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New tool taps drool for clues to childhood stress

In four separate studies of mothers and their infants, preschoolers, kids and teens, a multi-university research team has shown, for the first time, that a simple test of a little drool can provide new insight into the role of social stressors, including relationships with parents and teachers, in child development.

19 Apr 2006

New guidelines for pulmonary complications

Pulmonary complications, including pneumonia and respiratory failure, are a common - and dangerous - problem for patients following major surgery.

19 Apr 2006

Calcium supplementation for improving bone mineral density in children

There's little question that most kids get too little calcium, but a new review of evidence casts doubt on the value of supplements and calcium-fortified foods to build stronger bones.

18 Apr 2006

One melanoma means there's a 15% risk of another

According to researchers in the U.S. recurrent melanoma is more common than previously thought, and as many as 15 percent of people diagnosed with the potentially fatal skin cancer are at risk of a second diagnosis within two years.

18 Apr 2006

It's a vicious circle - exposure to stress causes anxiety and depression

Experts in the United States say the results of a study with mice suggests that stress in itself may cause anxiety and depression.

18 Apr 2006

Only 43 percent of older people with diabetes receive medicines that could protect their heart and kidneys

...despite the fact that virtually all of them could benefit from those drugs, a new University of Michigan study finds. And even among those with the most to gain from the medicines, the rate of use barely reaches 53 percent.

18 Apr 2006

Anxiogenic-like effect of chronic corticosterone in the light-dark emergence task in mice

Neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School and its affiliate McLean Hospital have shown that long-term exposure to stress hormone in mice directly results in the anxiety that often comes with depression.

18 Apr 2006

Obese may have gene which makes them fat

According to scientists in the U.S. there is a genetic explanation why some people are obese while others are not.

17 Apr 2006

Reversing cell division has implications for the treatment of cancer

A scientist in the United States has apparently found a way to reverse the process of cell division.

13 Apr 2006

Trial of low-dose Isotretinoin for prevention of second primary tumors in head and neck cancer patients

Taking a vitamin A derivative called isotretinoin did not reduce the risk of second primary tumors or improve survival in patients with stage I or II head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC), according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

13 Apr 2006

Advances in chemotherapy significantly reduce risk of disease recurrence in breast cancer patients

Recent advances in chemotherapy have significantly reduced the risk of disease recurrence and death in breast cancer patients whose tumors are not hormone sensitive, according to a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and 10 other institutions.

13 Apr 2006

Sildenafil improves blood flow after heart attack in an animal model

Dogs treated with sildenafil, a drug most commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction, had better blood flow in coronary arteries than control animals, following an induced artery obstruction and treatment that modeled a heart attack and standard medical care given to people

13 Apr 2006

That mistake will cost you and your brain knows staight away!

According to a team of researchers in the U.S.a particular part of the brain called the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, or rACC, becomes much more active when a person realizes he or she has made an error that carries consequences - for instance, losing money.

12 Apr 2006

Disclosure of physicians' financial incentives may increase patient trust

Providing notices that explain how physicians are paid appears to increase patients' knowledge about compensation models, does not harm trust and may increase the loyalty patients feel toward their physicians, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

11 Apr 2006

Forget the diet, just zap that fat!

Scientists in the U.S. are in the process of developing a laser which melts fat and they believe that in future it could be used to treat heart disease, cellulite, and acne.

11 Apr 2006

Biodegradable drug containing nano-particles effective in killing human breast tumors

Research studies, based at the University of Pennsylvania, demonstrate that biodegradable nano-particles containing two potent cancer-fighting drugs are effective in killing human breast tumors.

11 Apr 2006

Scientists find that growth hormone is produced in the brain

Scientists have found that growth hormone, a substance that is used for body growth, is produced in the brain, according to an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

11 Apr 2006

MPD Foundation funds research for incurable blood disorders

The Myeloproliferative Disorders Foundation has awarded $750,000 to establish the MPD Research Alliance, a collaboration of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic to accelerate drug development for incurable, progressive bone marrow disorders.

11 Apr 2006

Cervical cancer vaccine gives women 4 years protection

Researchers say a vaccine that protects women against a virus that causes cervical cancer is effective for more than four years.

6 Apr 2006

Ginger causes ovarian cancer cells to die

Ginger is known to ease nausea and control inflammation. But researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center are investigating a new use for this age-old remedy: treating ovarian cancer.

6 Apr 2006