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High frequency of alleles could increase risk of lupus in non-Europeans

Non-Europeans have a higher frequency of the gene variants that increase the risk of lupus as compared to the European population, a new study from researchers at the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' and King's College London, has confirmed.

11 Jul 2016

Exercise during pregnancy can have benefits for mom and baby

Researchers collected and re-examined clinical trial data on exercise during pregnancy and whether it plays a role in preterm birth, and found that exercise is safe and does not increase the risk of preterm birth.

7 Jul 2016

Physicians may need to allow sufficient time before predicting outcomes in comatose cardiac arrest patients

Physicians may be drawing conclusions too soon about survival outcomes of patients who suffered a cardiac arrest outside the hospital.

4 Jul 2016

New research holds potential to improve fetal surgery outcomes

University of California, Berkeley engineer Phillip Messersmith is happy to be learning lessons from a lowly mollusk, with the expectation that the knowledge gained will enable him and fellow physicians to prevent deaths among their youngest patients -- those who haven't been born yet.

4 Jul 2016

Recent research gives more insight into genetics of FASD

In 1973, a group of birth defects associated with prenatal ethanol exposure was clinically recognized as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Since then, scientists have come to realize that alcohol can cause a wide range of birth defects; these are collectively referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

1 Jun 2016

NASA releases new video that highlights Mark and Scott Kelly's metabolites

NASA's Human Research Program is releasing "Metabolomics: You Are What You Eat" video to highlight its Twins Study which uses omics to study Mark and Scott Kelly's metabolites.

28 May 2016

Epigenetic modification of Igfbp2 gene may increase risk of obesity and fatty liver

Scientists of the German Center for Diabetes Research led by the German Institute of Human Nutrition have shown in a mouse model that the epigenetic modification of the Igfbp2 gene observed in the young animal precedes a fatty liver in the adult animal later in life.

24 May 2016

New study analyzes financial savings and costs of medical complications associated with IVF

Heralded a miracle by many infertile couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) can pack a painful financial punch for those without insurance coverage for the treatment. This prohibitive cost leads many would-be parents who pursue in vitro fertilization to transfer multiple embryos at once to increase their chances of getting a baby - and reduce the need to pay for subsequent attempts.

8 May 2016

Flu vaccinations for pregnant women reduce newborn’s influenza risk during first six months of life

Babies whose moms get flu vaccinations while pregnant have a significantly reduced risk of acquiring influenza during their first six months of life, a new study shows, leading the authors to declare that the need for getting more pregnant women immunized is a public health priority.

3 May 2016

NASA's research program uses omics to look more closely at individual health

NASA's Human Research Program is releasing the first half of a video series entitled Omics: Exploring Space Through You to highlight its Twins Study, in conjunction with its National DNA Day Reddit Ask Me Anything event at 10 a.m. CDT/11 a.m. EDT, Monday, April 25, 2016. The series explores space through you by using omics to look more closely at individual health.

22 Apr 2016

Scientists identify genetic mechanisms behind development of myopia

Myopia, also known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is the most common disorder affecting the eyesight and it is on the increase. The causes are both genetic and environmental.

22 Apr 2016

Researchers find that children develop self-control mechanisms by age 3

University of Texas at Arlington researchers have found that by age 3 environmental influences such as parenting are relevant factors in the development of toddlers' self-control when they are asked not to do something they want to do, such as run into the street or eat a forbidden snack.

16 Apr 2016

Expanding insurance coverage for elective single-embryo transfer could result in ideal pregnancy outcomes

Expanding insurance coverage for a type of in vitro fertilization known as elective single-embryo transfer could lead to improved health outcomes and lower health care costs, according to a newly published study that included researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

15 Apr 2016

Diet and lifestyle may play greater role than genetics in cataract development, severity

A diet rich in vitamin C could cut risk of cataract progression by a third, suggests a study being published online today in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The research is also the first to show that diet and lifestyle may play a greater role than genetics in cataract development and severity.

24 Mar 2016

New study shows that structural changes within the spine alter vibration response

Magnetic resonance image isn't everything. A new University of Alberta study shows that vibrating the spine may reveal more when it comes to treating back pain. Teaming with the University of South Denmark to study the lumbar spine of twins, Greg Kawchuk and his team demonstrate that structural changes within the spine alter its vibration response significantly.

11 Mar 2016

Many women have short length of stay after childbirth, new study finds

A substantial proportion of women in countries around the world do not stay in health facilities for long enough after giving birth, which could result in them receiving inadequate postnatal care, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine.

10 Mar 2016

IVF could reduce unintended twin births

The twin birth rate in the U.S. has surged over the last 30 years, mostly because of reproductive technologies including in vitro fertilization. Though it's partly the cause, IVF could also be the most promising solution to reducing unintended twin births, argues Dr. Eli Adashi in a new editorial in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

7 Mar 2016

African Americans and Hispanics at higher risk of developing heart failure

More than 915,000 Americans will be diagnosed with heart failure this year, according to the recently published American Heart Association 2016 Statistical Update.

18 Feb 2016

UMass Amherst cognitive neuroscientist receives NSF CAREER award to study brain functions

Cognitive neuroscientist Rosie Cowell at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently received a five-year, $599,619 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to develop and test a theory of how memory interacts with fine-grained visual perception and how both brain functions depend on the medial temporal lobe (MTL), which once was thought to be critical for memory but not for visual perception.

29 Jan 2016

Scientists discover epigenetic switch linked to obesity

It is well known that a predisposition to adiposity lies in our genes. A new study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg now shows that it is also crucial how these genes are regulated. The scientists led by Andrew Pospisilik discovered a novel regulatory, epigenetic switch, which causes individuals with identical genetic material, such as monozygotic twins, to either be lean or obese.