Electrodiagnostic Testing May Be the Key to Early Identification of West Niles Virus
A case report from the University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine shows that in patients with weakened immune systems, electrodiagnostic testing may be the key to early identification of West Nile virus (WNV). Because patients who have weakened immune systems may not be able to produce the antibodies that are the early detectors for WNV, it can result in delayed diagnosis with potentially fatal consequences. (Embargoed until 17-Sep-2008, 00:00 ET)
American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine 55th Annual Meeting
—American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) Sun-damaged Skin Does Not Improve with Estrogen Treatments
Treating the skin with estrogen can stimulate collagen production—which improves the appearance of the skin—in areas not typically exposed to the sun, according to new research from the University of Michigan Health System. But in sun-damaged skin, the same treatment does not increase collagen production, the study found. (Embargo expired on 15-Sep-2008 at 16:00 ET)
Archives of Dermatology
—University of Michigan Health System Researchers Invigorate “Exhausted” Immune Cells: Findings Support New Therapies for HIV, Hepatitis, Cancer
In battles against chronic infections, the body’s key immune cells often become exhausted and ineffective. Researchers at The Wistar Institute have found a way to restore vigor to these killer T cells by blocking a key receptor on their surface, findings that may advance the development of new therapies for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and cancer. (Embargo expired on 15-Sep-2008 at 17:00 ET)
PNAS, 15-Sep-2008
—Wistar Institute No Need to Repeat Colonoscopy Until 5 Years After First Screening
Among people who have had an initial colonoscopy that found no polyps, a possible sign of cancer, the risk of developing colorectal cancer within five years is extremely low, a new study has found. Therefore, there's no need for those people to have another colonoscopy sooner than five years after the first screening. (Embargoed until 17-Sep-2008, 17:00 ET)
NEJM, 18-Sep-2007
—University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Methylation Levels Key to Glioblastoma Survival
A new study analyzing gene expression among patients with glioblastomas has found that not all of the common, deadly brain tumors appear the same upon closer examination. (Embargoed until 23-Sep-2008, 14:15 ET)
AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
—American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scientists Develop New, More Sensitive Nanotechnology Test for Chemical DNA Modifications
Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have developed a novel test to screen for chemical modifications to DNA known as methylation. The technology potentially could be used both for early cancer diagnoses and for assessing patients’ response to cancer therapies. (Embargoed until 23-Sep-2008, 09:45 ET)
AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
—American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Epstein - Barr Virus Predicts Outcome in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers in Hong Kong report that testing patient blood for DNA from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) during treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma effectively predicts clinical outcome. A biomarker test like this, when perfected, could identify patients whose treatment could be intensified after a month or so of standard therapy as well as those who might benefit from lighter treatment. (Embargoed until 23-Sep-2008, 14:15 ET)
AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
—American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Breast Cancer Treatment Resistance Linked to Signaling Pathway
Activation of the Src signaling pathway may cause resistance to standard medical treatment in some patients with breast cancer, and inhibition of this pathway holds the potential to overcome that resistance, according to data presented here at the American Association for Cancer Research Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development meeting. (Embargoed until 23-Sep-2008, 14:15 ET)
AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
—American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) New Instrument Can Quickly Examine Multiple Proteins in a Single Cancer Sample
Researchers have demonstrated a new instrument that makes it possible to detect and quantify multiple different clinically important proteins in a single tumor sample using conventional staining. Currently, pathologists usually need a separate tissue slice for each protein they want to examine, making it impossible to see how molecules interact within individual cells. (Embargoed until 23-Sep-2008, 14:15 ET)
AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
—American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Researchers Identify New Gene Mutations Indicating Myeloproliferative Disorders
Researchers at Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute in California have identified several new mutations in a gene affiliated with the development of slow growing blood cancers called myeloproliferative disorders, suggesting that current blood tests for patients suspected of having these disorders could be more complete. (Embargoed until 24-Sep-2008, 14:15 ET)
AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
—American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Blood Pressure Drug Combination Reduces Heart Attack Deaths
Thousands of patients with high blood pressure could benefit from changing their drug treatment regimen to reduce their risk of cardiac death.
