science wire

Newly approved drug for metastatic melanoma nearly doubles median survival
Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with scientists from 12 other sites in the U.S. and Australia, report for the first time that a newly approved drug for metastatic melanoma nearly doubles the median survival time for patients with a common genetic mutation - a finding that will change the way this deadly form of skin cancer is treated.

A faster way to catch cells
New microfluidic device could be used to diagnose and monitor cancer and other diseases. Separating complex mixtures of cells, such as those found in a blood sample, can offer valuable information for diagnosing and treating disease. However, it may be necessary to search through billions of other cells to collect rare cells such as tumor cells, stem cells or fetal cells.

University of California to Launch YouTube’s First University-run Original Channel
University of California Television (UCTV) will launch a new YouTube original channel on March 1 called UCTV Prime.

Injectable Gel Could Repair Tissue Damaged by Heart Attack
Tissue spins in a beaker at the end of the cleansing process that removes all of the cells. The process retains the tissue's structural proteins, a key component of the hydrogel. University of California, San Diego researchers have developed a new injectable hydrogel that could be an effective and safe treatment for tissue damage caused by heart attacks.

New Book Ponders Ethical Issues of Genetic Testing
A patient who tested positive for the gene that leads to Huntington's disease wrestled with a host of questions.

Journal boycott gaining steam at UW-Madison
They are mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore. That describes an emerging response from more than 6,000 scientists to Elsevier , publisher of more than 2,500 scientific journals, including Cell and The Lancet. As the largest journal publisher in the world, Elsevier is able to command hefty subscription fees at university libraries.

Rare fungus kills endangered rattlesnakes in southern Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, lll. - A small population of rattlesnakes that already is in decline in southern Illinois faces a new and unexpected threat in the form of a fungus rarely seen in the wild, researchers report. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake ( Sistrurus catenatus catenatus ), a candidate for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, suffers from habitat loss and environmental stresses wherever it is found, said University of Illinois comparative biosciences visiting instructor and wildlife veterinarian Matthew Allender, who led the health investigation.

Bikers: Support cancer research by signing up for the ’Closer to Free Ride’

Positive media portrayals of obese individuals reduce weight stigma
Presenting obese individuals in a positive, non-stereotypical manner in the media could help reduce weight-biased attitudes held by the public, finds a study from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale. The study, published online in Health Psychology, investigates the impact on public attitudes and preferences of both stigmatizing and positive portrayals of obese individuals in the media.

New Combo of Chemo and Well-Known Malaria Drug Delivers Double Punch to Tumors
Blocking autophagy - the process of "self-eating" within cells - is turning out to be a viable way to enhance the effectiveness of a wide variety of cancer treatments.

U-M Life Sciences Institute lab identifies potential antibiotic alternative to treat infection without resistance
U-M Life Sciences Institute lab identifies potential antibiotic alternative to treat infection without resistance ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics that could fight infection with a reduced risk of antibiotic resistance.

Look for new roles for older citizens in an aging America, says Stanford’s Laura Carstensen
The country's percentage of older people is rising rapidly. But that's not just a problem, says Laura Carstensen, an expert on aging, it's also a chance to improve transportation, redesign the suburbs and gain from the talents and experience of our elders.

Stanford alumna named a 2012 Gates Cambridge Scholar
A Stanford alumna who is the executive director of a tutoring and mentoring program for middle school students in Palo Alto is one of 40 Americans recently selected as 2012 Gates Cambridge Scholars.

Yale’s new innovation and design center to foster ’culture of engineering’
The Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science has begun construction of a versatile innovation and design studio to encourage the invention and prototyping of radically new, socially beneficial te

The Splice of Life: Proteins Cooperate to Regulate Gene Splicing
RNAs wound in a knot and bound by hnRNP proteins illustrates the intractable problem of RNA regulation addressed by Huelga et al. Understanding how RNA binding proteins control the genetic splicing code is fundamental to human biology and disease - much like editing film can change a movie scene.

UCSD Uses Heat Energy to Fix Odd Heart Beat
UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center is now offering patients with atrial fibrillation the breakthrough benefits of heat energy, or radio frequency waves, to irreversibly alter heart tissue that triggers an abnormal heart rhythm or arrhythmia.

Nanoparticles in food, vitamins could harm human health
Billions of engineered nanoparticles in foods and pharmaceuticals are ingested by humans daily, and new Cornell research warns they may be more harmful to health than previously thought. A research collaboration led by Michael Shuler, the Samuel B. Eckert Professor of Chemical Engineering and the James and Marsha McCormick Chair of Biomedical Engineering, studied how large doses of polystyrene nanoparticles - a common, FDA-approved material found in substances from food additives to vitamins - affected how well chickens absorbed iron, an essential nutrient, into their cells.

Public interest in pandemic flu vaccine faded over time
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - When a new strain of influenza began to sicken even healthy younger adults three years ago, public interest in getting the newly developed H1N1 vaccine started strong but declined over time even as more people were getting sick, a new study shows. Researchers at RAND Corp. and the University of Michigan found that the more the public learned about this new type of influenza and the longer they had to wait for the vaccine, the less interested they were in getting it.

Express Yourself: How Zygotes Sort Out Imprinted Genes
Writing in the February 17, 2012 issue of the journal Cell , researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Toronto Western Research Institute peel away some of the enduring mystery of how zygotes or fertilized eggs determine which copies of parental genes will be used or ignored.

