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By looking at the expression levels of downstream genes of the regulators in breast cancer, investigators at Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC), led by Chao Cheng, PhD, have identified a gene signature in E2F4 that is predictive of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. The findings, published in Breast Cancer Research, define a new opportunity for personalizing medicine for women whose Oncotype DX assay results classify them as of “intermediate-risk for recurrence.” Until

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the British Medical Journal: Tobacco Control shows that of the top 100 universities as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, 11 allow tobacco sales and 13 allow e-cigarette sales on “campus cash” debit cards that are commonly prepaid by parents. “Parents put money on these debit cards and kids spend the money. What parents don’t realize is that tobacco may be purchased with some of

Known as much for its complexity as its vital role in regulating cellular and organismal growth, the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway has seemingly been acting in mysterious ways. Through a variety of mechanistic interactions, mTORC1 interprets cues in the cellular environment, including the availability of nutrients, and signals the organism to act accordingly. mTORC1 is apt to trigger growth during times of abundance and dial back metabolism when food is scarce.

By Lynda Williams, Senior medwireNews Reporter Schizophrenia negative symptoms are relatively stable in the first year for most patients after they begin antipsychotic medication but research suggests around a quarter will experience exacerbation or relapse. Furthermore, the initial severity of negative symptoms predicts the long-term pattern and their impact on patient functioning, say Joseph Ventura, from University of California Los Angeles in the USA, and team. “These findings suggest that negative symptoms may be an

By Shreeya Nanda, Senior medwireNews Reporter Co-occurrence of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) is not uncommon and is associated with increased functional disability, research findings indicate. The study included 396 patients with BD-I consecutively admitted to the inpatient services of an Indian mental health institute over a 1-year period. Of these, 30 (7.6%) had comorbid OCD, scoring higher than 15 on the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and fulfilling

Soligenix, Inc.

Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear today, along with representatives from the Kentucky Cancer Program, the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center and KentuckyOne Health, launched a new Horses and Hope campaign to raise $1 million for a mobile unit to provide free or significantly reduced cost cancer screenings to underserved populations across Kentucky. To start strong out of the gate, Mrs. Beshear announced a $90,000 commitment from Churchill Downs and a $25,000 donation

Hysterectomies are Declining Overall but Alternatives to Hysterectomy Are Still Being Underutilized, Say Researchers in the American Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology It is estimated that one in three women in the United States will have had a hysterectomy by the age of 60. Although the numbers of hysterectomies are decreasing, a new study of more than three thousand women in Michigan who underwent hysterectomy for benign indications reveals that alternatives to hysterectomy are being underused

A new study led by scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) suggests that dopamine – an inexpensive drug currently used to treat heart, vascular and kidney disorders – can be safely used in cancer treatment to curb the growth of blood vessels in tumors. Reporting in the International Journal of Cancer, the researchers show that dopamine prevented

Could it be that when Ludwig van Beethoven composed some of the greatest masterpieces of all time that he was quite literally following his heart? The striking rhythms found in some of Beethoven’s most famous works may have been inspired by his own heartbeat, says a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Washington that includes a cardiologist, medical historian, and musicologist. Authors of a new essay that appears in Perspectives

Thanks to an ageing population and better diagnosis and treatment, 2015 will see an unprecedented number of people living with cancer, according to Macmillan Cancer Support. The charity says that an estimated 2.5 million people will be living with the condition in the UK in 2015. The figure, drawn from an analysis published in 2012, is nearly half a million higher than five years previously. As a result, charities are calling on the UK’s political

In its chronic stage, schizophrenia is typically marked by a dearth of links between brain cells in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking. However, a new study by Yale and Chinese researchers shows that the onset of the disease—usually in the early 20s—is marked by an abnormal spike in neural connections. The surprising finding, published in the Jan. 7 issue of The journal Neuroscience, suggests new strategies for treatment

Four years ago, just before Christmas, my hospital ran out of cytarabine, an essential drug used to treat and cure certain kinds of acute leukemia. This drug was suddenly in short supply across the nation. At Duke, we had enough for about 10 days based upon our historical usage, but after that we could no longer treat those already on therapy or begin treatment for newly diagnosed patients. And we couldn’t ask other hospitals in

CareSouth Health System, Inc.

When dams are built they have an impact not only on the flow of water in the river, but also on the people who live downstream and on the surrounding ecosystems. By placing data from close to 6,500 existing large dams on a highly precise map of the world’s rivers, an international team led by McGill University researchers has created a new method to estimate the global impacts of dams on river flow and fragmentation.

ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Many patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States may be discouraged from taking metformin—a proven, oral diabetes medicine—because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inappropriately labels the drug unsafe for some patients also suffering from kidney problems, researchers from Penn Medicine and Weill Cornel Medical College report this week in a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Amending the overly conservative FDA label—which differs from professional society recommendations—could extend the drug’s use

/ no comments McGill University

People who have “absolute pitch” can identify notes immediately without relying on a reference tone. Intensive research is being conducted into the neuronal basis of this extraordinary ability at the University of Zurich’s Department of Neuropsychology. The researchers have now detected a close functional link between the auditory cortex in the brain and the frontal lobe in these extraordinary people – a discovery that is not only important in theory, but also in practice. Mozart,

(Medical )—Professional athletes often spend hours in a gym working to build strong healthy muscles needed to keep them at the top of their game. But strong muscles help all humans maintain peak physical performance – the non-athlete, the young and the old – and can prevent frailty later in life, a condition that can exacerbate an illness and even shorten one’s life. According to Charlotte Peterson, co-director of the Center for Muscle Biology at

All over the world summer is synonymous with water activities, cold beverages and, of course, ice cream. While most of us agree ice cream and cold beverages are refreshing summer treats, do they actually help cool us down? To test whether they do, we need to know a bit more about how the body controls temperature in different environments. The process of maintaining an optimal body temperature is called thermoregulation, which involves a delicate balance

People who have “absolute pitch” can identify notes immediately without relying on a reference tone. Intensive research is being conducted into the neuronal basis of this extraordinary ability at the University of Zurich’s Department of Neuropsychology. The researchers have now detected a close functional link between the auditory cortex in the brain and the frontal lobe in these extraordinary people – a discovery that is not only important in theory, but also in practice. Mozart,

Stress is the physical and emotional response we all experience when faced with demanding situations. Our stress can arise from within when we fear we’re unable to meet our own high expectations. Or it can come from an inability to meet the requirements of employers, financial institutions (think of your credit card repayments), partners, family and others. But while stress arises from what we assume others expect of us, the accuracy of these assumptions is

OAKLAND, Calif., January 5, 2015 — A 12-year study of two measles-containing vaccines, published today in Pediatrics, found that seven main adverse outcomes were unlikely after either vaccine. The study, conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center, included children aged 12 to 23 months from January 2000 through June 2012 who received measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) or separately administered, same-day measles-mumps-rubella and varicella (MMR + V) vaccines. A total of 123,200 MMRV doses and 584,987 MMR

MAYWOOD, Il. – Cirrhosis of the liver is more common than previously thought, affecting more than 633,000 adults yearly, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. And surprisingly, 69 percent of the adults identified as possibly having cirrhosis may not know they have the disease. “Although some of these individuals may simply have forgotten or been confused about the question, this raises the possibility of a large number of undiagnosed cases

January 6, 2015, 9:03 PM|If you’re putting off starting your diet, organizing your finances or tackling a big task at work, procrastination could cost you in the long run. Authors Sebastian Bailey and Octavius Black give CBS News’ Parvati Shallow some tips to help you break the procrastination habit and reach your goals.

With the arrival of the new year, millions of us made resolutions and set goals: finally start that healthy diet, go to the gym, get our finances in order. But if you’re prone to procrastination, you may have already pushed off those plans. Procrastination can be a killer of productivity and lead to missed opportunities, financial losses and feelings of regret. Full disclosure: this interview was conducted way back in September, and I’ve managed to

Main findings In this study, we have used alcohol sales data to present, for the first time, objective estimates of mean population consumption levels at sub-national geographies in Great Britain. We have confirmed the ecological relationship between consumption and harm; alcohol-related mortality rates are generally higher in regions with higher per adult consumption. However, atypical alcohol-related mortality levels in the South West and Central Scotland regions suggest regional-specific factors affect the consumption-harm relationship. There are

i i Dr. Richard Schlegel and postdoctoral fellow Nancy Palechor-Ceron use a microscope to look at human epithelial cells growing on mouse fibroblasts at Georgetown University Medical Center. Lauren Wolkoff/Georgetown University hide caption itoggle caption Lauren Wolkoff/Georgetown University Dr. Richard Schlegel and postdoctoral fellow Nancy Palechor-Ceron use a microscope to look at human epithelial cells growing on mouse fibroblasts at Georgetown University Medical Center. Lauren Wolkoff/Georgetown University A drug that is used worldwide to treat

