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168,130 articles from ScienceDaily

Possible new target for future brain cancer drugs

A molecule in cells that shuts down the expression of genes might be a promising target for new drugs designed to treat glioblastoma, the most frequent and lethal form of brain cancer. The findings suggest that the protein PRMT5 is a possible prognostic factor and therapeutic target for glioblastoma, and they provide a rationale for developing agents that target PRMT5 in this deadly...

Early strokes leave many young adults with long-lasting disability

Ten years after having a stroke, nearly a third of young survivors still need assistance or are unable to live independently. About one in 10 strokes occurs in 18- to 50-year-olds. "We don't know if it's cognition, depression, problems in their families or relationships or other factors, but once we do, we can develop more effective interventions," the main author...

Color of passion: Orange underbellies of female lizards signal fertility

Australian lizards are attracted to females with the brightest orange patches -- but preferably not too large -- on their underbelly, according to research. Lake Eyre dragon lizards are found exclusively in salt deserts in southern Australia, where they feed on dead insects. When females become fertile they develop bright orange patches on their normally pale underbelly and change their behavior...

Fat or flat: Getting galaxies into shape

Astronomers have discovered what makes some spiral galaxies fat and bulging while others are flat discs — and it’s all about how fast they spin. The researchers found that fast-rotating spiral galaxies are flat and thin while equally sized galaxies that rotate slowly are fatter. One of the researchers said the way galaxies are formed looks a bit similar to a carousel made of an elastic...

Bison Ready for New Pastures? Protocol Used to Demonstrate Brucellosis-Free Bison from Infected Herds

A new study demonstrates that it is possible to qualify bison coming from an infected herd as free of brucellosis using quarantine procedures. These bison can then be used to seed conservation herds in other landscapes without the threat of spreading the disease. The Bison Project Coordinator said, "This study represents an important milestone in bison conservation and these research findings...

Rare disorder causes bleeding on brain of 3-year-old girl

A neurosurgeon used a minimally invasive technique to repair an extremely rare blood vessel problem that caused bleeding on the brain of a three-year-old girl. The bleeding on her brain was caused by a complex and potentially devastating condition that is almost never seen in children. There are only a handful of descriptions in the medical literature. The surgery used to treat the girl used an...

Implantable magnetic 'bracelet' brings relief to GERD sufferers

An innovative laparoscopic procedure that implants a ring of magnetic beads to help prevent acid reflux in patients who suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the latest tool surgeons have to treat the disease. Using a small, flexible band of titanium beads with magnetic cores, surgeons implant the band around the patient's esophagus just above the stomach. The magnetic attraction...

Nasty parasitic worm, common in wildlife, now infecting U. S. cats

When veterinarians found half-foot-long worms living in their feline patients, they had discovered something new: The worms, Dracunculus insignis, had never before been seen in cats. The worms can grow to almost a foot long and must emerge from its host to lay eggs that hatch into larvae. It forms a blister-like protrusion in an extremity, such as a leg, from which it slowly emerges over the...

Dual role of brain glycogen revealed by researchers

Key questions regarding the activity of glycogen in neurons are answered in two recently published articles, building on years of research and publications. The authors postulated that glycogen is a lifeguard under oxygen depletion, a condition that leads the brains to shut down and that often occurs at birth and in cerebral infarctions in adults, which leads to severe consequences, such a...

Trigger found for most common form of intellectual disability, autism

The most common genetic form of mental retardation and autism occurs because of a mechanism that shuts off the gene associated with the disease, new research concludes. The findings also show that a drug that blocks this silencing mechanism can prevent fragile X syndrome -- suggesting similar therapy is possible for 20 other diseases that range from mental retardation to multisystem failure....

Deadly immune 'storm' caused by emergent flu infections

Scientists have mapped key elements of a severe immune overreaction -— a “cytokine storm” -— that can both sicken and kill patients who are infected with certain strains of flu virus. A cytokine storm is an overproduction of immune cells and their activating compounds (cytokines), which, in a flu infection, is often associated with a surge of activated immune cells into the lungs. The...

Making treatment of rare blood disorder more affordable, effective

A research team has defined a possible new way to fight a disease that is currently treatable only with the most expensive drug available for sale in the United States. The strategy, based on the oldest part of the human immune system –- called complement -- could turn out to be less costly and more effective for the majority of patients with the rare blood disorder called aroxysmal nocturnal...

Bisphenol A (BPA) at very low levels can adversely affect developing organs in primates

Bisphenol A is a chemical that is used in a wide variety of consumer products and exhibits hormone-like properties. Fetuses, infants, children or adults exposed to the chemical have been shown to exhibit numerous abnormalities, including cancer, as well as reproductive, immune and brain-behavior problems. Now, researchers have determined that daily exposure to very low concentrations of Bisphenol...

Prenatal Nicotine Exposure May Lead to ADHD in Future Generations

Prenatal exposure to nicotine could manifest as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children born a generation later, according to a new study. Researchers have found evidence that ADHD associated with nicotine can be passed across generations. In other words, your child’s ADHD might be an environmentally induced health condition inherited from your grandmother, who may have smoked...

Link found between pollutants, certain complications of obesity

A link has been found between a type of pollutant and certain metabolic complications of obesity. The breakthrough could eventually help improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiometabolic risk associated with obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are human-made chemicals used in agricultural, industrial and...

Faster anthrax detection could speed bioterror response

Shortly following the 9/11 terror attack in 2001, letters containing anthrax spores were mailed around the country killing five people and infecting 17 others. At the time, no testing system was in place to screen the letters. Currently, first responders have tests that can provide results in about 24-48 hours. Now, researchers have tested a new method for anthrax detection that can identify...

Training begins for police officers to control bleeding of mass-casualty victims in the US

Surgeons and first responder organizations have been working to increase the number of survivors of an active shooter or mass casualty incident. An important part of this initiative requires all law enforcement officers to get medical training and equipment to control bleeding, a goal set forth by the Hartford Consensus. THREAT is an acronym for the needed response to mass shooting events, and...

'Oddball science' has proven worth, biologists say

Scoffing at or cutting funds for basic biological research on unusual animal adaptations from Gila monster venom to snail sex, though politically appealing to some, is short-sighted and only makes it more likely that important economic and social benefits will be missed in the long run, say a group of evolutionary...