Many babies born to immigrants incorrectly labelled underweight
For some immigrant parents, especially South Asians, questions about a baby's birthweight may be stressful, because many of their newborns are incorrectly diagnosed as being significantly underweight. Low birthweight generally means a baby could be at higher risk of developmental issues. Researchers at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital say many of these infants are in fact the correct birthweight for their ethnic group and should not be compared to those of babies of Canadian-born mothers.

Three UCLA researchers honored for bravery in face of threats from extremists
Three UCLA professors have been recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for their "strong defense of the importance of the use of animals in research and their refusal to remain silent in the face of intimidation" by anti–animal research extremists.

Top researchers to lead U of T’s Institute for Human Development
Professor Stephen Lye will serve as the inaugural executive director and Professor Marla Sokolowski as the inaugural academic director of the University of Toronto's newly established Institute for Human Development.

School of Public Health receives $50 million gift, largest in school’s 50-year history

University of Miami Launches Momentum2
— Coral Gables — In a five-story simulation hospital, students dressed in surgical scrubs tend to a lifelike pregnant robotic mannequin, monitoring her vital signs and counting her contractions.

BREAD grant funds research to tackle plant viral diseases
A team of international researchers is working to tackle the global problem of plant viral diseases that are spread by insects, thanks to close to $1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Psychiatric diagnoses: Why no one is satisfied
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—As the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is revised for the first time since 1994, controversy about psychiatric diagnosis is reaching a fever pitch.

Building a better trap
Fieldwork in Peru's Andes Mountains is demanding, especially when it involves hauling heavy equipment to remote sites that are accessible only by traversing the region's rugged terrain. But the task of collecting insects for the study of vector-borne diseases and other purposes has become a little less onerous since a Yale School of Public Health researcher and colleagues designed a lighter - and perhaps better - trap.

UCLA, Motion Picture and Television Fund join to establish new geriatric psychiatry unit
The Motion Picture and Television Fund , the 90-year-old charity supporting members of Hollywood's entertainment industry, today announced a first-of-its-kind affiliation with the UCLA Health System

Will Anti-Arrhythmic Drug Beat Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the United States. This form of heart attack kills 325,000 people every year, representing one death every two minutes.

UCLA brain-imaging technique predicts who will suffer cognitive decline over time
Cognitive loss and brain degeneration currently affect millions of adults, and the number will increase, given the population of aging baby boomers. Today, nearly 20 percent of people age 65 or older suffer from mild cognitive impairment and 10 percent have dementia. UCLA scientists previously developed a brain-imaging tool to help assess the neurological changes associated with these conditions.

On-site worker rescue plan urged for confined spaces
Many employers are mistakenly relying upon public fire departments to rescue workers from confined spaces, such as water and sewer pipes, manholes and tunnels, according to an analysis by University of California, Berkeley, health researchers of hundreds of deaths in the United States over 13 years.

Caregiver personality traits affect mental, physical health
Taking care of an aging or disabled loved one can be hazardous to your health. But certain personality traits appear to reduce caregivers' risk for health problems, reports a new Cornell study. "Personality accounted for about a quarter of the variance in caregivers' mental health and about 10 percent of the variance in their physical health," said lead author Corinna Loeckenhoff, assistant professor of human development in Cornell's College of Human Ecology.

Low hormone response may contribute to women avoiding intimacy
“ Our findings demonstrate that, for some people, viewing emotionally intimate stimuli can increase estradiol levels, but this was not the case for women who are more detached from close relationships. ” ANN ARBOR, Mich.—University of Michigan researchers have found that women who avoid close relationships and intimacy have smaller hormone responses to emotionally intimate stimuli.

All heart: UCLA docs guide mom with heart condition through birth, operate on newborn
The 33-year-old from of Bakersfield, Calif., suffers from a congenital heart disease called Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve, and from abnormal pulmonary veins.

Penn’s Med Ed Teaches Those Who Teach America’s Doctors

Could "Love Hormone" Help Treat Depression?
Gazing into your lover's eyes isn't only romantic; it also releases a brain chemical called oxytocin that strengthens social bonds in a variety of species.

Former Haverford President Stephen G. Emerson Appointed Director of the Herbert Irving Cancer Center
Stephen G. Emerson Former President of Haverford College Appointed Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center NEW YORK (Feb.

Motivation to exercise affects behavior
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For many people, the motivation to exercise fluctuates from week to week, and these fluctuations predict whether they will be physically active, according to researchers at Penn State.

C-sections linked to breathing problems in preterm infants
Research conducted at Yale School of Medicine shows that a cesarean (C-section) delivery, which was thought to be harmless, is associated with breathing problems in preterm babies who are small for gestational age.

Report of the president: Academic Council Professoriate appointments
The following Academic Council Professoriate appointments, promotions, and reappointments for the periods indicated were reviewed by the Advisory Board of the Academic Council on November 8 and December 6, 2011, and were approved by the President.

New Ability to Regrow Blood Vessels Holds Promise for Treatment of Heart Disease
AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin researchers have demonstrated a new and more effective method for regrowing blood vessels in the heart and limbs — a research advancement that could have major implications for how we treat heart disease, the leading cause of death in the Western world.

