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New insight into the origin of face recognition in humans

Chimpanzees recognize their pals by using some of the same brain regions that switch on when humans register a familiar face, according to a report published online on December 18th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

18 Dec 2008

Fewer hospitalizations for bleeding in digestive system

Improved treatments for acid reflux disease, ulcers, arthritis and other conditions helped reduce hospital admission rates for internal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract by 14 percent from 1998 to 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

18 Dec 2008

FDA approves Mozobil (plerixafor) for multiple myeloma or non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Mozobil (plerixafor), a drug that helps increase the number of blood stem cells for bone marrow transplantation in patients with certain forms of blood cancer.

18 Dec 2008

EPA should assess health risk of phthalates and other chemicals

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should examine whether combined exposures to chemicals known as phthalates could cause adverse health effects in humans, says a new report from the National Research Council. In addition, this analysis, called a cumulative risk assessment, should consider other chemicals that could potentially cause the same health effects as phthalates, instead of focusing on chemicals that are similar in structure, which is EPA's current practice.

18 Dec 2008

Scientists coax bright white light from zinc oxide

Duke University and United States Army scientists have found that a cheap and nontoxic sunburn and diaper rash preventative can be made to produce brilliant light best suited to the human eye.

18 Dec 2008

Human parechovirus may trigger type 1 diabetes

Human parechovirus is a harmless virus which is encountered by most infants and displays few symptoms.

18 Dec 2008

Gold nanowires zap cancer

The next big thing in cancer treatment may be hotter, covered in more gold, and even be a better swimmer than recent Olympic champion Michael Phelps.

18 Dec 2008

Evidence that Alzheimer's disease affects women differently than men

Nearly 4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD) in our country, and more than half of them are women, according to the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Md.

18 Dec 2008

New method offers direct access to the brain through the nose to treat stroke

UT Health Science Center San Antonio researchers, working in a mouse model of stroke, are delivering neuroprotective drugs to the brain by spraying them onto the lining of a nerve in the nose.

18 Dec 2008

Compound from olive-skin pomace protects against colon-cancer

Researchers from the University of Granada and the University of Barcelona have shown that treatment with maslinic acid, a triterpenoid compound isolated from olive-skin pomace, results in a significant inhibition of cell proliferation and causes apoptotic death in colon-cancer cells.

18 Dec 2008

Stem cell research will boom under Obama

Embryonic stem cells could provide a new way of testing drugs for dangerous side effects, according to a leading British researcher.

From The University of Manchester 18 Dec 2008

Why extra-virgin olive oil is so good for you

Good quality extra-virgin olive oil contains health-relevant chemicals, 'phytochemicals', that can trigger cancer cell death.

18 Dec 2008

Evaluation of treatments for benign prostatic enlargement

Research published by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has found that transurethral resection, the most common operation for benign prostatic enlargement (BPE), remains a clinically and cost-effective treatment. BPE commonly causes older men to have difficulty passing urine and may require surgery to alleviate the problem.

18 Dec 2008

Women double fruit and vegetable intakes with switch to Mediterranean diet

In a new study led by the University of Michigan Health System, women more than doubled their fruit and vegetable intakes and dramatically increased their consumption of "good" fats when they were counseled by registered dietitians and provided with a list of guidelines on the amount of certain foods they should eat each day.

17 Dec 2008

Levels of two proteins impact survival in ovarian cancer

Levels of two proteins in a woman's ovarian cancer are strongly associated with her likelihood of survival, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the Dec. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

17 Dec 2008

Research highlights recognized disease risks associated with vitamin D deficiency

Once believed to be important only for bone health, vitamin D is now seen as having a critical function in maintaining the immune system throughout life.

17 Dec 2008

80% public support for genetic research and testing

The 2008 Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences survey shows that eight in 10 adults nationwide favor making genetic testing easily available to all who want it, and 54 percent say that the benefits of conducting genetic research outweigh the risks.

17 Dec 2008

Likely shortage of emergency physicians in foreseeable future

The number of physicians with board certification in emergency medicine is unlikely to meet the staffing needs of U.S. emergency departments in the foreseeable future, if ever; according to a study from a research team based at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

17 Dec 2008

Optimal dialysis treatment differs among kidney disease patients

For kidney disease patients who need to undergo dialysis, one type of treatment is not best for all, according to a study appearing in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( JASN ).

17 Dec 2008

How cancer cells ensure their survival

A team of researchers headed by Professor Roland Stauber of Mainz University's ENT clinic has identified a molecular mechanism used by cancer cells to "defend" themselves against chemotherapeutics in an attempt to ensure their own survival.

17 Dec 2008