In a groundbreaking study that provides scientists with a critical new understanding of stem cell development and its role in disease, UCLA researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research led by Dr. Kathrin Plath, professor of biological chemistry, have established a first-of-its-kind methodology that defines the unique stages by which specialized cells are reprogrammed into stem cells that resemble those found in the embryo. The study was

Using a rear-facing car seat until a child is age two reduces risk of serious injury, but close to one-quarter of parents report they turned the seat around before their child was even one year old, according to a new University of Michigan study. In March 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for child passenger safety, extending the recommendation for rear-facing car seat use from one year of age and 20 pounds

/ no comments British Psychological Society

(HealthDay)—There is modest inter-rater reliability for the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria for nuclear stress testing and inter-rater variability in identification of inappropriate tests, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. In an effort to examine inter-rater reliability of the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria, Siqin Ye, M.D., from the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues selected 400 patients from a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing

Our ability to pay attention to certain things while ignoring distractions determines how good we are at a given task, whether it is driving a car or doing brain surgery. A research team at McGill University has for the first time convincingly identified a network of neurons in a particular area of the brain, the lateral prefrontal cortex, that interact with one another to promptly filter visual information while at the same time ignoring distractions.

IMAGE: This is an electron microscopic image and optical simulation of nanobowl optical concentrator. view more Credit: ©Science China Press Geometrical light trapping is a simple and promising strategy to largely improve the optical absorption and efficiency of solar cells. Nonetheless, implementation of geometrical light trapping in organic photovoltaic (OPV) is challenging due to the fact that uniform organic active layer can rarely be achieved on textured substrate. Professor Zhiyong Fan and his group from Hong

IMAGE: This image shows a new optical beam-forming device making ‘twisted light.’ view more Credit: Universities of Bristol and Dundee A team of engineers has developed a new acousto-optic device that can shape and steer beams of light at speeds never before achieved. The new technology will enable better optical devices to be made, such as holographs that can move rapidly in real time. The research led by Bruce Drinkwater, Professor of Ultrasonics at the University

The model could provide new insights into the mechanisms behind motor disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. It may also shed light on conditions involving abnormal learning, such as addiction. Dr Mark Humphries from The University of Manchester explains the research: “We wanted to look at how we learn from feedback – particularly how we learn to associate actions to new unexpected outcomes. To do this we created a series of computational models to show how

Washington, D.C.–Lake Erie just can’t catch a break. The lake has experienced harmful algal blooms and severe oxygen-depleted “dead zones” for years, but now a team of researchers led by Carnegie’s Anna Michalak and Yuntao Zhou has shown that the widespread drought in 2012 was associated with the largest dead zone since at least the mid-1980s. Until now, the size of the dead zone each summer and the factors explaining the variability from year to

International Journal of Health Geographics 2015, 14:1 doi:10.1186/1476-072X-14-1 Published: 6 January 2015

Research article Takayuki Irahara, Norio Sato, Yuuta Moroe, Reo Fukuda, Yusuke Iwai and Kyoko Unemoto World Journal of Emergency Surgery 2015, 10:1 doi:10.1186/1749-7922-10-1 Published: 6 January 2015 Abstract (provisional) Introduction Intra-aortic balloon occlusion (IABO) is useful for proximal vascular control, by clamping the descending aorta, in traumatic haemorrhagic shock. However, there are limited clinical studies regarding its effectiveness. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of IABO for traumatic haemorrhagic shock. Methods This retrospective, observational study

New details revealed in the coordinated regulation of large stretches of DNA For a skin cell to do its job, it must turn on a completely different set of genes than a liver cell — and keep genes it doesn’t need switched off. One way of turning off large groups of genes at once is to send them to “time-out” at the edge of the nucleus, where they are kept quiet. New research from Johns

ANALYSING distinct features of conversation and how patients describe memory loss could improve the early diagnosis of dementia, and help those whose memory concerns are not due to dementia receive reassurance sooner. Researchers at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sheffield found that only half of patients seen at neurology-led memory clinics at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital suffered with dementia. Many patients are referred to the memory clinic because they have

Glaucoma, a degenerative eye disease that causes damage to the optic nerve, is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. To observe Glaucoma Awareness Month, ophthalmologists at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System are offering tips for prevention and early detection of the condition. In most cases, there are few symptoms of glaucoma. Gradually peripheral or side vision