Media embedded: Image(s)
Journal of the American Society of Hypertension
—Vanderbilt University Medical Center More Findings on Gene Involved in Childhood Asthma
Asthma researchers have found that a gene variant known to raise the risk of childhood asthma in European children plays a similar role in white American children, but not in African American children. The new findings show the gene is involved in both milder and more severe levels of asthma in children.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 29-Aug-2008
—Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Consumers and Clinicians Now Have New Guides to Prevent Dangerous Blood Clots
Two new guides to help consumers and clinicians prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis were released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
—Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Elderly Sleep Apnea Sufferers May Live Longer
New research results suggest that sleep apnea – which has often been linked to increased rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality – may actually contribute to higher survival rates in the elderly. The findings by Technion-Israel Institute of Technology researchers were presented last week at the European Sleep Research Society Congress in Glasgow, Scotland.
European Sleep Research Society Congress (Sept. 9-13, 2008)
—American Technion Society New Synthetic Form of Protein Holds Promise to Stop Cancer Spread
Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have a pending patent on a new synthetic form of a protein involved in certain types of cancers and immune system diseases.
Science Signaling
—Medical College of Wisconsin Parents of Dying Newborns Need Clearer Explanation of Options
Parent-doctor discussions about whether to maintain or withdraw life support from terminally ill or severely premature newborns are so plagued by miscommunication and misunderstanding that they might as well be in different languages, according to a small but potentially instructive new study from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center reported in the September issue of Pediatrics.
Pediatrics, Sep-2008
—Johns Hopkins Medicine New Tool Estimates Resources Needed for Emergency Response
HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a new Web-based interactive tool to help hospitals and emergency planners identify resource requirements to treat an influx of patients due to major disasters such as an influenza pandemic or a terrorist attack.
—Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Surgeon Performs Ground-Breaking Laparoscopic Surgery
Noted University of Southern California (USC) surgeon, Namir Katkhouda, M.D., has performed the first single-port-access (SPA) laparoscopic surgery on the West Coast, removing the gallbladder of a 20-year-old female patient at LAC+USC Medical Center on August 25, 2008.
—University of Southern California Health Sciences Physicians Warn Clostridium Difficile the Next MRSA?
Loyola Physicians warn little-known Clostridium difficile next emerging disease threat, killing thousands in the United States.
—Loyola University Health System Comments and Perspectives on the 2008 Presidential Election
John McCain and Barack Obama are advancing towards an Election Day that appears to be too close to call. The historic race is certain to bring to the fore a number of issues that will have widespread implications for the United States.
Expert(s) available
—Tufts University UNC, WPIC to Conduct Internet-based Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Bulimia
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is leading a novel clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of online cognitive behavioral therapy, delivered through a Web site and augmented with therapist-moderated, weekly online chat sessions, to face-to-face group therapy for the treatment of bulimia nervosa. Media embedded: Image(s)
—University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Gene Therapy for Chronic Pain Gets First Test in People
University of Michigan scientists have launched the first phase 1 clinical trial to test whether a pain-relieving gene can be sent to a key point in the nervous system and block pain sensation. The technique promises a more effective, targeted way to treat persistent pain than present painkillers. Media embedded: Image(s)
—University of Michigan Health System Scientists Take Cancer Research Back to the Basic Molecular Level
Scientists and clinicians from around the world will gather in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, next week at the American Association for Cancer Research’s third International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Therapeutic Development.
AACR International Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
—American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Grantees in Best Practices in Managing Hypertension Learning Collaborative Announced
The American Medical Group Association (AMGA), in collaboration with the American Medical Group Foundation (AMGF) and Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., an emerging leader in cardiovascular care, is providing grants for quality improvement initiatives focusing on the management of hypertension. Recipients are medical groups, IPAs, academic practices, and integrated delivery systems that responded to a request for proposals distributed in February 2008.
—American Medical Group Association (AMGA) Researcher Awarded Grant to Develop Technology for Generating Insulin-Producing Cells to Treat Diabetes
A professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Arkansas has received a $244,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new technology that will generate glucose-responsive, insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells. The research will lead to a new generation of cell-based therapies for treating diabetes.
—University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Study Looks at Ways to Optimize Treatments for Children With Aggressive ADHD
Joseph C. Blader, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and colleagues, received a $4 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to launch a study to compare treatment options for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and severe behavioral problems. Media embedded: Image(s)
—Stony Brook University Medical Center Looking Versus Seeing
The superior colliculus has long been thought of as a rapid orienting center of the brain that allows the eyes and head to turn swiftly either toward or away from the sights and sounds in our environment. Now a team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has shown that the superior colliculus does more than send out motor control commands to eye and neck muscles. (Embargoed until 16-Sep-2008, 17:00 ET)
J. of Neuroscience, 17-Sep-2008
—Salk Institute for Biological Studies Photosynthesizing Bacteria with a Day-night Cycle Contain Rare Chromosome
Genome of diurnal photosynthesizing bacteria called Cyanothece 51142 contains linear chromosome. (Embargo expired on 15-Sep-2008 at 17:00 ET)
PNAS, 15-Sep-2008
—Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Comet Dust Reveals Unexpected Mixing of Solar System
Chemical clues from a comet’s halo are challenging common views about the history and evolution of the solar system and showing it may be more mixed-up than previously thought. (Embargoed until 18-Sep-2008, 14:00 ET)
Science, 19-Sep-2008
—University of Wisconsin-Madison Galaxy Silhouettes
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a rare alignment between two spiral galaxies. The outer rim of a small, foreground galaxy is silhouetted in front of a larger background galaxy. Skeletal tentacles of dust can be seen extending beyond the small galaxy's disk of starlight. From ground-based telescopes, the two galaxies look like a single blob. Media embedded: Image(s)
Astronomical J.
—Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) Researchers Develop Coating to Improve Electrical Stimulation Therapy Used for Parkinson's, Depression, Chronic Pain
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have designed a way to improve electrical stimulation of nerves by outfitting electrodes with the latest in chemically engineered fashion: a coating of basic black, formed from carbon nanotubes. Media embedded: Image(s)
Nature Nanotechnology
—UT Southwestern Medical Center Biological Selenium Removal: The Solution to Pollution?
A new study funded by the European Union has demonstrated that unsafe levels of selenium, sometimes referred to as an “essential toxin”, can be reduced by a microbiological treatment. With this method, microorganisms reduce selenate to the less-toxic elemental selenium, which can potentially be recovered from the process. An estimated 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide suffer from selenium deficiency, even though many live near areas where levels of selenium have reached toxic levels.
J. of Environmental Quality, Sep/Oct-2008
—Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Giant Grass Offers Clues to Growing Corn in Cooler Climes, Researchers Report
A giant perennial grass used as a biofuels source has a much longer growing season than corn, and researchers think they’ve found the secret of its success. Their findings offer a promising avenue for developing cold-tolerant corn, an advance that would significantly boost per-acre yields. Media embedded: Image(s)
Plant Physiology Preview
—University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Small Glaciers Account for Most of Greenland's Recent Ice Loss
The recent dramatic melting and breakup of a few huge Greenland glaciers have fueled public concerns over the impact of global climate change, but that isn’t the island’s biggest problem. A new study shows that the dozens of much smaller outflow glaciers dotting Greenland’s coast together account for three times more loss from the island’s ice sheet than the amount coming from their huge relatives.
Geophysical Research Letters
—Ohio State University Immigrant Sun: Our Star Could be Far from Where It Started in Milky Way
New simulations challenge a long-held belief, indicating that in galaxies similar to the Milky Way stars such as our sun can migrate great distances.
Astrophysical J. Letters, 10-Sep-2008
—University of Washington Podcast Looks At Role of Chlamydia in Serious Diseases
The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s podcast series about the breakthrough discoveries of campus researchers focuses this month on the work of two microbiologists examining the role that the common bacteria chlamydia plays in a host of serious diseases such as asthma.
—University of Massachusetts Amherst World’s Smallest UWB Antenna Introduced
Virginia Tech researchers have developed an efficient compact ultra-wideband antenna (CUA) for a range of home, automotive, medical, and military applications. The antenna has achieved a near optimal performance for size and bandwidth. Media embedded: Image(s)
—Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) Burnham Researcher Awarded $8 Million Grant
Burnham Institute announced that Dr. Stuart A. Lipton, professor and director of the Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging, and Stem Cell Research Center at Burnham, has been awarded $8 million from the NIH, over five years, to establish a Center for Neurodegeneration Science. The center will study potential environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease.
—Burnham Institute for Medical Research Government Accommodates Rich and Poor Alike
The election year is in full swing, complete with allegations of class warfare and claims about which candidates cater to the rich. But a new study shows that it would be impossible to cater solely to any socioeconomic group, because people’s preferences tend to be overwhelmingly similar when it comes to how the federal government should spend its money. (Embargoed until 03-Oct-2008, 12:00 ET)
PS: Political Science and Politics, 3-Oct-2008
—North Carolina State University Texas Tech Psychology Chairman to Address Military Suicide For Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Expert to give testimony in response to veterans' suicide rates.
—Texas Tech University Study Abroad: Life Changing
University of Maryland English lecturer and Emmy Award-winner Michael Olmert's London and East Anglia Study Abroad Course each summer is not only intense - it is life changing for many of the students who take it. It is a great example of why study abroad courses have become so popular at the University of Maryland. Media embedded: Image(s)
—University of Maryland, College Park Palin Surge Has Peaked, Political Scientist Suggests
University of Arkansas political scientist Andrew Dowdle says that historically vice presidential candidates have not played a role in how the election turns out and suggests the surge in polls after Sarah Palin's nomination has peaked.
