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Ribosomes spontaneously change their form during protein production

Ribosomes, the construction sites for proteins, are far more complex than previously assumed. During the production of proteins they constantly and spontaneously change their form. This performance of eukaryotic ribosomes has now been demonstrated for the first time by scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik in Berlin, and Cornell University in New York, with the aid of special electron microscopic and biophysical methods.

24 Nov 2011

B-type lamins are necessary for proper organ development

Scientists have long held theories about the importance of proteins called B-type lamins in the process of embryonic stem cells replicating and differentiating into different varieties of cells. New research from a team led by Carnegie's Yixian Zheng indicates that, counter to expectations, these B-type lamins are not necessary for stem cells to renew and develop, but are necessary for proper organ development.

24 Nov 2011

Firefighters sustain more injuries while exercising than when fighting fires

Firefighters are more likely to be injured while exercising than while putting out fires, suggests research published online in Injury Prevention.

24 Nov 2011

Benefits of vitamin D-fortified yoghurt drink for people with diabetes

People with diabetes are known to have an increased risk of heart disease. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows that regular consumption of a vitamin D-fortified yoghurt drink improves cholesterol levels and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, a precursor of heart disease, in diabetics.

24 Nov 2011

Dyslexic individuals have difficulties in excluding external noise

Dyslexia affects up to 17.5% of the population, but its cause remains somewhat unknown. A report published in the Nov. 23 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE supports the hypothesis that the symptoms of dyslexia, including difficulties in reading, are at least partly due to difficulty excluding excess background information like noise.

24 Nov 2011

Study finds patient satisfaction with outpatient medical treatment in the U.S.

Patients overall in the United States are very satisfied with their physicians and with treatment they receive in outpatient settings, according to new information which challenges common public perceptions about outpatient medical treatment.

24 Nov 2011

NIH-led study advances HIV vaccine research

HIV is coated in sugars that usually hide the virus from the immune system. Newly published research reveals how one broadly neutralizing HIV antibody actually uses part of the sugary cloak to help bind to the virus. The antibody binding site, called the V1/V2 region, represents a suitable HIV vaccine target, according to the scientists who conducted the study. In addition, their research reveals the detailed structure of the V1/V2 region, the last part of the virus surface to be visualized at the atomic level.

24 Nov 2011

Scientists discover genetic mechanism behind finger malformation

Scientists from the EPFL and the University of Geneva have discovered a genetic mechanism that defines the shape of our members in which, surprisingly, genes play only a secondary role. The research published in Cell, online the 23rd of November, shows the mechanism is found in a DNA sequence that was thought, incorrectly, to play no role.

24 Nov 2011

People eating out of home consume more calories and fat, less micronutrients

Eating out of home means you run a fair chance of ingesting more calories and fat, and less micronutrients like vitamin C, iron and calcium. And people nowadays eat more out of house, also in developing countries. So conclude scientists from the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine, upon reviewing more than seven thousand studies. They report in the journal Obesity Reviews.

24 Nov 2011

Study raises concerns about Bisphenol A in canned foods

A recent study published in JAMA raises concerns about Bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods.

24 Nov 2011

Uncommon genetic deletions associated with short stature

New research sifts through the entire genome of thousands of human subjects to look for genetic variation associated with height. The results of the study, published by Cell Press in the December issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, suggest that uncommon genetic deletions are associated with short stature.

24 Nov 2011

People with higher BMI more susceptible to obesity risk factors

Some risk factors for obesity become stronger the more overweight a person is, according to a study published Nov. 23 in the online journal PLoS ONE.

24 Nov 2011

Knocking out one copy of IGF1 receptor fails to increase life span of male mice

Scientists studying longevity thought it might be good to lack a copy of a gene, called IGF1 receptor, that is important in insulin signaling. Previous studies showed invertebrates that lacked the copy lived longer, even if their bodies were less responsive to insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar.

24 Nov 2011

Increased meat consumption positively associated with aggressive prostate cancer

Increased consumption of ground beef or processed meat is positively associated with aggressive prostate cancer, according to a study published Nov. 23 in the online journal PLoS ONE.

24 Nov 2011

NIH grant to support Cedars-Sinai's Department of Neurology research

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a four-year, $1.4 million grant to Cedars-Sinai's Department of Neurology to study an unexpected recent discovery: After ischemic stroke - the type caused by a clogged artery but with no bleeding into the brain - a normal protein that plays a positive role in blood clotting escapes intact arteries and damages healthy brain cells.

24 Nov 2011

New First Choice infographic explores issue of SAD and winter blues

First Choice, one of the UK's leading leisure travel companies, has released an infographic that sheds light on how the lack of sunshine during the winter months is affecting a large proportion of the population in northern countries.

24 Nov 2011

BUSM professor receives 2011 ACN Communication Media Award

Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, director of the General Clinical Research Unit and professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) was selected by the American College of Nutrition (ACN) Awards Committee as the 2011 recipient of the ACN Communication Media Award.

23 Nov 2011

Physical exercise seems to encourage healthy diet

A healthy diet and the right amount of exercise are key players in treating and preventing obesity but we still know little about the relationship both factors have with each other. A new study now reveals that an increase in physical activity is linked to an improvement in diet quality.

23 Nov 2011

Ways to reduce serious complications and deaths due to surgical procedures

Surgical procedures save and improve lives worldwide, but the figures on serious complications and deaths are high. PhD student Sindre Høyland sees ways of reducing these numbers.

23 Nov 2011

JIB highlights aluminium's potential role in neurodegenerative diseases

Aluminium's potential role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and cancer, specifically breast cancer, and the potential role for aluminium adjuvants in vaccine-related adverse effects are spotlighted in the latest issue of the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry (JIB).

23 Nov 2011