Potential new drug target identified, as well
A study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) has demonstrated that omega-6 fatty acids such as the fat found in corn oil promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory. The study also identifies a potential new molecular target for anti-tumor drugs: an enzyme known as cPLA2, which plays a key role in the chain leading from omega-6 fatty acids to prostate tumor cell growth.
The study was led
University of Queensland researchers are using traditional Chinese exercises to combat the growing problem of diabetes.
In a study that is believed to be the first in the world to evaluate the effectiveness of Qigong and Tai Chi to combat the disease, PhD student Liu Xin has developed a series of exercises to reduce the risk of progression to Type 2 diabetes.
The exercises target risk factors, including high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels, by focusing part
Amphetamines, including the drug popularly known as Ecstasy, can reverse the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in mice with an acute form of the condition, according to new research at Duke University Medical Center.
The researchers caution that the findings in animals do not suggest Parkinson’s disease patients should find relief by taking amphetamines, which are drugs of abuse with many dangerous side effects. The findings rather indicate that drugs with similar chemical
Clearing — or perhaps roiling — the murky and often contentious waters of Mesoamerican archeology, a study of 3,000-year-old pottery provides new evidence that the Olmec may not have been the mother culture after all.
Writing this week (Aug. 1, 2005) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of scientists led by University of Wisconsin-Madison archeologist James B. Stoltman presents new evidence that shows the Olmec, widely regarded as the creators of
LINPAC’s new Zenit line of multi-layer stretch films is undergoing a name change and will, from now on, be called Zenium. Zenium stretch films, which were released earlier this year, are formulated to comply with new EU regulations concerning plastic materials that come into contact with food products.
High resistance to perforation and tearing and optimal flexibility are the major advantages of the Zenium line, which also offers excellent optical properties and increased anti-fogg
UCI psychologist shows memory manipulation may lessen appeal of certain unhealthy treats
Most dieters know that the mind is a powerful force in the battle of the bulge; but a new study led by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus shows that the malleable nature of human memory might be used to help people avoid certain fattening foods.
In the first study to show false memories have potential to curb appetites for fattening treats, Loftus’ research team found that people can b
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an abnormal thickening of the heart, affects more than 500,000 Americans, making it more common than better-known conditions such as Crohn’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Anorexia Nervosa. HCM involves a thickening of the heart muscle walls, particularly the wall (septum) that separates the two main pumping chambers. That thickening can affect blood flow into and out of the heart, which may lead to symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, dizz
’Aging profile’ of the human brain also differs greatly from that seen in chimpanzees
Researchers have found that the two primary areas of the human brain appear to age in radically different ways: The cortex used in higher-level thought undergoes more extensive changes with age than the cerebellum, which regulates basic processes such as heartbeat, breathing and balance. Their work, based on an analysis of gene expression in various areas of human and chimpanzee brains,
Microarray scans DNA regions in neuroblastoma tumors to forecast outcomes, guide treatments
Genetics researchers have developed a customized gene chip to rapidly scan tumor samples for specific DNA changes that offer clues to prognosis in cases of neuroblastoma, a common form of children’s cancer. Rather than covering the entire genome, the microarray focuses on suspect regions of chromosomes for signs of deleted genetic material known to play a role in the cancer.
Discovery that oxidative stress from pollen is as important as antigen exposure could lead to new therapies
For a person with allergies or asthma, breathing in pollen can be a very bad thing. Within minutes of inhalation by someone sensitive to their effects, these tiny particles can trigger severe inflammation of the respiratory passages, producing uncontrollable sneezing, coughing, or extreme shortness of breath — symptoms agonizingly familiar to those who suffer from allergy
Scientists at Stanford University have developed a new laser therapy that destroys cancer cells but leaves healthy ones unharmed. The new, non-invasive treatment is described in a study published in the Aug. 1 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
“One of the longstanding problems in medicine is how to cure cancer without harming normal body tissue,” says Hongjie Dai, an associate professor of chemistry at Stanford and co-author of the stu
What caused leprosy – a widely dreaded disease in medieval Europe – to fade from the scene? By the 16th century, the scourge had practically disappeared there.
The reason seems to be, say researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in London, that tuberculosis, a far more deadly disease, overtook leprosy, killing millions throughout Europe.
Their conclusion is based upon the examination of DNA from human remains from the ancient and medieval periods in Israel a
VLT Enables Most Accurate Distance Measurement to Spiral Galaxy NGC 300
An international team of astronomers from Chile, Europe and North America [1] is announcing the most accurate distance yet measured to a galaxy beyond our Milky Way’s close neighbours. The distance was determined using the brightness variation of a type of stars known as “Cepheid variables”.
The team used the ISAAC near-infrared camera and spectrometer on ESO’s 8.2-m VLT Antu telescope to ob
Teams responding to devastating flooding in Romania received assistance from orbit, with satellite images and maps of affected areas provided in near-real time following activation of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters.
Torrential rainfall across Southeast Europe has led to serious floods across Romania, described as the worst for half a century. Some 31 counties out of 42 have been affected, the worst hit being the counties of Bacau, Vrancea and Galati in Mo
While “navigation” systems in automobiles are a fairly new (and still costly) innovation, monarch butterflies have managed for millennia to navigate their way for a distance of some 3000 miles (4800 kilometers) each fall from Canada to Mexico (and vice-versa in the spring) without losing their way.
The phenomenon of long-range bird migration is a well-known one, but not in the insect world. Also, among birds their migration route is a round-trip one, which they make more than once
The designers of heart disease trials should ensure that they recruit enough women to reveal reliably whether they are responding to the drugs in a different way from men, according to research published on line today (Tuesday, 2 August) in Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal[1].
Women are under represented in most clinical studies, so the data and the results are less well documented for them, according to Dr Verena Stangl, senior author of the
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