Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Mar 06, 2012 11:52 AM EST

Researchers Find Possible Genetic Keys to Surviving Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues from 11 other institutions in the United States and the United Kingdom have used two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) â€“ one from the U.S. and one from the U.K. â€“ to detect a novel set of genes found to be associated with epithel...

Mar 06, 2012 11:42 AM EST

1 in 4 US HIV Patients don't Stay in Care, Penn Study Shows

Only about 75 percent of HIV/AIDS patients in the United States remain in care consistently, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published online this week in AIDS. The study of patients across the United States is the first to provide a c...

Mar 06, 2012 11:37 AM EST

New Method for Estimating Parameters may Boost Biological Models

Modeling biological systems can provide key insights for scientists and medical researchers, but periodic cycles that repeat themselves â€“ so-called oscillatory systems â€“ pose some key challenges. Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new method for estimating ...

Mar 06, 2012 11:04 AM EST

Pilot Program Demonstrates Measureable Benefits for People with Schizophrenia

People with schizophrenia report improved functioning after participating in a new, evidence-based clinical program, according to results announced today from a six-month pilot. The program, Advancing Standards of Care for People with Schizophrenia, was spearheaded by the National Council for Commun...

Mar 06, 2012 10:46 AM EST

Mystery Disease Devastates Northern Uganda

Most mornings, Michael Odongkara takes his daughter Nancy Lamwaka outside and ties her ankle to a mango tree.

Mar 06, 2012 10:12 AM EST

High Blood Glucose Levels may Increase Kidney Disease in Elderly Populations

Elderly people with the metabolic syndrome-defined as having multiple risk factors associated with developing diabetes and heart disease-had an increased risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology ...

Mar 06, 2012 10:04 AM EST

New H5N1 Viruses: How to Balance Risk of Escape with Benefits of Research?

In the controversy surrounding the newly developed strains of avian H5N1 flu viruses, scientists and policy makers are struggling with one question in particular: what level of biosafety is best for studying these potentially lethal strains of influenza? In a pair of commentaries, researchers from t...

Mar 05, 2012 05:33 PM EST

New Universal Platform for Cancer Immunotherapy Developed by Penn-led Team

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report this month in Cancer Research a universal approach to personalized cancer therapy based on T cells. It is the first time a system for making an adaptable, engineered T-cell to attack specific tumor types has be...

Mar 05, 2012 04:47 PM EST

Perception and Preference May Have Genetic Link to Obesity

About five years ago, animal studies first revealed the presence of entirely novel types of oral fat sensors or receptors on the tongue. Prior to this time, it was believed that fats were perceived only by flavor and texture cues. With this new information, "everything that we thought we knew about ...

Mar 05, 2012 04:02 PM EST

Discovery of a Molecule that Initiates Maturation of Mammalian Eggs Can Lead to More IVF Pregnancies

Women who have eggs that cannot mature will not become pregnant, and they cannot be helped by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Now researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have identified a molecule called Cdk1 that has an important function for mammalian egg maturation. In the future this ...

Mar 05, 2012 03:25 PM EST

Miniature Pressure Sensors for Medical Touch

The droplet goes in a flexible sandwich of the substance polydimethylsiloxane, or PDMS. The sensor acts as a variable electrical capacitor. When the sensor is pressed down, the sensing droplet is squeezed over conductive electrodes, increasing its capacitance. "There's a huge need for flexible se...

Mar 05, 2012 02:04 PM EST

Women Happier in Relationships When Men Feel Their Pain

Men like to know when their wife or girlfriend is happy while women really want the man in their life to know when they are upset, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. The study involved a diverse sample of couples and found that men's and women's percepti...