UCLA School of Nursing, LAUSD get middle schoolers moving
Funded by a $1.2 million grant, Kynna Wright-Volel, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., assistant professor and Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar at the UCLA School of Nursing, and the Los Angeles Unified

Mats Sundin establishes medical fellowships at U of T, Karolinska Institutet
Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin announced today he will establish an elite scientific exchange program in the field of developmental health between the University of Toronto and Karolinska Insitutet in Stockholm, Sweden.

Healthy neighbourhoods lead to healthy nations, says visiting Fulbright scholar
To an urban planner, Toronto's Kensington Market is a vibrant, multi-use neighbourhood. To a nutritionist, it's a bountiful source of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Four U of’T researchers recognized as rising stars in global health
Losing a limb can be devastating enough, but the high cost of a prosthetic limb makes them unavailable to many in the developing world.

An eye for the tsetse fly
The female Aedes aegypti mosquito "is the lab rat of vector insects," says Attardo, who studied gene signaling in these mosquitoes for his doctoral research.

Possible Link Between Diet Soda and Vascular Risks
— People who drink diet soft drinks on a daily basis may be at increased risk of suffering vascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and vascular death, according to a new study led by Hannah Gardener, Sc.D., epidemiologist in the Miller School's Department of Neurology.

UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering Faculty Elected to National Academy of Engineering
Three faculty members in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

UCLA faculty experts advisory: Testing pregnant women for thyroid function
Today's New England Journal of Medicine features a prospective treatment study that addresses the value of screening pregnant women for low thyroid function, which has been linked to miscarriage, pre-term delivery and reduced IQ in children.

University of Minnesota and startup to develop antidote to cyanide poisoning
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (02/09/2012) —Cyanide poisoning is often fatal and typically affects victims of industrial accidents, terrorist attacks, or structural fires.

Clinical Trial Teaches Binge Eaters to Toss Away Cravings
Of 190 million obese Americans, approximately 10-15 percent engage in harmful binge eating. During single sittings, these over-eaters consume large servings of high-caloric foods. Sufferers contend with weight gain and depression including heart disease and diabetes. A new clinical trial, called Regulation of Food Cues, at UC San Diego Health System, aims to treat binge eating by helping participants to identify real hunger and to practice resistance if the stomach is full.

Medical center-based farmers markets improve community health
HERSHEY, Pa.

Scientists sound alarm over threat of untreatable gonorrhea in United States
Researchers are continuing to sound the alarm on the growing threat of multi-drug resistant gonorrhea in the United States, according to a perspective in the Feb. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. In July of 2011, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released “ Cephalosporin Susceptibility Among Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates - United States, 2000-2010 ,” which signaled the potential for resistance to the cephalosporins, the last line of defense for treating gonorrhea.

Scientists boost memory by stimulating key site in brain
UCLA neuroscientists have demonstrated that they can strengthen memory in human patients by stimulating a critical junction in the brain. Published in the Feb. 9 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, the finding could lead to a new method for boosting memory in patients with early Alzheimer's disease.

15th Annual Heart of San Diego Gala to Be ’An Affair to Remember’ with Sanjay Gupta
Emmy-winning producer Wendy Walker and pharmaceutical executive Randall Woods honored for support of UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center In its 15 th year of benefiting the University of

Researchers Develop Gene Therapy to Boost Brain Repair for Demyelinating Diseases
Our bodies are full of tiny superheroes—antibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly.

Eighth grader creates second iPhone app to benefit UCLA pediatric cancer research
When he was 11, Cameron Cohen created the hit drawing app iSketch for the iPhone and donated $20,000 of the proceeds from its sales to the Chase Child Life program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA.

Seven UChicago faculty members receive named professorships
Seven members of the University faculty—Habibul Ahsan, Pete Angelos, Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer, Young-Kee Kim, Paul Mendes-Flohr, David H. Song, and Jerrold R. Turner—have received named professorships.

Calories drive earlier puberty
Environmental pollutants, eating habits, lack of exercise and genetic traits have all been raised as possible causes of earlier puberty onset in girls in recent years.

Physical activity yields feelings of excitement, enthusiasm
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - People who are more physically active report greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active, according to Penn State researchers.

At Penn, Gene Therapy for Inherited Blindness Succeeds in Patients' Other Eyes
Gene therapy for congenital blindness has taken another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients previously treated in one eye. After receiving the same treatment in their other eye, the patients became better able to see in dim light, and two were able to navigate obstacles in low-light situations.

University of Chicago Medicine, CeaseFire partner to address violence
In an effort to address urban violence on the South Side, the University of Chicago Medicine is partnering with CeaseFire Chicago to sponsor a “Violence Interrupter,” who will focus on monitoring, mediating and defusing disputes in neighborhoods that the medical campus serves.

UW launches technology startup incubator, aims to double startups in three years
The University of Washington today unveiled a new business incubator that will provide startup businesses access to critical lab and office space on the UW campus for their work.

Comparing yourself to others can have health impacts
University Park, Pa. - Comparing yourself to others with the same health problem can influence your physical and emotional health, according to researchers who conducted a qualitative synthesis of over 30 studies focusing on the relationship between social comparisons and health.

Smallest tools could give biggest results in bone repair
When William Murphy works with some of the most powerful tools in biology, he thinks about making tools that can fit together.

