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New initiative to ensure the safe use of methadone

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an initiative to help ensure the safe use of methadone.

30 Apr 2009

Protein effects of hormone replacement therapy uncovered

An in-depth proteomic analysis of the sera of 50 participants from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) hormone replacement therapy trial provides some explanations for the trial's clinical results.

30 Apr 2009

Dairy better for bones than calcium carbonate

A Purdue University study shows dairy has an advantage over calcium carbonate in promoting bone growth and strength.

30 Apr 2009

Scientists revive a dormant gene to fight HIV

A new vaginal cream containing a reawakened protein could someday prevent the transmission of HIV.

30 Apr 2009

Obstructive sleep apnea leads to poorer prognosis after stroke

Stroke victims tend to do worse if they also have diagnosed or undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea prior to having the stroke, according to a study presented April 28, 2009, at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting in Seattle.

30 Apr 2009

New target for the treatment of depression

An acid-sensitive protein in the brain may represent a new target for the treatment of depression, according to animal research in the April 29 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

30 Apr 2009

Period proteins PER:PER homodimer crucial for circadian clock function in flies

Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London have discovered a new protein complex operating in fruit fly circadian clocks, which may also help to regulate our own biological clocks.

30 Apr 2009

Poor health and unemployment go hand in hand

Recent research shakes up the myth that Scandinavia's welfare states are best at keeping unemployment from affecting health.

30 Apr 2009

New insights into addictive behaviours

Addictive behaviour is determined by conscious, rapid thought processes, not necessarily by the content of visual stimuli as previously thought according to research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

30 Apr 2009

Discovery of common genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorders

Researchers have made an important step forward in understanding the complex genetic structure of autism spectrum disorders.

30 Apr 2009

People with better cognitive skills make wiser economic choices

People with higher measures of cognitive ability are more likely to make good choices in several different types of economic decisions, according to a new study with researchers from the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities and Morris campuses.

30 Apr 2009

A negative mGluR5 allosteric modulator shows efficacy in treating acute migraine attacks

When migraine strikes, because of severe pain, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, sufferers are effectively disabled for up to 72 hours.

30 Apr 2009

Nanoneedle introduces minimal intrusiveness in penetrating cell membranes

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a membrane-penetrating nanoneedle for the targeted delivery of one or more molecules into the cytoplasm or the nucleus of living cells.

30 Apr 2009

Non-invasive wireless technology allows monitoring of fetus and mother

The University of Nottingham spin-out company has developed miniature, wireless technology which can successfully monitor the well-being of a mother and her unborn baby.

30 Apr 2009

Matrix protein key to fighting viruses

Researchers from Durham University's Centre for Bioactive Chemistry are developing methods that show how proteins interact with cell membranes when a virus strikes.

30 Apr 2009

Gains in access to antiretroviral treatment come with some costs

In this week's PLoS Medicine magazine, Yibeltal Assefa, from the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office in Addis Ababa, and colleagues describe the successes and challenges of the scale-up of antiretroviral treatment (ART) across Ethiopia.

30 Apr 2009

If started early, HIV treatment reduces death rates toward background levels in African countries

Mortality rates of people starting HIV treatment in four African countries approach those of the general population over time, provided that treatment is started before the immune system has been severely damaged, according to research published this week in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.

30 Apr 2009

Level of cellular stress determines longevity of retinal cells

Stress can be adaptive. It can make you sharper, help you focus and it can even improve your performance. But too much of it can tax cells to the point where they can no longer cope and slowly self-destruct.

30 Apr 2009

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

Global health organizations are doing too little to support health system strengthening

Existing health systems in the developing world are fragile and many are unable to provide effective health services - and so there is growing consensus that the success of global health initiatives will depend on "health system strengthening" (a recent buzzword in global health).

30 Apr 2009