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Caffeine reduces women's chances of becoming pregnant

Caffeine reduces muscle activity in the Fallopian tubes that carry eggs from a woman's ovaries to her womb. "Our experiments were conducted in mice, but this finding goes a long way towards explaining why drinking caffeinated drinks can reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant," says Sean Ward, professor of physiology and cell biology, at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, who conducted the study.

21 Jul 2011

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's could be detected long before memory problems develop

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease may be detectable as many as 20 years before problems with memory and thinking develop, scientists will report July 20, 2011, at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Paris.

21 Jul 2011

IOM panel recommends insurance coverage for contraception

The recommendation by the Institute of Medicine advises that contraceptives for women be treated as one of the several preventive services provided free of charge under the new health law.

21 Jul 2011

Researchers identify IDOL protein as potential new target for lowering LDL cholesterol

High levels of 'bad' cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) are a risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) - a disease of the major arterial blood vessels that is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke.

21 Jul 2011

Maltodextrin-based imaging probes could improve diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections

A new family of contrast agents that sneak into bacteria disguised as glucose food can detect bacterial infections in animals with high sensitivity and specificity. These agents -- called maltodextrin-based imaging probes -- can also distinguish a bacterial infection from other inflammatory conditions.

21 Jul 2011

U.S. News ranks UC San Diego Health System among America's Best Hospitals for 2011-2012

UC San Diego Health System ranks #1 among San Diego's adult hospitals and among "America's Best Hospitals" according to U.S. News & World Report's "2011 - 2012 Best Hospitals" issue online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and available on newsstands August 30.

21 Jul 2011

Humans and zebrafish share mechanisms that regulate the circadian system

Circadian rhythms - the natural cycle that dictates our biological processes over a 24-hour day - does more than tell us when to sleep or wake. Disruptions in the cycle are also associated with depression, problems with weight control, jet lag and more. Now Prof. Yoav Gothilf of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences is looking to the common zebrafish to learn more about how the human circadian system functions.

21 Jul 2011

PrioNet Canada awards University of Western Ontario $600,000 to study neurodegenerative disorders

The University of Western Ontario is one of nine universities which will share 2.9 million dollars in research grants announced by PrioNet Canada to study Prion diseases and neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's.

21 Jul 2011

Research: Substance P appears to trigger formation of extraskeletal bone

For hundreds of thousands of people, injuring a muscle through an accident like falling off a bike or having surgery can result in a strange and serious complication. Their muscles start growing bones.

21 Jul 2011

Gene-based test for distinguishing harmless from precancerous pancreatic cysts

Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a gene-based test to distinguish harmless from precancerous pancreatic cysts. The test may eventually help some patients avoid needless surgery to remove the harmless variety.

21 Jul 2011

Pfizer enters definitive merger agreement with Icagen

Pfizer Inc. and Icagen, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Pfizer, which currently owns approximately 11% of Icagen's fully diluted shares, will acquire the remaining 8.3 million shares at a price of $6.00 per share.

21 Jul 2011

AstraZeneca receives FDA approval for BRILINTA to treat acute coronary syndrome

AstraZeneca announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BRILINTA (ticagrelor) tablets to reduce the rate of heart attack and cardiovascular (CV) death in adult patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), compared to clopidogrel.

21 Jul 2011

Male infertility cause found in defective gene

Researchers have found a new cause of infertility that could allow millions of infertile couples around the world to have a child. The team found a common gene mutation that causes sperm to be far less able to swim through the mucus of the cervix and reach the egg.

20 Jul 2011

Diabetes gene linked to Alzheimer’s

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified a gene that causes diabetes kills nerve cells in the brain, possibly resulting in Alzheimer’s disease.

20 Jul 2011

Falling may be an early sign of Alzheimer's

In a new study presented at the Alzheimer's Association's annual International Conference in Paris it was reported that older people whose brain scans showed signs of amyloid plaques - an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease - but who were otherwise healthy, had twice the risk of falls as people without brain amyloid.

20 Jul 2011

U.S. News ranks Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center among top five American hospitals

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks among the top five American hospitals, according to a U.S. News & World Report survey that reviewed patient-outcomes data, reputation among physicians and other care-related factors.

20 Jul 2011

New trends in HIV cure research presented at IAS 2011

Researchers speaking on the final day of the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) have focused on the growing interest in the scientific path to an HIV Cure.

20 Jul 2011

Capsules: IOM recommends free birth control for all

Today on the Capsules blog, Jenny Gold writes: American women ought to be able to get their birth control for free, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

20 Jul 2011

IAS conference opens with push for treatment as prevention

The 6th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention taking place in Rome this week "started optimistically as the hype surrounding the use of antiretroviral treatment to prevent HIV infection gained momentum. But the focus of much discussion … will undoubtedly be on how to transform the recent promising research findings into workable policy," PlusNews reports.

20 Jul 2011

U.S. News ranks NewYork-Presbyterian as sixth best hospital in the nation

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ranks #1 in New York and among the top six in the U.S. out of the nearly 5,000 hospitals evaluated by U.S. News Media & World Report for their 2011-12 Best Hospitals rankings.

20 Jul 2011