IMAGE: An image taken from 3-D electron microscopy reveals the structure of a neuropod — a cell in the gut that senses nutrient levels and sends signals that govern appetite, but… view more Credit: Diego Bohorquez, Duke University DURHAM, N.C. — After each one of those big meals you ate over the holidays, the cells lining your stomach and intestines released hormones into the bloodstream to signal the brain that you were full and should stop

IMAGE: Researchers have attached two drugs — TRAIL and Dox — onto graphene strips. TRAIL is most effective when delivered to the external membrane of a cancer cell, while Dox… view more Credit: Zhen Gu An international team of researchers has developed a drug delivery technique that utilizes graphene strips as “flying carpets” to deliver two anticancer drugs sequentially to cancer cells, with each drug targeting the distinct part of the cell where it will be

IMAGE: In mouse cells, the YY1 protein binds to a segment of DNA (green), leading it to attach to the lamina (red) at the edge of the nucleus. view more Credit: Reddy Lab, Johns Hopkins Medicine For a skin cell to do its job, it must turn on a completely different set of genes than a liver cell — and keep genes it doesn’t need switched off. One way of turning off large groups of genes

IMAGE: This shows the first experimental observation of 5/2 FQHE state. view more Credit: ©Science China Press The Hall effect, discovered in 1879, is observable when a Hall voltage perpendicular to the current is produced across a conductor under a magnetic field. Although the Hall effect was discovered in a sheet of gold leaf by Edwin Hall, this effect does not require a two-dimensional condition. A century later, in 1980, the quantum Hall effect (QHE) was

At present there are no consistently safe and effective methods for the treatment of headshaking in horses. The condition, a neuropathic facial pain syndrome, often leaves affected horses impossible to ride and dangerous to handle, and can result in euthanasia. A new study has found a treatment called percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) could reduce signs of the condition in horses. The same PENS therapy is used in people to manage neuropathic pain. Headshaking syndrome,

Wound infection: definition, process and prognosis Foot wounds are an increasingly common problem in people with diabetes and now constitute the most frequent diabetes-related cause of hospitalization 2]. People with diabetes have about a 25% chance of developing a foot ulcer in their lifetime 3], about half of which are clinically infected at presentation 2],4]. DFIs cause substantial morbidity and at least one in five results in a lower extremity amputation 5]. Amputation is even

We’ve all experienced the abdominal cramps and the urge to get to a toilet – quickly! When the stomach and intestinal tract become inflamed, our bodies respond with the sudden onset of diarrhoea, associated nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramping and pain. Transmissible gastroenteritis is colourfully known as “Montezuma’s revenge”, “Delhi belly”, “stomach flu” and “viral gastro” but let’s use the term “infectious gastroenteritis”. This includes food poisoning, where bacterial toxins consumed in contaminated food rapidly

SP Industries (‘SP’) has announced that Brian Wright has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer effective October 27, 2014. In this role Mr. Wright will be responsible for all SP Industries factory operations, supply chain, logistics and facilities management. Prior to joining SP Industries Mr. Wright was Vice President of Franchise Pharmacy at Remedi SeniorCare in Maryland and has also held the role of Senior Operations Manager at TE Connectivity in a medical device

An analysis of the genomes and epigenomes of lean and obese mice and humans has turned up a wealth of clues about how genes and the environment conspire to trigger diabetes, Johns Hopkins researchers say. Their findings reveal that obesity-induced changes to the epigenome — reversible chemical “tags” on DNA — are surprisingly similar in mice and humans, and might provide a new route to prevention and treatment of the disease, which affects hundreds of

In 2014, prostate cancer was the leading cause of newly diagnosed cancers in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Writing in the January 6, 2015 issue of the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Disease, a team of scientists and physicians from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with counterparts at University of California, Los Angeles, describe a novel imaging technique that measurably improves upon current prostate imaging

Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza S.Onofrio 4, Rome, 00165, Italy For all author emails, please log on.

We all have that friend—the one who insists she’s single because she simply won’t “settle” for a totally eligible guy with a few less-than-ideal traits and quirks. But while she’s searching for perfect, she’s missing out on pretty-darn-great. So maybe we should stop calling it “settling” and start calling it something else—like reframing your mindset or learning how to find a great guy for you, quirks and all. Here, 13 reasons it’s a good idea

Spending an hour at the gym can be a great way to get blissed-out before heading to the office or to unwind after a long day. But sometimes (read: often) you don’t have an hour to spare. That’s why the 12 workout videos in our playlist below, led by Women’s Health fitness director Jen Ator, C.S.C.S., author of the book Shape-Up Shortcuts (published by Women’s Health’s parent company, Rodale), are about to become your secret weapons.