Medical debt keeps rising, new report shows
Hard hit by one of the worst recessions in nearly a century, hundreds of thousands of Californians lost insurance coverage across the state as employers shed jobs and the health plans that came with those jobs, according to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Among the most alarming trends resulting from the so-called Great Recession: a significant jump in California's already high rate of residents with medical debt.

Video: Faculty collaboration leads to possible leukemia cure

Professor cited in brief to U.S. Supreme Court on new public health law
In March, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in an historic legal challenge to the new health law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

New device removes stroke-causing blood clots better than standard treatment
An experimental device for removing blood clots in stroke patients dramatically outperformed the standard mechanical treatment, according to research presented by UCLA Stroke Center director Jeffrey

Neurons from stem cells could replace mice in botulinum test
Using lab-grown human neurons, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have devised an effective assay for detecting botulinum neurotoxin, the agent widely used to cosmetically smooth the wrinkles of age and, increasingly, for an array of medical disorders ranging from muscle spasticity to loss of bladder control.

Gene related to fat preferences in humans found
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A preference for fatty foods has a genetic basis, according to researchers, who discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene. The results help explain why some people struggle when placed on a low-fat diet and may one day assist people in selecting diets that are easier for them to follow.

Exhibit documents Washtenaw County’s history of substance abuse
DATE: Opening reception noon-4 p.m. Feb. 4; exhibit on display Feb. 4 to April 29. Hours are noon-4 p.m. Saturdays/Sundays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.

For cutting-edge biomedical materials, try corn
Winter mini-course explores plant-derived materials for wound closures, drug delivery, and tissue engineering By Mureji Fatunde '12 Students in the undergraduate teaching labs at SEAS are investigating plant-based materials that may help regrow damaged neurons.

Penn State team's QR code wins REACH challenge
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Straight from the gut: Microbes can cause obesity
Obesity and chronic liver disease can be triggered by a family of proteins that alter populations of microbes in the stomach, a discovery that suggests the condition may be infectious, Yale scientists report. The study, in the advance online publication of Nature , expands on earlier Yale research that showed how similar microbial imbalances caused by the same family of proteins increases the risk of intestinal diseases such as colitis.

Nano-Sized Protein Clusters Address Major Challenge of Drug Delivery
AUSTIN, TX — A new form of proteins discovered by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin could drastically improve treatments for cancer and other diseases, as well as overcome some of the largest challenges in therapeutics: delivering drugs to patients safely, easily and more effectively.

A Study on the Impact of Good Teachers Sparks National Attention
Teachers who succeed in raising standardized test scores have a lasting influence on their students' lives, helping them avoid teenage pregnancy, go to college and earn more money as adults, accordin

Scientists decode brain waves to eavesdrop on what we hear
Neuroscientists may one day be able to hear the imagined speech of a patient unable to speak due to stroke or paralysis, according to University of California, Berkeley, researchers. Frequency spectrograms of the actual spoken words (top) and the sounds as reconstructed by two separate models based solely on recorded temporal lobe activity in a volunteer subject.

Portable device will quickly detect pathogens in developing countries
Two Cornell professors will combine their inventions to develop a handheld pathogen detector that will give health care workers in the developing world speedy results to identify in the field such pathogens as tuberculosis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. Using synthetic DNA, Dan Luo, professor of biological and environmental engineering, has devised a method of "amplifying" very small samples of pathogen DNA, RNA or proteins.

Watching the Engine of Life, in Real Time, to Understand How Things Go Wrong
Ruben Gonzalez views ribosomes—the minute particles in cells that make proteins—as the “machines” of life. Naturally, the associate professor of chemistry is interested in watching these little protein-producing factories in real time, especially when they malfunction and cause disease.

The Waisman Center: Decades later, what would Harry think?
Last fall, the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison bid successfully for the same National Institutes of Health core grant that the late Harry Waisman first won 45 years ago. Harry Waisman, left, with colleagues C.S. Reiquam and Nathan J. Smith, examine pathology microscope slides in a research lab.

Early intervention may curb dangerous college drinking
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The first few weeks of college are a critical time in shaping students' drinking habits. Now Penn State researchers have a tailored approach that may help prevent students from becoming heavy drinkers. "Research shows there is a spike in alcohol-related consequences that occur in the first few weeks of the semester, especially with college freshmen," said Michael J. Cleveland, research associate at the Prevention Research Center and the Methodology Center.

Addicts’ cravings have different roots in men and women
When it comes to addiction, sex matters. A new brain imaging study by Yale School of Medicine researchers suggests stress robustly activates areas of the brain associated with craving in cocaine-dependent women, while drug cues activate similar brain regions in cocaine-dependent men. The study, expected to be published online Jan.

Department of Surgery among nation’s best in research funding

U of’T professors perform Ontario's first cardiac stem cell transplant
University of Toronto faculty members performed the first cardiac stem cell transplant in Ontario recently, using stem cells derived from the patient's own bone marrow, isolated completely within the operating room, and implanted into the heart at the time of coronary bypass surgery.

Grant to UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center Supports Research in Blinding Eye Diseases
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded a grant of $100,000 to the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of blinding eye diseases.

Breakthrough treatment successful for patients with blocked arteries
The world's first clinical trial of a new treatment for patients with blocked coronary arteries has shown the novel approach to be safe and to yield promising success rates. The University of Toronto -Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre study involved 20 patients, each with a coronary artery completely blocked by plaque - a condition called chronic total occlusion (CTO).

