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New target for muscular dystrophy drug therapy

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report how the gene for utrophin, which codes for a protein very similar to dystrophin, the defective protein in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), puts the brakes on its own expression in muscle cells, thereby suggesting a new target for treatment.

13 Jul 2007

Helpful hints for healthy diets

With the number of Americans overweight and obese at an all-time high, the diet choices of young people are of concern, especially as they prepare to leave home for the first time in the fall and fend for themselves at college.

13 Jul 2007

Some professionals choose to enter nursing field as second career

The Boston Globe on Monday examined how a "small but growing number of mid-career professionals" are choosing to enter the nursing field as a second career, a trend that could help "mitigate the widespread nursing shortage facing" the nation.

11 Jul 2007

Balanced diet keeps asthma away

Teenagers who forego a healthy and balanced diet may have a harder time catching their breath.

10 Jul 2007

Unhealthy teen diet increases asthma risk

According to a new study teenagers who have an unhealthy and unbalanced diet may be more prone to respiratory problems such as asthma.

10 Jul 2007

Antidepressants lower the risk of suicide attempt in adults with depression

All age groups of depressed patients who received selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors -- the most commonly prescribed antidepressant medication -- showed a significantly lower risk of suicide attempt when compared to those who did not receive antidepressant treatment.

9 Jul 2007

Engineered blood vessels work like native tissue

Blood vessels that have been tissue-engineered from bone marrow adult stem cells may in the future serve as a patient's own source of new blood vessels following a coronary bypass or other procedures that require vessel replacement, according to new research from the University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

9 Jul 2007

Global control of micronutrient deficiencies

Malnutrition is still the most serious threat to the health of the world population and the most important cause of infant mortality in the world. About one third of the population in developing countries is faced with micronutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

5 Jul 2007

Food allergy wordlist for international travellers

"I'm going on holiday and I'm taking… a wordlist in thirty languages with all the food ingredients that I'm allergic to." This list is now available - with the names of ingredients as they appear on food packaging.

5 Jul 2007

OncoLife web-based cancer survivorhip care plan

A team of cancer specialists from OncoLink.org, the award-winning cancer Web-based resource of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, has launched OncoLife, the first and only individualized plan-of-care based on the national Institute of Medicine's recommendations for adult cancer survivors.

4 Jul 2007

Bioethics training helps fight African brain drain

When African professionals migrate to the United States or Europe, it's often called brain drain.

4 Jul 2007

High cholesterol makes people more prone to tick disease human granulocytic anaplasmosis

People who have high cholesterol levels may be much more susceptible to a particular disease transmitted by the bites of ticks, a new study in mice suggests.

4 Jul 2007

Just one smoke can lead to nicotine addiction

A new study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine shows that 10 percent of youth who become hooked on cigarettes are addicted within two days of first inhaling from a cigarette, and 25 percent are addicted within a month.

4 Jul 2007

Catastrophic head injuries in football dramatically higher at high school level than college level

The incidence of catastrophic head injuries in football is dramatically higher at the high school level than at the college level, according to a study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

4 Jul 2007

The future of engineering devices, systems and materials: made from bacteria?

Members of the public will get to see how revolutionary scientists and engineers are proposing to make counters, sensors, calculators and other devices out of living bacteria at this year's Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.

3 Jul 2007

RNA molecules can orchestrate gene activity across vast portions of the human genome

Large, seemingly useless pieces of RNA - a molecule originally considered only a lowly messenger for DNA - play an important role in letting cells know where they are in the body and what they are supposed to become, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered.

29 Jun 2007

Prospective predictors of long-term abstinence versus relapse among smokers who quit as young adults

A non-smoking spouse and smoke-free workplace play key roles in long-term success for young adults who quit smoking, according to Indiana University research, which found environmental factors to be more influential than individual behaviors and beliefs when it comes to kicking the habit.

29 Jun 2007

New drug resistance screening method

A growing number of drug-resistant strains of HIV are a threat to the effectiveness of current treatments despite anti-HIV drug cocktails decreasing the number of HIV-related deaths and improving the quality of life for HIV patients.

29 Jun 2007

Type of curriculum influences child behavior

Children who were taught a curriculum that focused on self-control and awareness of their own and others emotions were found to exhibit greater social competence and fewer behavioral and emotional problems.

29 Jun 2007

Meningococcal vaccine now recommended for ages 11 to 18

Recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), that all young people aged 11 to 18 should get a shot that protects them from the most dangerous type of meningitis, has been applauded by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

28 Jun 2007