Body

Imaging epicardial adipose tissue, or the layer of fat around the heart, can provide extra information compared with standard diagnostic techniques such as coronary artery calcium scoring, according to research by cardiologists at Emory University School of Medicine. The size of the layer of fat around the heart can be measured by X-ray imaging techniques such as CT or MRI.

Shaking hands with a robotic arm could be a new way to help stroke patients learn to use their arms again. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation report a pilot trial of the 'Braccio di Ferro' (Iron arm) robot in 10 patients.

Doha, Qatar – A little-known Iranian salamander is poised to become the first example of a species requiring international government protection because of e-commerce – a major threat to endangered wildlife that authorities are struggling to address.

The Kaiser's spotted newt, found only in Iran, is considered Critically Endangered and is believed to number fewer than 1,000 mature wild individuals. The amphibian is being proposed for an Appendix I listing during a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Endangered Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Scientists from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa have identified a promising new approach for developing drugs to treat Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading inherited cause of death in infants and toddlers. Dr. Rashmi Kothary and his doctoral student Melissa Bowerman have found that an enzyme called RhoA is overly active in a mouse model of the disease and blocking this enzyme can greatly increase survival. The study is published in Human Molecular Genetics.

A person can reach a high level of spiritual development without being emotionally and psychologically mature. This has been shown in a new study presented by Prof. Ofra Mayseless at the 2nd Conference on the Study of Contemporary Spirituality that was held at the University of Haifa.

Research carried out by a group of archaeologists from the Centre for Prehistoric Archaeological Heritage Studies of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (CEPAP_UAB) at the Cova Gran site (Lleida) has contributed to stirring up scientific debate about the appearance of the first "modern" human beings on the Iberian Peninsula and their possible bearing on the extinction of the Neanderthals.

Each cusp of our teeth is regulated by genes which carefully control the development. A similar genetic puzzle also regulates the differentiation of our other organs and of all living organisms. A team of researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology of the University of Helsinki has developed a computer model reproducing population-level variation in complex structures like teeth and organs. The research takes a step towards the growing of correctly shaped teeth and other organs. The results were published last week in Nature, the esteemed science journal.

ATLANTA — A novel report explores the possible relationship between fluctuations in the stock market and the incidence of local heart attacks. The results were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology by a team of researchers from Duke University Medical Center.

TAMPA, Fla. (March 15, 2010)—Patient selection is key for vertebroplasty—a minimally invasive treatment performed by interventional radiologists in individuals with painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures that fail to respond to conventional medical therapy—to be effective and successful, according to a study of more than 1,500 persons who were followed over seven years.

TAMPA, Fla. (March 15, 2010)—Treating non-osteoporotic compression fractures in patients with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, shows that the use of vertebroplasty—a minimally invasive treatment performed by interventional radiologists using imaging guidance that stabilizes collapsed vertebrae with the injection of medical-grade bone cement into the spine—results in a reduction of pain, medication usage and disability, according to researchers in the largest study of its kind at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

Researchers in Ireland have gained new understanding of the role played by the cilial protein Arl13b in Joubert syndrome (JS), a rare disorder characterized by developmental delay, mental retardation, and low muscle tone, among other symptoms. The findings will be published online March 15 in the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org).

Researchers in Germany show that a classical biological oscillator, the glycolytic oscillator, may increase damage to the heart during acute loss of oxygen (anoxia), and as may occur during ischemia. The study appears online March 15 in the Journal of General Physiology (www.jgp.org).

A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that the blood vessels and muscles of the heart can regulate the uptake of fatty acids that we ingest through meat, milk products and other food. The researchers behind the study have also identified the way in which regulation is governed by the muscles themselves. The results, which are published in the scientific journal Nature, open the way for new forms of treatment for pathological fat accumulation in the muscles which, in turn, increases the risk of type II (adult) diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A potent new inhibitor of HIV, derived from bananas, may open the door to new treatments to prevent sexual transmission of HIV, according to a University of Michigan Medical School study published this week.

Scientists have an emerging interest in lectins, naturally occurring chemicals in plants, because of their ability to halt the chain of reaction that leads to a variety of infections.

Boston, Mass. -- A large study from Children's Hospital Boston and the Boston-based Autism Consortium finds that a genetic test that samples the entire genome, known as chromosomal microarray analysis, has about three times the detection rate for genetic changes related to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) than standard tests. Publishing in the April issue of Pediatrics (and online March 15), the authors urge that CMA become part of the first-line genetic work-up for ASDs.