Of course a solid bond is built on trust, love, open and honest communication, and all of that real-life stuff. But that doesn’t mean that you should tell your S.O. everything about your comings and goings—it could end up doing more harm than good. Here, relationship expert Christie Hartman, Ph.D., reveals four things you shouldn’t tell your guy—no matter how close you are. 1. Your Number You know—that number. Most guys don’t care that you’ve

One of the mysteries in cancer biology is how one protein, TGF-beta, can both stop cancer from forming and encourage its aggressive growth. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have uncovered a key gene that may explain this paradox and provide a potential target for treatment. TGF-beta is known as a tumor suppressor, meaning it’s necessary to keep cells in check and growing normally. But at some point, its function flips

For the first time alcohol sales data, which act as a proxy for alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related deaths for regions in Great Britain have been analyzed. The results, published in the open access journal BMC Public Health, show that of eleven regions analyzed, the South West, Central Scotland, North East, North West and Yorkshire had higher levels of alcohol sales per adult than the GB average. There were lower sales in London, Central England and

(HealthDay)—The current flu season, already off to a rough start, continues to get worse, with 43 states now reporting widespread flu activity and 21 child deaths so far, U.S. health officials said Monday. The predominate flu continues to be the H3N2 strain—one that is poorly matched to this year’s vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The proportion of outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms reached nearly 6 percent by the end

Some children are more sensitive to their environments, for better and for worse. Now Duke University researchers have identified a gene variant that may serve as a marker for these children, who are among society’s most vulnerable. “The findings are a step toward understanding the biology of what makes a child particularly sensitive to positive and negative environments,” said Dustin Albert, a research scientist at the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy. “This gives

(HealthDay)—Pain-relieving treatments for knee arthritis all work better than doing nothing—but it’s hard to point to a clear winner, a new research review concluded. Using data from almost 140 studies, researchers found all of the widely used arthritis treatments—from over-the-counter painkillers to pain-relieving injections—brought more relief to aching knees over three months than did placebo pills. But there were some surprises in the study, according to lead researcher Dr. Raveendhara Bannuru, of Tufts Medical Center

An average of six people die from alcohol poisoning every day in the United States, according to a US government report out Tuesday. Most of the 2,200 people who die from excess drinking each year are middle-aged white men, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, as a proportion of the population, American Indians and Alaskan natives have the most alcohol poisoning deaths per million people. Alaska has the nation’s highest alcohol poisoning

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Can spiders be carriers of human pathogens? Can they provoke an infection through a break in the skin? A team of scientists, led by an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside, has data-mined the history of publications on spider envenomations to conclude that the evidence for spider-vectored infection is scanty. Further, the researchers note that the mere presence of bacteria on spider fangs or mouthparts does not establish spiders as vectors

When I suffered my third consecutive miscarriage this past May, my mom said she wanted to help me out however she could, even if it meant being my surrogate. I laughed it off—a 60-year-old surrogate?—but it turned out that, as always, Mom had been on to something. Read the whole story at The Atlantic

This past weekend I visited the home of a friend who has two really big dogs. This is the first time I had been there and while I’m not afraid of dogs, it can be intimidating to walk in when they are barking like mad. It’s not that they are mean or aggressive, they just want attention, so they’ll jump on you to get it when you walk in. My friend’s husband met me out

To say that moms of this generation are busy is a massive understatement. We are constantly on the go, running errands, doing housework, checking in with friends, relatives and business associates through email, texting and social media. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure you can relate, and would be able to spin off a whole list of things you had on your to-do list today that you didn’t even get

America, we have a binge drinking problem. Every year in the United States about 2,200 people die from alcohol poisoning — that’s six deaths each day, on average — according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So just who is binge drinking themselves to death in America? Primarily it’s white, middle-aged men. Though college binge drinking is often the public health focus, 76 percent of people who

Almost 40 per cent of people who have abnormal results from bowel cancer screening tests and are referred for further investigation ignore their next screening invitation two years later, according to a Cancer Research UK study* published today in the British Journal of Cancer. In contrast, just 13 per cent of those who had a normal result did not continue with screening. People who receive an abnormal result from the test – called the Faecal

New research suggests that people who arrive at hospital emergency departments with acute heart failure should have their blood sugar levels checked on arrival. This simple and inexpensive measure could identify patients at high risk of early death, further hospitalisations, or the development of more health problems, such as diabetes. Results of a large study published online today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal, show that even if someone arrives at hospital with no prior