Exercise, eating right could ease IBS, diarrhea and constipation in obese Americans

Physical activity may help reduce gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in people who are obese. In a study published today in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, researchers found that a high body mass index (BMI) and lack of physical activity were associated with an increase in GI symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation and irr

When added to standard treatment, steroids significantly reduce the odds of developing heart damage in children with Kawasaki’s disease, according to a study in the October issue of Pediatrics. These findings address a gap in knowledge. Current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics state that the evidence for steroid treatment is lacking and recommend the standard treatment for Kawasaki’s, which is aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

“This gap in kno

In the human brain, cells talk to one another through the routine exchange of electrical signals. But when people fall into a deep sleep, the higher regions of the brain – regions that during waking hours are a bustling grid of neural dialogue – apparently lose their ability to communicate effectively, causing consciousness to fade.

Writing today (Sept. 30) in the journal Science, a team of researchers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of psychiatry Giulio Tononi

Remains of photosynthesizing microbes in prehistoric rocks suggest Earth was not ice-bound

A study that applied innovative techniques to previously unexamined rock formations has turned up strong evidence on the “Slushball Earth” side of a decades-long scientific argument.

The study appears in the Sept. 29 Science Express. The lead author is Alison Olcott, a Ph.D. student of earth sciences in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Geologists agree

According to a study at Yale, one of the most effective ways to change negative attitudes about obese people is by addressing perceptions of normative beliefs within particular social groups.

Rebecca Puhl, associate research scientist in the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity and lead author of the study, said the model used in this study, known as social consensus theory, is based on the experience that people generally adopt the attitudes of valued “in-groups,” such as peers.

Study first to prove beta glucan penetrates skin

The fight against aging has received a scientific boost thanks to an innovative study done in part by a University of Alberta spin-off company–research that dispels a hard-held belief about the natural ingredient, beta glucan. The study, published in the current issue of International Journal of Cosmetic Science, is the first to show that oat beta glucan can penetrate the skin despite years of doctors and scientists believing that

Gleevec (Imatinib) is a representative of the newest generation of cancer drugs. The substance conveys its potent anti-proliferative effect by selectively supressing the tyrosine kinase pathway. The Giessen lung researchers now issue a first report of this substance as a new target therapy for pulmonary hypertension. „In cancer, tissue proliferation is uncontrolled and leads to the spreading of the tumor,” primary investigator Prof. Friedrich Grimminger of the University of Giessen Lung Center e

Unwed mothers are significantly less likely to marry and more likely to cohabit than women without children. If they do marry, their husbands are more likely to have poor job prospects.

According to a new study by a Cornell University researcher, the findings suggest that unwed mothers are less likely than other women to improve their socio-economic status through marriage. Thus, he believes, the Bush administration’s “marriage promotion” policies may not be an effective

Study shows quality-improvement effort saves lives

The same philosophy used to make better cars and computer chips can also save the lives of heart attack patients, a new study finds. In fact, 26 percent fewer patients died in the first year after their heart attack when hospitals used quality-improvement tactics to prevent crucial heart-care steps from “slipping through the cracks” — in much the same way a car company ensures that a car is made well before it leaves the factory.

Too much time in the tavern can be hazardous to your health–and not just for the drinkers bending their elbows or scrapping with the bouncer, according to a new study done in part at the University of Alberta.

A joint study published in the September edition of Applied Ergonomics by the University of Alberta and Napier University of Scotland, shows that servers, cooks and bartenders risk serious injuries while doing their everyday jobs serving up suds and finger foods.

Novel study, finding, receive additional attention from American Foundation for AIDS Research

A new weapon in the battle against HIV may come from an unusual source — a small tropical frog. Investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported this month in the Journal of Virology that compounds secreted by frog skin are potent blockers of HIV infection.

The findings could lead to topical treatments for preventing HIV transmission, and they reinforce the valu

A quarter of all queries received by IPR-Helpdesk from organisations working in FP6 funded projects relate to pre-existing IP, its exclusion and its usage in projects, according to Dr Britta Seidel-Speer, speaking on behalf of IPR-Helpdesk at this week’s AURIL conference in Birmingham.

Whilst knowledge about IPR issues is increasing amongst SMEs, higher education and research institutions, there are several areas which cause confusion. The most common enquiries to IPR-Helpdesk co

“The University of Bradford’s approach to community engagement is based on it being embedded throughout the University as a whole and supported at the highest level,” says Steve Skinner, Director of Community Engagement at the University of Bradford.

Speaking at the AURIL conference in Birmingham, Skinner told delegates that the University’s work in community engagement is based on key principles. Bradford has a track record of matching University initiatives with community needs,

What would you do if your appearance was suddenly altered forever?

The Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) at the University of the West of England, Bristol has been awarded a record-breaking half a million pounds by a new charity called the Healing Foundation to fund a new study into the psychology of disfigurement. This is the largest single investment in a study of this type that has ever taken place, not only in the UK, but in Europe. The study will provide valuable insights

New research just published by researchers at the University of Dundee demonstrates that the current system of free school meals is failing many of the most needy children.

Instead Dr Carlo Morelli and Dr Paul Seaman, both of the Department of Economic Studies at the University, conclude that there are direct advantages in providing free school meals for all children.

The researchers used data from the British Household Panel Survey to carry out their study. Their finding

The University of Manchester has been awarded £1.7m to build a new instrument which will for the first time combine ToF-SIMS and infrared spectroscopy opening up new possibilities in the study biological, organic and inorganic materials.

The capabilities of the instrument, which is expected to be built within two years, will be tested on materials such as prostate cancer tissue and environmental particulate pollutants.

The new instrument will enable surface and bulk analys