
Two factors that are essential for prompt and efficient patient care in hospitals today are availability of reliable patient information and mobility of medical staff. Siemens Communications (Com) will support Dräger Medical in offering greater mobility in hospitals. This solution makes vital patient monitoring data available hospital-wide using the existing hospital network. Dräger Medical and Siemens Com will use the latest Wi-Fi WLAN
Leica M820 F19: Best vision counts
The year comes to a close – but not the innovative power and the ambition of Leica Microsystems to provide perfect solutions to the challenges of ophthalmic surgery. The new Leica offers users all the high-performance features of the 8-series surgical microscopes, thereby meeting highest opthalmic requirements.
High performance that is easy to operate
The new high-performance microscope combines premium optical compo
Discovery may result in faster ways to test immunotherapies
Using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center were able to observe – in real time – how the immune system initially recognizes cancer and mobilizes to fight the disease.
The UCLA study is expected to lead to new ways to test immune-based therapies for cancer and other immune system-related diseases and to monitor human response to cancer treatments much more qui
OHSU/VAMC study shows mice consuming fewer calories experience boost in essential neurochemical
A new Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center study suggests that early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients who lower their calorie intake may boost levels of an essential brain chemical lost from the neurodegenerative disorder.
The study by Charles Meshul, Ph.D., associate professor of behavioral neuroscience in the OHSU Schoo
A protein that plays an important regulatory role in heart failure in the heart also exerts powerful effects on the adrenal gland, Jefferson Medical College researchers have found. The protein, GRK2, is a potential drug target for heart failure.
Walter Koch, Ph.D., director of the Center for Translational Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and his co-workers had showed previously that GRK2, or G-pro
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