Body

Scientists find chemical that causes 'kidney' failure in mosquitoes

WOOSTER,Ohio — An Ohio State University researcher and his collaborators have discovered a chemical that causes "kidney" failure in mosquitoes, which may pave the way to the development of new insecticides to fight deadly mosquito-transmitted diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

The discovery is reported in the May 29 issue of the online journal PLOS ONE.

More at-risk bird species in Brazilian forest than previously thought

In a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, a team of researchers led by NJIT Associate Professor Gareth Russell has applied a novel method for linking large-scale habitat fragmentation to population sustainability.

More precision from less predictability: A new quantum trade-off

Researchers at Griffith University's Centre for Quantum Dynamics have demonstrated that, contrary to what the Heisenberg uncertainty relation may suggest, particle properties such as position and momentum can be measured simultaneously with high precision.

But it comes at a cost.

The findings have been published in Experimental Test of Universal Complementarity Relations in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters.

Even short bouts of high intensity training improve fitness in inactive men

It is a commonly held perception that getting in shape and staying there requires hard work and hours upon hours of training. New research shows the opposite – it seems that only four minutes of vigorous activity three times per week is enough to be fit and healthy.

Travelers play valuable role assisting crew in common medical emergencies on flights

PITTSBURGH, May 30, 2013– Medical emergencies during commercial airline travel can be a frightening experience, but most situations are well-treated by other passengers and flight attendants, in collaboration with consulting physicians on the ground. A University of Pittsburgh study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine found that doctors, nurses and other medical professionals on the aircraft helped to treat sick fellow passengers in three-fourths of the emergencies studied.

Artificial sweeteners may do more than sweeten

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a popular artificial sweetener can modify how the body handles sugar.

In a small study, the researchers analyzed the sweetener sucralose (Splenda®) in 17 severely obese people who do not have diabetes and don't use artificial sweeteners regularly.

Temporary blood clot filters may do more harm than good for bariatric surgery patients

The temporary placement of umbrella-like, metal mesh filters in abdominal veins to stop potentially lethal blood clots from traveling to the lungs during and after weight loss surgery may actually increase the risk of death in morbidly obese patients, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

Living in poor area as teen could increase risk for chlamydia in young adulthood

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Living in a poor neighborhood as an adolescent is linked to an increased risk of getting the sexually transmitted infection (STI) chlamydia in young adulthood, according to new research.

Ohio State University researchers analyzed data from a large national study that tracked youths over time. The analysis suggested that children who lived in poor neighborhoods during their teenage years had an almost 25 percent greater risk of having chlamydia in their early 20s – even if they themselves weren't poor – than did teenagers living in wealthier settings.

New method to sensitize human ovarian cancer cells to a targeted cytotoxic drug

New Rochelle, NY, May 29, 2013—A novel, targeted approach to chemotherapy that makes ovarian cancer cells more susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of an antitumor drug may offer a safer, more effective treatment option for this often deadly form of cancer. The research and results are published in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com).

Researchers shed new light on egg freezing success rates

Researchers from New York Medical College and the University of California Davis have for the first time codified age-specific probabilities of live birth after in vitro fertilization (IVF) with frozen eggs. A team of researchers led by Kutluk Oktay, M.D., a New York Medical College physician/scientist who specializes in preserving the fertility of female cancer patients, conducted a meta-analysis of oocyte cryopreservation cycles using individualized patient data to report the probability of live-birth from IVF cycles.

Science news from Harvard Stem Cell Institute

May brought a major advancement in the science of aging when two Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers announced their discovery of a protein circulating in the blood of mice and humans that shows potential to be a treatment for age-related heart failure. The protein, called GDF-11, reduced the size and thickness of the heart walls when injected into old mice.

Higher-dose RT results in inferior survival in patients with stage III lung cancer

In a randomized phase III clinical trial conducted by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), high-dose (HD), compared with standard-dose (SD), radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent chemotherapy (CT) did not improve overall survival of patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Gene therapy gives mice broad protection to pandemic flu strains, including 1918 flu

PHILADELPHIA – Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania have developed a new gene therapy to thwart a potential influenza pandemic. Specifically, investigators in the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, directed by James M.

New possibilities for prostate cancer treatment revealed

Researchers have identified a sub-group of cells that could contribute to prostate cancer recurrence, opening up new ways to treat the disease, which claims more than 3000 lives a year in Australia.

Weight of tissue flaps affects complication risk after breast reconstruction

Philadelphia, Pa. (May 29, 2013) – For women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy, the weight of the tissue flap used affects the risk of an important complication called fat necrosis, reports a study in Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery-Global Open®, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).