Scientists Link Evolved, Mutated Gene Module to Syndromic Autism
A team led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reports that newly discovered mutations in an evolved assembly of genes cause Joubert syndrome, a form of syndromic autism. The findings are published in the January 26 online issue of Science Express . Joubert syndrome is a rare, recessive brain condition characterized by malformation or underdevelopment of the cerebellum and brainstem.

U-M, Sierra Club to study links between outdoor experience, veterans’ mental health
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - For six years, the Sierra Club has organized outdoor trips for U.S. military service members, veterans and their families. Now, the national environmental group is working with the University of Michigan on a research project to measure how those trips affect veterans' mental health.

Exploring how a parent’s education can affect the mental health of their offspring
New research sheds light on cycle of low socioeconomic status and depression Could depression in adulthood be tied to a parent's level of education? A new study led by Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, a medical sociologist from McGill University, suggests this is the case.

Rotational Motion of Cells that Plays a Critical Role in Their Normal Development
Berkeley Lab researchers have discovered a rotational motion in human breast cells that continues through mitosis and enables the cells and their progeny to form sphere-shaped acini. In a study that holds major implications for breast cancer research as well as basic cell biology, scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have discovered a rotational motion that plays a critical role in the ability of breast cells to form the spherical structures in the mammary gland known as acini.

Four Breast Cancer-Related Studies Seeking Participants
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center researchers examine role of diet and exercise An active lifestyle and a healthy diet can help you feel more energetic, control your weight, help you sleep better, and reduce your risk of many diseases.

How suppressing the immune system may prevent type 1 diabetes
A new study at Yale School of Medicine has uncovered the mechanism by which a targeted suppression of the immune system may prevent type 1 diabetes or induce sustained remission. The study appears in Science Translational Medicine. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease - the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks the body's normal cells instead of foreign invaders.

New Fluorescent Dyes Highlight Neuronal Activity
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have created a new generation of fast-acting fluorescent dyes that optically highlight electrical activity in neuronal membranes. The work is published in this week's online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .

Young breast cancer survivors face serious quality-of-life challenges
Quality of life in younger patients treated for breast cancer is seriously compromised, and these women face more physical and mental health issues than women their age who haven't had cancer and women over 50 who have, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Janet Rowley to receive Japan Prize for role in development of targeted cancer therapy
Janet Davison Rowley, the Blum-Riese Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago, will receive the 2012 Japan Prize for Healthcare and Medical Technology.

University of Chicago Medicine looks ahead to new brand, new hospital
The University of Chicago Medical Center, one of the leading academic medical institutions in the country, is introducing a new brand as it prepares to open a modern 10-story hospital on its South Side campus next January.

Vision improves modestly in patients after human embryonic stem cells transplants
Researchers at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute and colleagues who successfully transplanted specialized retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells into the eyes of two legally blind patients report that the transplants appear safe and that both patients have experienced modest improvement in their vision.

Insomnia is a major health problem
Insomnia is a serious medical condition that should be treated with evidence-based medicine because it is linked to depression, diabetes, hypertension, drug abuse and even death, according to a review of recent research co-authored by a leading University of Wisconsin-Madison sleep researcher. "This review underscores the fact that insomnia needs to be taken seriously, and that health care providers should routinely ask their patients how they are sleeping," says Ruth Benca , director of the Wisconsin Sleep laboratory and clinic.

Gene Therapy Research team from Penn Vet and Scheie Eye Institute Cures Retinitis Pigmentosa in Dogs
Members of a University of Pennsylvania research team have shown that they can prevent, or even reverse, a blinding retinal disease, X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa, or XLRP, in dogs. The disease in humans and dogs is caused by defects in the RPGR gene and results in early, severe and progressive vision loss.

UC San Diego Health System Expands, Acquires Nevada Cancer Institute
UC San Diego Health System has received approval to acquire the Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI), the official cancer institute of the state of Nevada, as an affiliate health care provider.

Elliott Levinthal, Stanford professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, dead at 89
In a career that ranged from radar to medicine to outer space, Elliott Levinthal played an instrumental role in the schools of Engineering and Medicine, and in the rise of Silicon Valley.

Yale asks community to "help us discover" cures for disease
Yale University is launching a major effort to recruit thousands of volunteers to participate in clinical trials being conducted at Yale's Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health.

Yale GHLI partners with Fudan University to enhance training of Chinese psychiatrists

Mental health professionals from China to enhance their training via new program

Medicine and public acceptance
Preparedness usually means planning for an emergency and avoiding catastrophic outcomes. Not for Professor Peter Newman - he is planning for a best-case scenario.

Book Discussion at Penn on Jan. 24 About Health of Urban Women Worldwide
WHO: Afaf Ibrahim Meleis, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Eugenie L. Birch, Penn School of Design Susan M. Wachter, Wharton School WHAT: Book discussion of Women's Health and the World Cities WHEN: Tuesday, Jan.

New approach to combat intractable bacterial infections
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Penn GSE Researcher Scores a Publishing Hat Trick
Writing one book is a daunting task, but writing three - simultaneously - might seem near impossible.

