Test could improve detection of prion disease in humans
... tested these samples using CDI, which uses highly specific antibodies that bind to all disease-causing prions in the brain. They also used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to measure only the prion proteins that are resistant to an enzyme called protease. Protease-resistant prions are abnormal and usually infectio...Older doctors less likely to follow current standards of care
...t doctors in their practices to teach them about a specific drug or advances in treatment-similar to the way drug company representatives 'detail' physicians-is known to be a very effective way to improve the quality of care that doctors provide. What appears to be lacking is the widespread implementation of ...Hypothyroidism associated with reduced breast cancer risk
...uce enough thyroid hormone. Insufficient levels of specific types of thyroid hormone may affect all body functions, and can slow patient functioning, causing mental and physical sluggishness. Other researchers contributing to the M. D. Anderson study include: Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., chairman of the Departme...COX-2 product offers good and bad news in 'test tube' strokes
...nd which promote disease would help to design more specific therapeutics," she says. In their latest laboratory studies, the Hopkins scientists discovered that the prostaglandin PGD2 has a protective or harmful effect in the brain depending on where it docks on a brain cell's surface. After brain cells experi...14-year study finds that quitting smoking adds years to life
...ty. Previous studies linking smoking to death from specific diseases, such as lung cancer and heart disease, were based on observation rather than on experiment. These new findings "prove that smoking causes increased risk for death in smokers," Dr. Samet said in the editorial. "No one can make a serious cla...New highly active agents against sandfly fever
... Latin America and tropical Africa. It can cause a specific form of leukaemia and a slowly developing degradation of the nervous system (tropical spastic paraparesia). The activity of these substances is closely linked to their chemical structure, and especially to the length of the substitution group (number...Mayo Clinic identifies key cellular process in prostate and other cancers
...outlined above to design experiments to answer the specific question: Do elevated levels of Skp2 drive down and disable FOXO1, thus resulting in loss of its tumor suppression ability? The answer is yes....Morbidly obese pay nearly twice as much for health care
...r. The authors say further research is needed into specific interventions that will reduce the incidence and prevalence of morbid obesity and improve the health and economic outcomes of morbidly obese individuals. Coauthors include Matthew L. Maciejewski, PhD, of the University of Washington, and Joel Tsevat,...Penn joins major NCI research initiative to advance breast cancer therapies
...esearchers have already shown that patients with a specific type of stomach cancer who respond to the drug Gleevec show a dramatic change in glucose metabolism within 48 hours of taking the drug. In this way, imaging has provided a vital and rapid indication about response to therapy and survival that can be ...Study finds happiness persists, despite illness
... between the two groups in the average measures of specific momentary moods, such as "depressed," "pleased" or "worried/anxious." Even questions about pain, tiredness and overall life satisfaction showed no significant differences. In addition to Ubel and Riis, the study team included George Loewenstein of C...Nonhuman primate males more susceptible to age-related cognitive decline than females
...les and females differ in age-related reduction of specific brain regions involved in spatial memory....Teaching a less obvious medical skill -- Ethical decision-making
..." problem often isn't one. Doctors routinely learn specific skills from textbooks, multimedia tools and hands-on training -- from diagnosing rare disorders to honing surgical techniques using state-of-the-art instruments. Ethical decision-making can be unsettling to medical students, who are accustomed to see...'Broken heart' syndrome: Real, potentially deadly but recovery quick
...also plan to study whether certain patients have a specific genetic vulnerability for developing stress cardiomyopathy, and why it predominantly strikes older women. While the folklore of "broken heart" syndrome has been around for decades, the prevalence of the condition remains unknown. According to Wittst...Contrary to previous findings, smoking is detrimental to patients with Alzheimer's
...and neurofibrillary tangles -- which accumulate in specific brain regions critical to learning and memory. "In earlier work, we showed that plaques can induce tangles," said Salvatore Oddo, graduate student in the School of Biological Sciences' Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, and the first author of ...African-Americans may need more medication to control asthma
...ollege of Chest Physicians. "By understanding how specific populations respond to asthma medication, health-care providers can provide the most effective treatments for these groups and, ultimately, improve overall asthma management."...Abnormal brain activity during the observation of others' actions
...r neurons, which are active both when we execute a specific action and when we see that action performed by another. It has been argued that mirror neurons are an essential part of recognizing actions performed by other individuals. As such, complex behaviors such as imitation, emotional processing, and langu...Study explores risks of obesity in children with kidney transplants
...y given in conjunction with newer, more potent and specific agents such as cyclosporine, can make children ravenous, she says. Other possible side effects such as high blood pressure and diabetes contribute to concerns about the cardiovascular health of these children. Studies are under way to try and reduce ...Rice's CNST awards Smalley/Curl funds for innovation
...ents that can "light up" cells that are expressing specific molecular markers indicative of early precancerous...patchy" surfaces, and they can attach molecules to specific locations on those surfaces. Placing molecules on flat surface in a desired pattern is difficult, an...Aetiology of congenital heart disease explained
...rt condition arise. This study has identified the specific antibody that causes the damage, and explained its mechanism of action. The antibody targets a specific part of the Ro protein known as p200. The study shows that the level of p200 antibodies in the mothe...... tune our perceptual processes in a manner that is specific to the music of our culture," Hannon said. "We showed that young infants, who have much less experience listening to music, lack these perceptual biases and thus respond to rhythmic structures that are both familiar and foreign. Although we know that...