Body

Limiting carbs could reduce breast cancer recurrence in women with positive IGF1 receptor

Lebanon, NH (June 10, 2014) - Dartmouth researchers have found that reducing carbohydrate intake could reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence among women whose tumor tissue is positive for the IGF-1 receptor. The study, "Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence Associated with Carbohydrate Intake and Tissue Expression of IGFI Receptor," will appear in the July issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.

Soldiers who kill in combat less likely to abuse alcohol

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 10, 2014)—It's no secret that combat experiences are highly stressful and can contribute to instances of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among soldiers post-deployment. It also comes as no surprise that many soldiers afflicted with these conditions abuse alcohol in an attempt to self-medicate.

'Trust hormone' oxytocin helps old muscle work like new, study finds

Berkeley — Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that oxytocin -- a hormone associated with maternal nurturing, social attachments, childbirth and sex -- is indispensable for healthy muscle maintenance and repair, and that in mice, it declines with age.

The new study, to be published Tuesday, June 10, in the journal Nature Communications, presents oxytocin as the latest treatment target for age-related muscle wasting, or sarcopenia.

Scientists wipe out malaria-carrying mosquitoes in the lab by creating male-only offspring

Scientists have modified mosquitoes to produce sperm that will only create males, pioneering a fresh approach to eradicating malaria.

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists from Imperial College London have tested a new genetic method that distorts the sex ratio of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, the main transmitters of the malaria parasite, so that the female mosquitoes that bite and pass the disease to humans are no longer produced.

Mammography has led to fewer late-stage breast cancers, U-M study finds

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In the last 30 years, since mammography was introduced, late-stage breast cancer incidence has decreased by 37 percent, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.

The analysis takes into account an observed underlying trend of increased breast cancer incidence present since the 1940s, a sort of inflation rate for breast cancer.

Calls to end all violence against women and girls in conflict zones

Women in conflict zones are likely to suffer from sexual or physical violence at the hands of their husbands or partners before, during and after a period of conflict, warn experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine as politicians, activists and researchers gather today in London for the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

In a Comment published in The Lancet, they urge officials to invest in prevention to keep women and girls safe from all forms of violence.

Penn research develops 'onion' vesicles for drug delivery

One of the defining features of cells is their membranes. Each cell's repository of DNA and protein-making machinery must be kept stable and secure from invaders and toxins. Scientists have attempted to replicate these properties, but, despite decades of research, even the most basic membrane structures, known as vesicles, still face many problems when made in the lab. They are difficult to make at consistent sizes and lack the stability of their biological counterparts.

LSTM researchers identify the complex mechanisms controlling changes in snake venom

Specialist researchers from LSTM have identified the diverse mechanisms by which variations in venom occur in related snake species and the significant differences in venom pathology that occur as a consequence.

Guidelines address long-term needs of prostate cancer survivors

ATLANTA – June 10, 2014 –New American Cancer Society Prostate Cancer Survivorship Care guidelines released today outline posttreatment clinical follow-up care for the myriad of long-term and late effects an estimated 2.8 million prostate cancer survivors in the United States may face.

Study: Little evidence that No Child Left Behind has hurt teacher job satisfaction

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2014 ─ The conventional wisdom that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has eroded teacher job satisfaction and commitment is off the mark, according to new research published online today in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association.

Summertime cholesterol consumption key for wintertime survival for Siberian hamsters

Increasingly, scientific findings indicate that an organism's diet affects more than just general health and body condition. In an article published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, researchers from Nicolaus Copernicus University have found evidence that the diet of some animals must include cholesterol in order for them to enter necessary periods of energy conservation known as torpor.

Male dwarf spiders make sure offspring is their own

Chastity belts were not first thought out in mediaeval times – members of many animal groups have evolved similar mechanical safeguards to ensure their paternity. Male dwarf spiders, for instance, use mating plugs to block off the genital tract of the female they have just mated with. The larger and older the plug, the better the chances are that other males will not make deposits in a female's sperm storage organ, too.

Signpost for health services: Teenagers go from school psychologist to family doctor

After initially visiting a school psychologist, adolescents in the United States with a mental disorder often go to seek care from their pediatricians or family doctors. Fewer of them continue their treatment directly with a psychotherapist or doctor specialized in mental disorders. This shows an analysis conducted by scientists at the University of Basel that has just been published in the academic journal PLOS ONE. The results are based on a nationally representative cohort of 6,500 U.S. teenagers.

ESMO survey sheds light on common clinical practice for incompletely resected lung cancer

Lugano, Switzerland, 10 June 2014 -- A landmark survey of more than 700 specialists provides crucial real-world insight into the treatments most oncologists choose for lung cancer patients whose tumour has been incompletely resected, an expert from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) says.

Game changer for leukemia therapy

Australian researchers are zeroing in on a promising new approach to killing off cancer cells in patients with leukemia.

In a study led by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the University of Adelaide's Centre for Personalised Cancer Medicine, researchers have found that cancer cells decide whether to live or die after a short period of intense exposure to targeted therapy, opposing the current requirement for continuous treatment.