Researcher Examines Public-Health Issues Concerning Firearms and Senior Citizens
More than 17 million Americans 65 or older have at least one firearm. Based on the current patterns of gun ownership and population growth, the number of elderly people who own a firearm is expected to increase. In an article released by the American Journal of Public Health, Susan B. Sorenson , a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice , identifies public-health considerations related to firearm ownership among the elderly.

UCLA joins forces with White House to meet unique needs of veterans, families
As part of a White House effort to ensure that America's military heroes receive care worthy of their service, the UCLA Health System and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have pledged to m

Abstracts wanted for Pediatric Research Day
Pediatric Research Day, sponsored by Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital , will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, at the Hershey Lodge, and abstracts are needed.

Origins of Esophageal Cancer
VIDEO: Richard Mayeux discusses ongoing Alzheimer's Disease research.

Statins may protect against death from aneurysm, Yale study finds
A study by Yale School of Medicine reveals that survival rates for patients with a thoracic aneurysm are significantly better, and complications are fewer, among patients who take statin cholesterol drugs than those who do not. The study appears in the American Journal of Cardiology. An aneurysm is a swelling of an artery, and is a common cause of death.

UC San Diego Researchers Review Cessation Studies and Call for Change in Policy
Smoking is a major public health issue and quitting is the single most important thing smokers can do to improve their health. In the 2012 edition of the prestigious Annual Review of Public Health, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have reviewed the landscape of smoking cessation over the past 20 years.

Researchers Help Solve Questions About Ethiopians’ High-Altitude Adaptations
Over many generations, people living in the high-altitude regions of the Andes or on the Tibetan Plateau have adapted to life in low-oxygen conditions. Living with such a distinct and powerful selective pressure has made these populations a textbook example of evolution in action, but exactly how their genes convey a survival advantage remains an open question.

Stanford’s International Travel Assistance Program offers peace of mind 24/7

President David Naylor discusses research and innovation
When the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation asked President David Naylor for his expertise and insight on innovation hubs and what makes them successful, he was happy to use Toronto as a prime example.

No walk in the park: factors that predict walking difficulty in elderly
Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that the likelihood of becoming disabled with age increases with the following factors: having a chronic condition or cognitive impairment; low physical activity; slower gross motor coordination; having poor lower-extremity function; and being hospitalized.

Researchers put the squeeze on citrus disease by developing trees that taste bad to bugs
With Florida's $9 billion citrus industry threatened by a deadly bacterial disease, Rick Kress '73 asked scientists at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva for help.

Yale Health earns top marks for its focus on patient-centered care
Yale Health has been recognized as a model of 21st-century primary care by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), which awarded the organization a perfect score for its accomplishments as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH).

EPA administrator to visit the University of Minnesota
Jackson will address the latest national environmental policies and challenges to environmental laws MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/13/2012) —Lisa P. Jackson, administrator of the Un

Research focuses on youth, chronic illness and employment
Like any 28 year old, Arif Jetha , a fourth-year PhD candidate at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, is worrying about his future. Once he completes his PhD, should he remain at home with his parents and pursue post-doctoral work or move on to full-time employment and begin establishing his career? Then, he thinks about the participants in his Young Adult, Health and Employment Study (YHES) ) and realizes his own challenges pale in comparison to theirs.

Heping Zhang named the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Biostatistics
Heping Zhang, recently appointed as the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health, specializes in research on substance use, statistical methods in genetic studies of substance use, and research training in mental health epidemiology. Zhang, who received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, has developed statistical methods and software to analyze data related to a broad range of health outcomes including pregnancy outcome, mental health, and substance use.

Tongzhang Zheng is appointed Bliss Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
Tongzhang Zheng , who has been named the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health, studies environmental pollution and human health, particularly i

Caltech Chemists Devise Chemical Reaction that Holds Promise for New Drug Development
A team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has devised a new method for making complex molecules.

Herriot, a luscious new strawberry, beats out other varieties
Strawberry lovers will soon have Herriot - a sweet treat featuring a flavor reminiscent of historic varieties and a slight pineapple overtone - to look forward to, thanks to a new variety of large, heart-shaped fruit developed by Cornell.

Cindy Christian of Penn’s Field Center Named to Task Force on Child Protection
Cindy Christian , a faculty co-director at the University of Pennsylvania Field Center for Children's Policy Practice & Research , has been named to a new 11-member Task Force on Child Protection.

New Study Identifies Ways to Slow Global Warming
Eliminating leaks from energy-producing facilities would remove large amounts of the greenhouse gas methane from the air. Here, natural gas explodes from a pipe in Middletown, Conn., January 2010 (U.S. Chemical Safety Board) Click to view a NASA slideshow illustrating the story. A study by a large international team of scientists says that relatively cheap, simple measures to cut two common pollutants could substantially reduce global warming and improve human health and agriculture in coming decades.

Surgical robots to provide open-source platform for medical robotics research
The Biorobotics Lab will show the robots at an open house. WHEN: Friday, Jan. 13, 11 - 3 WHERE: Paul Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering In a basement on the University of Washington campus perch seven identical robots.

Class snapshot: 'Disease Ecology, Economics and Policy'
  The course "Disease Ecology, Economics and Policy" focuses on global health, combining insights from epidemiology, biology and economics to explore how these influence policy.

Health insurance no guarantee for diabetes care in developing countries, Stanford researchers find
A doctor prepares an injection for a diabetes patient in a Cuban hospital. Diabetes is on the rise in Latin America and throughout many developing countries, but access to care and medication for the disease is often costly and scarce, according to Stanford researchers.

Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Improves Motion and Mood, Reduces Medications
A new multi-center study, including neurologists and neurosurgeons from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania , reveals that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) - a treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with medication-resistant muscle movement impairment or tremors - can improve those symptoms and reduce medications for patients implanted with the device.

Young UCLA leukemia patient launches kid-friendly cookbook, hosts book signing
Jack Witherspoon, an 11-year-old aspiring chef who has battled leukemia three times and recently underwent a successful bone marrow transplant at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, will sign copies of his new cookbook, "Twist It Up" (Chronicle Books), written to inspire kids to have fun cooking.

Diet counts: Iron intake in teen years can impact brain in later life
Iron is a popular topic in health news. Doctors prescribe it for medical reasons, and it's available over the counter as a dietary supplement. And while it's known that too little iron can result in cognitive problems, it's also known that too much promotes neurodegenerative diseases. Now, researchers at UCLA have found that in addition to causing cognitive problems, a lack of iron early in life can affect the brain's physical structure as well.

Eight Professors Named 2012 Penn Fellows
PHILADELPHIA - Eight University of Pennsylvania professors have been named Penn Fellows for 2012.

Penn Honors Martin Luther King Jr. with Day of Service

Innovative research rewarded
Research excellence in projects as varied as plastic solar cells, “extreme” astronomical devices to detect earth-like planets outside our solar system and the potential of music to promot

Howard Bern, expert on effects of hormones, has died at 91
Howard A. Bern, professor emeritus of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a pioneer in understanding how hormones affect development, including that of the human fetus, died Jan.

Carnegie Mellon Will Tap Advanced Computer Methods To Help Doctors Make Sense of Their Patients’ DNA
: Carnegie Mellon Will Tap Advanced Computer Methods To Help Doctors Make Sense of Their Patients' DNA-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University Ion Torrent Systems Sponsors Multi-Univ

Yale one of first institutions to get powerful new DNA sequencing technology
Yale University is one of three institutions to acquire new DNA sequencing technology that its creator says will allow researchers to sequence the entire human genome within 24 hours at a cost of just $1,000. The benchtop DNA sequencers, developed by Yale alumnus Jonathan M. Rothberg, represent a dramatic improvement over existing technology that can take months and up to $10,000 to sequence the three billion letters of the human genome.

Protein changes identified in early-onset Alzheimer’s
With a lack of effective treatments for Alzheimer's, most of us would think long and hard about whether we wanted to know years in advance if we were genetically predisposed to develop the disease. For researchers, however, such knowledge is a window into Alzheimer's disease's evolution. Understanding the biological changes that occur during the clinically "silent" stage — the years before symptoms appear — provides clues about the causes of the disease and may offer potential targets for drugs that will stop it from progressing.

For those with diabetes, controlling blood pressure is crucial, but not urgent
A new study suggests that middle-aged adults recently diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension have time to try to learn how to control their high blood pressure without medications — but not too much time.

Strep-resistant fire blight found in New York orchards
Cornell plant pathologists have issued a warning to New York apple and pear growers after discovering a strain of fire blight that is resistant to such traditional treatments as the antibiotic streptomycin.

Use of out-of-network services may explain higher health care costs for women
Women generally have been paying higher health care costs than men for many years, and this trend appears to be continuing or worsening since the major economic downturn began in 2008, according to Susan Busch, associate professor of health policy in the Yale School of Public Health.

Radical Surgery Saves Life of Young Mom, California First
A team led by Alan Hemming, a transplant surgeon at UC San Diego Health System, has successfully performed the West Coast's first ex-vivo liver resection, a radical procedure to completely remove and reconstruct a diseased liver and re-implant it without any tumors.

New Chair Named for UC San Diego Department of Medicine
Wolfgang H. Dillmann, MD, has been selected as chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

Four Penn Professors Named AAAS Fellows

Professor’s cell phone microscope honored as best innovation of 2011
A groundbreaking imaging technology developed by UCLA Engineering professor Aydogan Ozcan that can turn a simple cell phone into a powerful microscope has been named the top innovation of 2011 by The Scientist , a magazine focusing on the life sciences, research and technology.

Study pinpoints Ritalin’s influence
MADISON -Millions of individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are helped by methylphenidate, the stimulant better known as Ritalin. Now researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have pinpointed the area of the brain in which Ritalin does its work. "These drugs are highly effective at controlling the symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder for the great majority of patients," says Craig Berridge , a UW psychology professor.

UC San Diego Training Program on Driving Safety Expands Statewide
Program showed success in training health care, law enforcement The University of California, San Diego School of Medicine TREDS (Training, Research and Education for Driving Safety) program has b

’Back talk’ from blood cells to their progenitors is critical to balancing blood supply
When it comes to the body's blood supply, maintaining the right balance is crucial. UCLA stem cell scientists have now discovered that in the common fruit fly, this balancing act requires a complex "conversation" involving more parties than originally thought. In a new study, they show that two-way signaling from two different sets of cells is necessary for bloody-supply balance, both to ensure that enough blood cells are produced to respond to injury and infection and that blood progenitor cells remain available for future needs.

Do minor injuries make for fuzzy minds?
When hockey players are knocked out on the ice, medical personnel often look to computerized cognition tests to determine when concussed athletes can return to play.

