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Research shows right from the beginning babies are active learners

A new study from Northwestern University shows what many mothers already know: their babies are a lot smarter than others may realize.

6 May 2009

Neuroglobin making gene tied to Alzheimer's

Of dozens of candidates potentially involved in increasing a person's risk for the most common type of Alzheimer's disease that affects more than 5 million Americans over the age of 65, one gene that keeps grabbing Johns Hopkins researchers' attention makes a protein called neuroglobin.

6 May 2009

Three genes play a role in breast cancer's spread to the brain

New research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) identifies three genes that specifically mediate the metastasis, or spread, of breast cancer to the brain and illuminates the mechanisms by which this spread occurs. The study was published online today in Nature.

6 May 2009

Prevalence and physiological predictors of sleep apnea in patients with heart failure

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) are not markedly decreased in heart failure (HF) patients managed with beta-blockers and spironolactone, reports a study in the March issue of Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier.

6 May 2009

Rarefaction for gene discovery

Researchers at Purdue University have found a way to save time, money and a little frustration in searches for specific genes that shed light on the biological processes associated with all forms of life.

6 May 2009

FDA approves new flu vaccine production facility

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it has approved a new manufacturing facility used to produce influenza virus vaccines. The facility is approved for seasonal influenza vaccine production and could be used for the production of vaccine against the new 2009 H1N1 influenza strain.

6 May 2009

New tag could enable more detailed structural studies of mammalian proteins

To say our genes are resourceful is a gross understatement. Through ingenious combinations of a paltry 20 amino acids, the basic building blocks of life, genes engineer all of the tissues and organs that are the marvel of our working bodies.

6 May 2009

Countries move toward more sustainable ways to roll back malaria

The United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organization, in partnership with the Global Environment Facility, today announced a rejuvenated international effort to combat malaria with an incremental reduction of reliance on the synthetic pesticide DDT.

6 May 2009

GSK to divest U.S. rights for Wellbutrin XL to Biovail

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that it has entered into an agreement to divest full commercial rights to Wellbutrin XL in the United States to Biovail International Laboratories SRL, a subsidiary of Biovail Corporation, for $510 million (euro 340 million). The agreement is subject to Hart-Scott-Rodino regulatory clearance in the United States.

6 May 2009

Children's early reading experience critical to development of lifelong reading skills

The study addresses a 20-year riddle: When researchers investigate reading behaviour in children they find different patterns. Some researchers have found children's reading mimics that of adults, but others have seen a different pattern of reading behaviour.

6 May 2009

Discovery of method to neutralize tumor growth in embryonic stem cell therapy

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered a method to potentially eliminate the tumor-risk factor in utilizing human embryonic stem cells. Their work paves the way for further progress in the promising field of stem cell therapy.

6 May 2009

Swine flu: Action and response from the Cochrane Library

Fears about Swine Flu and notions of the best methods of preventing the spread are sweeping over the world like wild fire, with everyone voicing a different opinion. Is stocking Tamiflu the best option? Do facemasks work? Should we be constantly washing our hands, or never leaving the house?

6 May 2009

Social class exerts much influence on teenagers' diet and weight

Research just released by academics at the Universities of Hertfordshire and Edinburgh has revealed that differences in social class influence the eating habits, weight and health of young people.

6 May 2009

New influenza A (H1N1) having powerful impact on us

The new influenza A (H1N1), known as the swine flu, demonstrates the power of people's perceptions of risk. Sales of face masks are breaking all records not only in Mexico but also in Sweden. Hotel guests are being isolated at a hotel in Hong Kong, and people with the sniffles are being isolated in airports around the world. But before the outbreak of the flu, this was a risk that extremely few Swedes perceived as a serious threat to themselves.

6 May 2009

Unmanned mini helicopter for disaster rescue workers

The collapse of the Cologne city archive building triggered a race against time for the rescue workers.

6 May 2009

New device allows for self-monitoring of blood lactate level

Performance athletes need to know their blood lactate level. It indicates how much lactic acid has collected in their blood as a result of physical exertion and enables conclusions to be drawn about their fitness. Professional athletes therefore regularly have to attend performance diagnosis sessions. As they pedal a cycle ergometer at various levels of exertion, a doctor takes blood samples from an earlobe. A special device then measures the concentration of lactate in the blood.

6 May 2009

Australia warned - 'Dementia Tsunami' on the way

According to a new report Australia could be facing a 'Dementia Tsunami' in twenty years time.

6 May 2009

Teenage girl who wants to be a boy wins right to have breasts removed

Reports than a teenage Australian girl has won the right in court to have both breasts surgically removed, have made the headlines around the world and evoked some very strong criticism.

6 May 2009

Dengue fever may be more of a worry to Australians than swine flu

For the last week or so much of the world's media has been gripped by the new influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) virus which has dominated the headlines everywhere.

6 May 2009

Panic buying of flu drug results in rationing

Even though Australia is yet to have had any confirmed cases of influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) there has been such a demand for the anti-viral drug Tamiflu that the drug must now be rationed - it is reported that in the last week 120,000 courses of Tamiflu were sold, compared with about 10,000 courses in a normal flu season and many chemists have run out.

6 May 2009