Twins News and Research

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Genes affect person's perception of sweet taste

A new study from the Monell Center and collaborating institutions suggests that a single set of genes affects a person's perception of sweet taste, regardless of whether the sweetener is a natural sugar or a non-caloric sugar substitute.

17 Jul 2015

Researchers identify gene that underlies thinking skills

An international team of researchers, including investigators from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has identified a gene that underlies healthy information processing -- a first step on a complicated road to understand cognitive aging and age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.

16 Jul 2015

UMass Amherst scientist to study how estrogen-mimicking chemicals in the womb can increase breast cancer risk

Much attention has been paid to genetics in breast cancer as disease rates rise, but most women have no family history of the disease, suggesting that there is an environmental risk we don't yet understand, says environmental health scientist Laura Vandenberg in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

13 Jul 2015

UC Riverside psychologist awarded NIA grant to study early influences on cognitive and physical health by middle age

University of California, Riverside psychologist Chandra A. Reynolds has been awarded a $7 million, five-year grant by the National Institute on Aging to study how early childhood influences versus recent influences affect cognitive and physical health by middle age.

27 Jun 2015

IDIBELL and IDIPAZ scientists identify epigenetic alterations in CVID

Researchers of the Chromatin and Disease Group from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute and La Paz Hospital have identified epigenetic alterations in Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID), the most common primary immunodeficiency, using as a starting point genetically identical monozygotic twins discordant for the disease.

18 Jun 2015

Higher obstetric risk identified in ART pregnancies not linked to poorer academic performance in children

The academic performance of children conceived by assisted reproduction techniques (ART) is no better or worse than that of spontaneously conceived children when assessed at the ninth grade of their school education.

15 Jun 2015

Surgeons perform breakthrough operation to separate six-month-old conjoined Haitian twins

On Friday, May 22, an 18-member team of physicians and nurses from Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) led an international collaboration to separate a pair of six-month-old conjoined Haitian twins, the first such operation ever performed on Haitian soil.

11 Jun 2015

Study suggests new strategies to stop spread of Staph infections

Staphylococcus aureus -- better known as Staph -- is a common inhabitant of the human nose, and people who carry it are at increased risk for dangerous Staph infections.

7 Jun 2015

Cleveland Clinic Children's to host second annual Pediatric Innovation Summit

Cleveland Clinic Children's will host its second annual Pediatric Innovation Summit June 11 to 13, 2015, at the Global Center for Health Innovation in Cleveland. Designed to promote the professional development of physicians and healthcare providers, the event will explore the current state of pediatric care and the cutting-edge medical advancements transforming the research and treatment of childhood diseases.

1 Jun 2015

Impulsive behavior could put you at risk for binge eating

Do you get impulsive when you're upset? If so, this could be putting you at risk for binge eating. According to Kelly Klump, professor of psychology at Michigan State University and senior author, the more impulsive you are, the more likely it is you'll binge eat when experiencing negative feelings.

29 May 2015

New adjustable female shoe based on smart materials may prevent common foot problems

A new adjustable female shoe based on a new memory shape composite of leather and Nitinol material, is now available. The new material allows fitting the shoe to the foot shape, after obtaining anthropometric measurements through the Shopintantshoe portable scanner and modifying it with the "Shoptool", a machine that completes the process directly in the shop.

26 May 2015

Conjoined twin boys undergo successful separation surgery

Carter and Conner, conjoined twin boys born Dec. 12, 2014, in Jacksonville, Fla., underwent a successful separation surgery on May 7, 2015. The 12-hour surgery was led by a team of highly skilled pediatric specialists that included Daniel Robie, MD, chief of pediatric general surgery, and Nicholas Poulos, MD, pediatric general surgeon, for Nemours Children's Specialty Care and Wolfson Children's Hospital.

11 May 2015

Twins pilot study shows genes may make some people more attractive to mosquitoes

The likelihood of being bitten by mosquitoes could be down to our genes, according to a study carried out on twins. Research from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found, for the first time, an underlying genetic component to how attractive we are to mosquitoes and this is likely to be caused by genetic control of our body odour.

24 Apr 2015

Smoking and genetics can increase women's likelihood of giving birth to twins

African American mothers who smoke and have a genetic profile that includes a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the TP53 gene have an increased likelihood of having twins, concluded a team of researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

21 Apr 2015

Researchers analyze false-positive results from new prenatal genetic screens

Prenatal blood screening for extra or missing chromosomes in the fetus might give false-positive results if the mother's genome contains more than the usual number of certain DNA segments.

6 Apr 2015

Envy Medical launches world-class patented Advanced Dermalinfusion Technology

Envy Medical, Inc. launches SilkPeel3, the next generation of its world class patented Advanced Dermalinfusion Technology. Unveiled originally in 2005, SilkPeel is celebrating its 10th birthday in style with fresh features, enhanced functionality and a sleek new design.

18 Mar 2015

New database on healthy immune system may help design future studies on autoimmune disorders

An extensive database identifying immune traits, such as how immune cell function is regulated at the genetic level in healthy people, is reported by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators in the journal Cell.

13 Mar 2015

BU study explores birth outcomes for women who receive fertility treatment

Birth outcomes for babies whose mothers used assisted reproductive technology (ART) are better in some cases, and worse in others, than for subfertile women who did not use ART, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers.

12 Mar 2015

UIC researchers identify genetic variation that increases MS risk in women

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified a genetic variation that in women significantly increases their risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

5 Mar 2015

Environmental conditions play significant role in determining growth, height

If you've ever wondered why you aren't a little taller, it turns out it's not all about genetics. In findings published in the Journal of Pediatrics (January 2015), an Israeli research team shows that the environment in which one lives from the womb to about age one largely determines an adult's height.

4 Mar 2015