Expert(s) available
—University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Professor Teaches Course on Bush Doctrine
Tulane University Political Science Professor Jeffrey Stacey is one of the few professors in the country who teaches a course devoted exclusively to The Bush Doctrine.
Expert(s) available
—Tulane University Perspective and Commentary on United States Military Policy in Iraq
President Bush's military policies in Iraq, and Afghanistan, are likely to come under increasing debate in the last few months of his administration, particularly as rapid developments in each war change the landscape.
Expert(s) available
—Tufts University Latin America Space Policy Experts Review Progress
Important steps are being taken in efforts to harmonize space policies throughout Latin America. The Secure World Foundation has begun a dialog with the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (CRECTEALC).
—Secure World Foundation USU’s Center for Prostate Disease Research, University of the District of Columbia Launch Successful Summer Internship Program
The Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR), Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University (USU) and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) were granted an award of $198,000 by the Department of Defense, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) for training gifted students from the University of the District of Columbia (UCD) in prostate cancer research.
—Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Secretary of Defense Appoints New Members to USU Board of Regents
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, announced the appointments of Dr. Ronald Blanck, Dr. Haile Debas, Dr. Michael Johns, Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu and Dr. Gail Wilensky, to serve as members of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Board of Regents, Sept. 12, 2008.
—Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) New Center Studies Growth and Impact of Independent Media
New technologies and crises in corporate mainstream media are clearing a path for new voices and communities to be heard. The recently established Park Center for Independent Media is a national center for the study of these media outlets, and the tremendous impact they are having on journalism, politics and society. Media embedded: Image(s)
—Ithaca College ADHD: Diagnosis Doesn’t Always Mean Disability
While the condition is recognized as a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act and the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, few employers pay attention to ADHD in working adults. In a recent presentation, “When diagnosis does not always mean disability: The challenge of employees with ADHD,” researcher Eric Patton, Ph.D., outlined the impact of the disorder on the workplace.
Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management in Anaheim, Calif
—Saint Joseph's University Gen Y Job Satisfaction at Low levels: Researchers Explore Ways to Bridge Workplace Communication Gap
The Center for Management Communication at USC’s Marshall School of Business is leading the way to solve intergenerational gaps in workplace perspectives and expectations. Communication solutions play a fundamental role in bridging the growing disparities between Gen Y workers and their older managers and corporate leaders.
—University of Southern California Staying Ahead of the Digital Media Curve: Tactics for the Media & Entertainment Professional
The fast moving world of digital media is just as much an opportunity as it is a challenge. Media and entertainment professionals can either learn new skills now and adapt quickly, or risk being marginalized and left behind. So, what types of skills is the entertainment industry looking for, and is education ready to respond to this challenge?
—University of Southern California After The Weekend That Wracked Wall Street, Think Big About Small Says Financial Author
The recent collapse of three major financial institutions—Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch—has left Wall Street reeling, and no one knows when the bloodletting will come to an end. While investors are duly concerned about the future financial landscape, opportunities for growth still exist.
Expert(s) available
—Investor Relations Group Economist Warns Future Generations May Be Worse Off Than Past
For the first time in America’s recent history, future generations may be worse off economically than their parents, warns economist Ross Gittell at the University of New Hampshire.
Expert(s) available
—University of New Hampshire Too Bad Greenspan Wasn't So Blunt in Office, Says Historian
"The situation we face in financial markets today was largely the creation of a Federal Reserve under Alan Greenspan's long tenure," says University of Maryland business and economic historian David Sicilia. "It's a shame he wasn't as forthright then as he is now as a prominent private citizen." Sicilia calls the current credit crisis "the worst in postwar history." Media embedded: Image(s)
Expert(s) available
—University of Maryland, College Park Dalhousie Launches First Corporate Residency MBA Program in Canada
Canada’s first Corporate Residency MBA is set to launch in 2009. The Dalhousie University program will allow 50 of Canada’s best and brightest young people to gain real world work experience through an eight-month paid internship with North America’s top employers.
—Dalhousie University BioVenture Challenge Finalists Named
Eight budding entrepreneurs—all University of Saskatchewan students or graduates 35 or under—have been named finalists in the 2008 BioVenture Business Plan Challenge and will go on to compete for a $50,000 prize to help take the winning business plan from idea to reality.
—University of Saskatchewan |