Compound that controls Listeria
In a year when cantaloupe tainted with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes killed 30 people, the discovery of a compound that controls this deadly bacteria - and possibly others - is great news. Cornell researchers have identified a compound called fluoro-phenyl-styrene-sulfonamide (FPSS) that is safe for mammals but stops Listeria in its tracks.

Researchers Shorten Time for Manufacturing of Personalized Ovarian Cancer Vaccine
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are in the midst of testing a personalized, dendritic cell vaccine in patients with recurrent ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer - a group of patients who typically have few treatment options.

Home monitoring may help manage and reduce costs for heart failure
Heart failure affects 5.8 million people in the U.S. alone and is responsible for nearly 1 million hospitalizations each year, most resulting from a build-up of body fluid in the lungs and other organs due to the heart's inability to pump effectively.

Former Caltech Public Relations VP Dies
Bob O'Rourke, of Pasadena, the former vice president for public relations at the California Institute of Technology, died Dec.

Women with celiac disease suffer from depression, disordered eating
University pledges continued cooperation with NCAA inquiry Hotels to support RAINN over commencement weekend A message from President Rodney Erickson As lawmakers review child abuse laws, Erickson expresses support Blue out, canning efforts raise $47,000 to fight child abuse, rape UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Leading entrepreneurs will share their stories

Robotic Surgery with One Small Incision, U.S. First
Santiago Horgan, MD, chief of minimally invasive surgery, UC San Diego performing groundbreaking surgery.

University of Texas Chemist Receives Major Grant to Improve Detection of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
AUSTIN, Texas — Developing a simple, paper-based test for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is the goal of a University of Texas at Austin chemist, whose project just received a $1.6 million point-of-care diagnostics grant through Grand Challenges in Global Health , an initiative created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Worm compost can suppress plant disease, regulate nutrients, research finds
Organic growers could soon have another weapon in their arsenal, courtesy of the humble worm. Cornell researchers have found that vermicompost - the product if composting using various species of worms - is not only an excellent fertilizer, but could also help prevent a pathogen that has been a scourge to greenhouse growers.

Do you hear what I hear? Noise exposure surrounds us
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Nine out of 10 city dwellers may have enough harmful noise exposure to risk hearing loss, and most of that exposure comes from leisure activities.

Study details how dengue infection hits harder second time around
http://www.berkeley.edu/news2/2011/12/dengue.flv As part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) 2010 Holiday Lectures on Science, UC Berkeley's Eva Harris talked about her work with scientists and clinicians in Nicaragua on dengue over the past two decades. Here, several partners in Nicaragua talk about the impact of this collaboration.

Rare Genetic Mutations Linked To Bipolar Disorder
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports that abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants, or CNVs, appear to play a significant role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder. The findings will be published in the December 22 issue of the journal Neuron .

U-Michigan offers experts on mercury emissions, regulations
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The following University of Michigan researchers are available to discuss mercury emissions and new regulations, expected to be announced today by the U.S. Environmental Prote

Sensor that may explain working memory
In many cases, a delay occurs between the time you are presented information and the time you respond with an action or decision. Most of us call it a thought, while some scientists call it working memory. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers believe they now understand on the cellular level how working memory holds a piece of information - or thoughts linger.

Penn Medical Researchers Dispute the Efficacy of a Breast Cancer Treatment
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine are suggesting that a prophylactic treatment option increasingly offered to breast cancer patients has only a slight benefit, and the modest gains to life expectancy the treatment provides may actually be offset by decreases in quality of life for many patients.

Removal of lymph nodes during surgery for thyroid cancer may be beneficial
Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for the majority of all thyroid malignancies, which primarily impact women. A new study indicates that routinely removing lymph nodes in the neck in these cancer patients may help prevent the disease from coming back. When thyroid cancer metastasizes, lymph nodes in the neck may be affected, but these lymph-node tumors can be tiny and may not be detected by ultrasounds done before surgery to remove the diseased thyroid — or even during the procedure itself.

New Take on Impacts of Low Dose Radiation:
Imaging of a cell's DNA damage response to radiation shows that 1.5 minutes after irradiation, the sizes and intensities of radiation induced foci (RIF) are small and weak, but 30 minutes later damage sites have clustered into larger and brighter RIF, probably reflecting DNA repair centers.

Stopping influenza evolution before it starts
Model of flu proteins suggests new way to design vaccines that slow mutations. If you get vaccinated against the flu and then become infected with the virus, your body mounts an immune response that prevents you from getting sick. However, that pressure from the immune system can provoke the virus to mutate into a slightly different form - one that could be more infectious.

Doctors cautious, patients enthusiastic about sharing medical notes
Patients are overwhelmingly interested in exploring the notes doctors write about them after an office visit, but doctors worry about the impact of such transparency on their patients and on their own workflow, a report released this afternoon suggests.

West Coast’s first hand transplant recipient to ride in 2012 Rose Parade
( Editors: PHOTO OP available Thursday, Dec. 22, at 1:30 p.m. at 1888 Elliott in Yuba City, Calif.

Snipping key nerves may help life-threatening heart rhythms
What do sweaty palms and abnormal heart rhythms have in common? Both can be initiated by the nervous system during an adrenaline-driven "flight-or-fight" stress reaction, when the body senses danger.