Body

Every cell in the human body contains a copy of the human genome. Through the course of a lifetime all cells are thought to acquire mutations in their genomes. Some of the mutational processes generating these mutations do so in bursts and these will often be through external exposures such as sunbathing or tobacco smoking. Other mutational processes, however, may be internal to the cell and generate mutations continuously, at a constant rate over decades. If so the mutations they generate will be "clock-like", with the number of mutations present correlating with the age of the person.

Genetic mutations in a gene called REST have been shown to cause Wilms tumour, a rare kidney cancer that occurs in children.

Wilms tumour affects about 1 in 10,000 children, but fortunately is curable in about 90% of them.

A study led by researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, identified mutations in the REST gene in 16 children with Wilms tumour.

Nine of the children were the only members of the family to develop Wilms tumour, but in four families more than one child had developed the cancer.

LA JOLLA, CA--November 9, 2015--Can you touch a finger to the tip of your nose with your eyes closed? Most of us can, thanks to a sense called proprioception, which tells us where our body parts are relative to each other and our environment. Not surprisingly, this sense is essential for normal movement and balance--walking, for instance.

A new study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet shows that the 'grammar' of the human genetic code is more complex than that of even the most intricately constructed spoken languages in the world. The findings, published in the journal Nature, explain why the human genome is so difficult to decipher -- and contribute to the further understanding of how genetic differences affect the risk of developing diseases on an individual level.

Peer group support, in the form of group therapy, was found to help improve healthy behavior in people with cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study released today by Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital. Mount Sinai Heart is ranked No. 7 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2015 "Best Hospitals" issue.

Ambulances deployed at temporary locations that can be changed depending on the time of day and accident statistics can reduce response time and may save lives on the way to the hospital. Researchers at Sahlgrenska University studied fluid deployment of ambulances in Shiraz, Iran.

While there is no doubt that rapid commencement of care saves lives, Emergency Medical Services are struggling to meet the predesignated response time, world-wide.

Compared ambulance services

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but the best way to make something is often to co-opt the original process and make it work for you. In a sense, that's how scientists at Brown University accomplished a new advance in tissue engineering.

In the journal Biomaterials, the team reports culturing cells to make extracellular matrix (ECM) of two types and five different alignments with the strength found in natural tissue and without using any artificial chemicals that could make it incompatible to implant.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) have successfully used dead bacteria to kill colorectal cancer cells.

Harvesting the Clostridium sporogenes bacteria found commonly in soil, the NTU team was able to harness the bacteria in its dead form, and its secretions, to destroy colon tumours cells effectively.

Long accustomed to parasitising spider eggs, a large worldwide genus of wasps has as few as 24 known representatives in India. However, Dr. Veenakumari, ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, and her team have recently discovered five new species of these interesting wasps from different parts of the country. Because of their uniqueness and their strong resemblance to each other, as well to aid taxonomic studies they have been considered as constituting a group of their own.

Environmental factors may be a contributory cause in the development of some childhood cancers, leading scientists have revealed.

Experts at Newcastle University, UK, have carried out pioneering analysis of neuroblastic tumours in children and young adults in northern England from 1968 to 2011.

Neuroblastic tumours are cancers of a special type of cell which is involved in the development of the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord and they are predominantly seen in children under the age of five.

Australian researchers have defined some key characteristics of the metabolically healthy obese -- those obese individuals who remain free from type 2 diabetes and other disorders that usually associate with obesity. Their findings have implications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and obesity.

Sharing your happiness with your Twitter followers right now? Odds are, they're going to pay it forward, a new study shows.

An analysis of 3,800 randomly chosen Twitter users found that emotions spread virally through Twitter feeds - with positive emotions far more likely to spread than negative ones.

Lisbon, Portugal: International experts have called for a clinical trial to investigate the best ways for identifying and treating a small but important group of patients with advanced breast cancer who can survive for long periods without their disease progressing.

A study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that a support group addressing the psychological and educational needs of people with lupus is a valuable resource to help them cope with the disease.

The study, titled, "The SLE Workshop: An Evaluation of a Long-Standing Hospital-Based Psychoeducational Program" will be presented at the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals annual meeting on November 9 in San Francisco.

Although complication and mortality rates following knee replacement surgery have decreased in recent years, 4% of patients receiving the procedure require a revision surgery on the same knee within five years. A new study by a group at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) reveals that blacks in the U.S. are at a significantly higher risk of requiring a revision than American whites, and that socioeconomic factors may play an important role in revision risk.