Body

ANAHEIM, CA. (November 9, 2012) – Emergency rooms are more crowded than ever, with more than 136 million people making a trip annually. According to a study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting, some of these trips may be preventable under the regular care of an allergist. Such care may also save lives.

ANAHEIM, CA. (November 9, 2012) – Avoiding sweet treats like pumpkin bread and cookies this holiday season might not be necessary for children with egg allergies. New studies presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting found 56 percent of allergic children can tolerate baked hen's egg, while 55 percent outgrow their egg allergy entirely.

ANAHEIM, CA. (November 9, 2012) – With today's modern medicine, misdiagnoses may be unexpected and surprising. But when symptoms of an unknown and uncommon illness mimic a number of other conditions, it can be difficult for medical professionals to properly diagnose and treat patients. That's why four leading allergy/immunology organizations have announced the release of a report to help set a new standard for a commonly misdiagnosed, under-recognized and under treated condition known as angioedema, the rapid swelling of deep layers of skin and tissue.

African American males are among those at greatest risk for severe asthma attacks. In a new study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Nov. 8-13, researchers assessed the relationship between genetic ancestry and severe asthma. It was concluded that African ancestry was significantly associated with severe asthma attacks among African American males, but was not seen among females. These findings suggest increased asthma in this population can be contributed to a genetic factor.

Rochester, MN, November 9, 2012 – Axillary lymph node dissection is done in conjunction with lumpectomy or mastectomy to determine if breast cancer has spread to the adjoining lymph nodes. The conventional surgical approach leaves a surgical scar that is unattractive and can restrict range of motion in the shoulder joint. Also, squeezing and pulling the tumor during the breast operation can stimulate tumor cell metastases.

Respiratory symptoms vary significantly during different stages of the menstrual cycle, with higher frequencies during the mid-luteal to mid-follicular stages, according to a new study.

A consortium of scientists who are taking a novel approach in their research to detect the genetic variations that predispose individuals to type 2 diabetes provided an update of their findings at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2012 meeting.

Among the project's novel characteristics is the ethnic diversity of the 10,000 individuals whose exomes, the 18,000 protein-coding genes, are being sequenced.

Research: Risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes in women treated or not treated with mood stabilisers for bipolar disorder: Population based cohort study

Editorial: Bipolar disorder in pregnancy: to treat or not to treat?

Babies born to mothers with bipolar disorder are at increased risk of preterm birth (before 37 weeks) a study published today on bmj.com suggests.

Infants of mothers with untreated bipolar disorder are also at increased risks of outcomes related to fetal growth restriction.

Researchers in France are taking advantage of the progress in genetic and molecular profiling to analyse the make-up of individual cancer patients' tumours and, using this information, assign them to particular treatments and phase I clinical trials -- an approach that could become part of everyday clinical practice.

A completely new way of delivering anti-cancer drugs to tumours, using 'minicells' derived from bacteria, has been tested for the first time in humans and found to be safe, well-tolerated and even induced stable disease in patients with advanced, incurable cancers with no treatment options remaining.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eating mindfully, or consuming food in response to physical cues of hunger and fullness, is just as effective as adhering to nutrition-based guidelines in reducing weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

In a comparison study of the effectiveness of the two types of behavioral interventions, participants lost about the same amount of weight – an average of between 3 1/2 and 6 pounds – and lowered their long-term blood sugar levels significantly after three months.

Psychological science has come of age. But the rights of a mature discipline carry with them responsibilities, among them the responsibility to maximize confidence in our findings through good data practices and replication.

Montreal, November 8, 2012 – "It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, emotionally and mentally." These are not the words we generally associate with a university student who is undergoing teacher training, yet Concordia researcher Anita Sinner has heard similar statements from many such individuals. Every year thousands of students make the transition from student to teacher and the stories of those who struggle are often missing from our conversations.

• Previous research suggests that genetic influences on drinking are moderated by environmental factors.
• A new study has looked at gene-environment interactions between a functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the μ-opioid receptor gene (A118G) and the risk for developing an AUD during adolescence.
• Findings confirm that environmental factors can moderate this association.

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Low antioxidant levels contribute to increased blood pressure during exercise for people with peripheral arterial disease, according to researchers at Penn State Hershey Heart and Vascular Institute.

Peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, affects an estimated 10 million Americans and increases the chance of death from a cardiovascular event. Reduced blood flow causes pain in the legs and increases blood pressure in people who have PAD. However, the causes of the disease are unknown.