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Gene alterations associated with response to anthracycline therapy for breast cancer

Alterations in the topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) gene were associated with better patient outcomes following anthracycline-based therapy compared with non-anthracycline-based regimens, according to a study in the April 28 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

30 Apr 2009

Conscientiousness is a good thing in a mate

This is the first large-scale analysis of what the authors call the "compensatory conscientiousness effect," the boost in health reported by those with conscientious spouses or romantic partners. The study appears this month in Psychological Science .

30 Apr 2009

Eating fat-rich foods trigger long-term memory formation

Having strong memories of that rich, delicious dessert you ate last night?

30 Apr 2009

Excessive increase in heart rate before exercise doubles risk of sudden cardiac death in later life

French researchers have discovered a simple and cheap method of predicting who is at greater risk of dying suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack.

30 Apr 2009

Discovery of gene region that may account for as many as 15 percent of autism cases

A research team has connected more of the intricate pieces of the autism puzzle, with two studies that identify genes with important contributions to the disorder.

30 Apr 2009

Arterial disease of the leg frequently overlooked in patients with heart disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of the legs, in which the arteries become blocked with plaque and blood supply to the legs is reduced, affects eight million people in the U.S. Early detection of PAD is important because it can limit the ability to walk and exercise, it may place patients at greater risk for limb loss and it increases the chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

30 Apr 2009

Athletes with asthma need more help from their team trainers

Very few athletic trainers associated with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) programs said that they were following best practice standards for managing asthma among their athletes, according to a new study.

30 Apr 2009

Are we cherry picking participants for studies of antidepressants?

Findings from clinical studies used to gain Food and Drug Administration approval of common antidepressants are not applicable to most patients with depression, according to a report led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

30 Apr 2009

A potentially better option to blocks tumors

On the heels of dismaying reports that a promising antitumor drug could, in theory, shorten patients' long-term survival, comes a promising study by a Japanese team of researchers that suggests a potentially better option.

30 Apr 2009

Urine proteome pattern may predict coronary artery disease

Proteome analysis, a screening requiring only a patient's urine specimen, shows promise as a reliable and noninvasive way to diagnose atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease in the future, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Annual Conference 2009.

30 Apr 2009

Oral delivery system for RNAi therapeutics

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) report on a novel approach to the delivery of small bits of genetic material in order to silence genes using "RNA interference"-and in the process, discovered a potent method of suppressing inflammation in mice similar to what occurs in a range of human diseases.

30 Apr 2009

Developing sex-typed personality traits and interests

A new longitudinal study of children's personality traits and interests tells us that sex-typed characteristics develop differently in girls and boys.

30 Apr 2009

Drug abuse prevention programs can curb risky sexual practices in young adulthood

School-based drug education programs for adolescents can have a long-term positive impact on sexual behavior in addition to curbing substance abuse, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

30 Apr 2009

Sublingual immunotherapy for inhalant allergies deserves deeper consideration

Sublingual immunotherapy for the treatment of allergy symptoms caused by a wide variety of environmental inhalants has been effectively used in Europe.

30 Apr 2009

Cancer rates among U.S. elderly, minorities set to explode

Over the next 20 years, the number of new cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States will increase by 45 percent, from 1.6 million in 2010 to 2.3 million in 2030, with a dramatic spike in incidence predicted in the elderly and minority populations, according to research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

29 Apr 2009

Risk factors identified for ventilator-associated pneumonia

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the main cause of nosocomial infection in patients undergoing major heart surgery.

29 Apr 2009

Researchers identify atrial fibrillation as a stroke predictor in black patients

Predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) might offer physicians a better way to prevent stroke in blacks, according to a new study done by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

29 Apr 2009

First molecular-level numerical study of gene therapy

In a recent issue of The Journal of Chemical Physics , published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP), a group of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Los Alamos National Laboratory describe the first comprehensive, molecular-level numerical study of gene therapy.

29 Apr 2009

New idea for Parkinson's treatment

In a study that reveals the clearest picture to date of neuron death in Parkinson's disease, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that a trio of culprits acting in concert is responsible for killing the brain cells.

29 Apr 2009

Working when sick boosts risk of long term leave

Repeatedly going to work when ill significantly boosts the chances of having to take long term sick leave later on, reveals research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

29 Apr 2009