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Babies exposed to air pollution in womb at increased risk of developing asthma

Babies born to mothers exposed to air pollution from traffic during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing asthma before the age of six, according to new UBC research.

10 Feb 2016

Mayo Clinic researchers discover new bacterial species that triggers Lyme disease in people

Mayo Clinic researchers, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials from Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, have discovered a new bacterial species that causes Lyme disease in people. The new species has been provisionally named Borrelia mayonii. Prior to this finding, the only species believed to cause Lyme disease in North America was Borrelia burgdorferi.

9 Feb 2016

Older people could be at greater risk for negative consequences of consuming high-salt diet

Aging is associated with a number of changes that cause the body to function less efficiently, including the way the body controls water and sodium levels. Research has shown that as humans and animals age, they are less able to regulate sodium and water retention, urine concentration and thirst compared to their younger counterparts.

9 Feb 2016

Study reveals link between genomic instability, aneuploidy and cancer

A recent analysis of 43,205 human tumours unveiled that 68% of solid tumours are aneuploid, that is to say, they have an altered number of chromosomes. In recent years, scientists have attempted to clarify whether this aneuploidy contributes to tumour development or whether it is a co-lateral effect of the genomic instability of cancer cells, which increase the rate of mutations and the likelihood of cancer.

9 Feb 2016

$Certain genes could lead to stress fracture injuries$

Certain genes could lead to stress fracture injuries

In a paper published in The Official Journal of the International Purine Club University of Liverpool researchers have successfully identified how certain genes can contribute towards a person's susceptibility to stress fracture injuries. This research provides a platform for further research into providing a personalised health approach to this common sports injury.

9 Feb 2016

Patients with COPD show decreased gray matter volume in certain areas of the brain

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition impacting nearly 24 million Americans, is often associated with disease-specific fears and avoidance of physical activity. Little is known of the structural brain processes that occur in COPD patients. A study published in the February issue of the journal CHEST found that patients with COPD demonstrated gray matter decreases in areas of the brain that process breathlessness, fear and sensitivity to pain.

9 Feb 2016

Simple strategies may help people stave off neurodegenerative condition

Diet, exercise, a good night's sleep -- all sound recommendations for mitigating one's risk for everything from heart disease to diabetes and, as it turns out, Alzheimer's.

9 Feb 2016

Alternatives exist to eliminate nonmedical exemptions for childhood vaccination

For more than 30 years, Mississippi and West Virginia were the only states in the country that disallowed nonmedical exemptions to mandatory school vaccination laws for religious or philosophical reasons, until they were joined by California last year. These exemption laws have provoked debate over the rights of parents versus the responsibility of government to protect public health.

9 Feb 2016

Some heart disease drugs, antibiotics show promising perspectives in treating cancers

North American researchers have identified drugs that showed promising perspectives in treating cancers, according to a recent study published in Cancer Research.

9 Feb 2016

El Niño plays significant role in outbreak of haemorrhagic fevers

The dengue virus affects 390 million people globally every year, and fears are that early 2016 will see an epidemic, particularly in South-East Asia, due to the predicted extreme intensity of El Niño. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed the significant role that this monster climatic phenomenon plays in the outbreak of haemorrhagic fevers.

9 Feb 2016

Newly developed fall detector may make life safer for older people

Pressure measurements enable a newly developed fall detector to "observe" falls that current sensors do not register, thus improving safety for older people who live at home.

9 Feb 2016

New technique allows better understanding of cellular stress reaction

Stress in the body's cells is both the cause and consequence of inflammatory diseases or cancer. The cells react to stress to protect themselves. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now developed a new technique that allows studying a fundamental response to stress in much more detail than previously possible: the ADP-ribosylation of chromatin.

9 Feb 2016

Cold viruses at school largely to blame for asthma hospitalizations

The most dangerous times of year for children with asthma are soon after their schools reopen after a break, and a new study finds that cold viruses are largely to blame.

9 Feb 2016

Taste deficits appear to be more prevalent in MS patients

Taste deficits appear to be more prevalent among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients than previously reported and correlate with brain lesions left by the debilitating disease, a new study from the University of Pennsylvania's Smell and Taste Center and the department of Radiology found.

9 Feb 2016

Study provides insights into molecular basis of Frank-Starling regulatory mechanism

In a finding that could lead to new drugs to treat heart failure, researchers have uncovered the molecular mechanism that regulates how the heart pumps blood.

9 Feb 2016

Vaccinations could have significant economic value

Vaccinations, long recognized as an excellent investment that saves lives and prevents illness, could have significant economic value that far exceeds their original cost, a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found.

9 Feb 2016

UC San Diego School of Medicine launches new NAFLD Research Center

Roughly one-quarter of all Americans - an estimated 100 million adults and children - have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic condition that can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure.

9 Feb 2016

Medical marijuana offers hope for kids with uncontrolled seizures

Desperate for relief, parents are taking unusual steps to help children plagued with seizures. The relief, however, comes in a most unlikely form: marijuana.

9 Feb 2016

Vanderbilt researchers use cotton candy machines to produce artificial capillary system

For several years, Leon Bellan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, has been tinkering with cotton candy machines, getting them to spin out networks of tiny threads comparable in size, density and complexity to the patterns formed by capillaries - the tiny, thin-walled vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and carry away waste.

9 Feb 2016

Marijuana use could pose serious cognitive function risk later in life

Marijuana is the most frequently used illicit drug in the United States, according to a recent survey from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and new data suggest that marijuana use now could pose a serious cognitive function risk later in life.

9 Feb 2016