Researchers found infectious misfolded prion protein in heart muscle, decreasing the heart's ability to pump blood. High levels of scrapie infectivity were also identified in the blood of mice used in the study.
The US Department of Energy has released a research roadmap for developing cellulosic ethanol, a renewable and carbon-neutral fuel source. The plan aims to overcome challenges in producing low-cost, high-efficiency cellulosic ethanol from biomass.
A personalized program of occupational and physical therapy, combined with home modifications, has been shown to improve daily living tasks and increase survival rates among the elderly. The six-month intervention helped participants build confidence, use effective coping strategies, and make their homes safer.
A recent study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people are more likely to help those within their own group, rather than outsiders. The research suggests that feelings of empathy play a crucial role in determining our willingness to assist others.
A Penn State study found no evidence of youth targeting in alcohol magazine ads, despite criticism and proposals for stricter limits. The study analyzed 28 magazines and found significant effects from advertisement price, audience size, and adult demographics.
A study led by Associate Professor Barbara Fazekas de St. Groth found that healthy individuals have up to twice the number of disease-fighting regulatory T cells compared to IBD patients. This discovery has significant implications for diagnosing and preventing autoimmune diseases.
Eleven researchers received grants to accelerate the discovery and development of new agents for treating metastatic colon cancer. The study aims to identify mechanisms in colon cancer that make tumor cells resistant to apoptosis, as well as develop combination drug therapies to reverse the apoptotic defect.
Researchers using ESA's XMM-Newton satellite data have found an object in the heart of a 2,000-year-old supernova remnant that exhibits complex and intriguing properties. The object, called 1E161348-5055, has a cycle that repeats every 6.7 hours, which is tens of thousands of times longer than expected for a young neutron star.
A new study published in European Journal of Nutrition found that soy germ isoflavones supplementation decreased bone loss in postmenopausal women. The study used SoyLife&Reg; EXTRA and showed a dose-dependent effect on reducing bone loss in non-obese women.
Soft Matter will separate from its host journal in January 2007, becoming an independent publication with a focus on interdisciplinary research. The move is expected to have far-reaching effects for the soft matter community.
A recent meta-analysis found that COPD patients taking beta-agonist inhalers are at a higher risk of respiratory deaths compared to those using anticholinergics. The study suggests that anticholinergics should be the bronchodilator of choice in COPD treatment.
A recent UCLA study discovered thousands of genes behave differently in male and female organs, shedding light on the gender gap in disease risk and drug response. The findings may explain why males and females diverge in terms of disease severity and response to treatment.
Researchers at Penn School of Medicine successfully manipulate cells to regenerate damaged heart tissue using cyclin A2. The findings hold promise for future therapy and treatment of heart disease, potentially leading to less surgery and medicine.
A study by the University of Alberta found that older farmers who stop taking prescribed pain medications are at higher risk of injury. The research identified several reasons for this, including distraction caused by pain, withdrawal symptoms, and incontinence-related discomfort.
Dr. Maria Sjogren's study tracks 90 active-duty servicemembers with hepatitis C, exploring disease progression and treatment effects on quality of life. Participants reported improved well-being after treatment, attributing it to the therapeutic process itself.
Researchers found that prosopagnosia, or face blindness, can be inherited and affects the ability to recognize familiar faces. Those with the disorder use various strategies to cope, including recognizing people by voice or clothing, and often go unnoticed by physicians other than neurologists.