Body

EAST LANSING, Mich. — New insight into how human cells reproduce, published by cancer researchers at Michigan State University and the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, could help scientists move closer to finding an "off switch" for cancer.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered that the circadian rhythms or biological "clocks" in some insects can make them far more susceptible to pesticides at some times of the day instead of others.

With further research, the scientists said, it may be possible to tap into this genetic characteristic, identify the times that a target insect is most vulnerable to a specific pesticide, and use that information to increase the effectiveness, reduce costs and decrease the amounts of pesticide necessary for insect control.

New research with transgenic mice reveals that a therapy directed at the muscle significantly improves disease symptoms of a genetic disorder characterized by destruction of the neurons that control movement. The study, published by Cell Press in the August 13th issue of the journal Neuron, highlights a promising new treatment for this currently incurable and nontreatable neurodegenerative disorder.

LA JOLLA, Calif., August 12, 2009 -- Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and the University of Connecticut Health Center (U.C.H.C.) have gained new understanding of the role hyaluronic acid (HA) plays in skeletal growth, chondrocyte maturation and joint formation in developing limbs. Significantly, these discoveries were made using a novel mouse model in which the production of HA is blocked in a tissue-specific manner.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Extra genomes appear, on average, to offer no benefit or disadvantage to plants, but still play a key role in the origin of new species, say scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and three other institutions in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Plant biologists have long suspected polyploidy -- the heritable acquisition of extra chromosome sets -- was a gateway to speciation. But the consensus was that polyploidy is a minor force, a mere anomaly that accounts for 3 or 4 percent of the world's flowers and ferns.

Short-term memory getting worse? Exercise getting harder? Examine your diet. New research published online in The FASEB Journal showed that in less than 10 days of eating a high-fat diet, rats had a decreased ability to exercise and experienced significant short-term memory loss. These results show an important link between what we eat, how we think, and how our bodies perform.

The mortality of gastric cancer is decreasing despite the increasing incidence in Korea. This can be explained by surgical technique development and early detection by endoscopic screening or upper gastrointestinal study.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 12, 2009) − Meal replacements in a medically supervised weight loss program are successful in facilitating weight loss, according to a new study conducted at the University of Kentucky. The study appears in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

The meal replacements are products of Health Management Resources Corporation (HMR), a privately owned national health care company specializing in weight loss and weight management.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)--a liver cancer--is recognized as one of the most common cancers in the world that disproportionately affects Southeast Asians and Africans. While there are therapies that possibly provide a cure, surgical removal and liver transplantation are invasive and radical options. However, even these approaches only benefit a small proportion of the total number HCC patients. Cryosurgery is a minimally invasive technique of using extreme low temperatures to freeze and kill tumors, improve patient' survival times, and reduce surgical complications.

A research article to be published on August 7, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been applied gradually in recent years because of its fine vascular tracing and perfusion visualization. A research team led by Professor Yan Luo from West China Hospital found that CEUS improved the flow visualization of the hepatic artery, portal and hepatic veins and bridging vein, as well as evaluation of liver graft parenchyma perfusion.

Arizona researchers have added another piece to the mounting body of evidence that suggests during resuscitation efforts to treat patients in cardiac arrest, "passive ventilation" significantly increases survival rates, compared to the widely practiced "assisted ventilation."

The observation that people taking medication for schizophrenia have lower cancer rates than other people has prompted new research revealing that anti-psychotic drugs could help treat some major cancers.

A preliminary finding in the current online issue of the International Journal of Cancer reports that the anti-psychotic drug, pimozide, kills lung, breast and brain cancer cells in in-vitro laboratory experiments.

WASHINGTON, DC (August 11, 2009) - As flu season draws nearer along with the potential for resurgence in H1N1, leading infectious diseases doctors, hospital epidemiologists, and infection preventionists urge officials to base recommendations for the public and healthcare workers on scientific knowledge and frontline experience gained from the outbreak this summer.

A research article to be published on August 7 , 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. Study designed by Dr. El-Bokl and performed by Dr. Senousy and colleagues evaluated using spot urine Na/K ratio as an alternative. Forty patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites were admitted to Ain Shams University Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. The spot urine tests were compared to the standard 24-h urine collection test.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy increase the lithogenicity of bile and impair gallbladder emptying, which create a favorable environment for gallstone formation. Choledocholithiasis and consequent complications such as pancreatitis and cholangitis are potentially fatal diseases for the mother and fetus. During pregnancy, the treatment is usually conservative since surgery is associated with an increased rate of complications such as preterm labor and spontaneous abortion. In choledocholithiasis, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the first-line treatment of choice.