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Long-term cognitive effects of chemo and radiation need further study
Depression linked to greater risk of peripheral artery disease
Individual neuron observations and beta-amyloid protein levels in Alzheimer's disease
Use of Drug Interferon beta-1a Following First Sign of Possible MS Reduces Likelihood of Progression to MS
Modest Alcohol Use Lowers Risk and Severity of Some Liver Disease
New Brain-Machine Interface Moves a Paralyzed Hand
Perivascular Mesenchymal Stem Cell - A New Stem Cell Identified in the Adult Human Brain
NIST Mini-sensor Measures Magnetic Activity in Human Brain
Preschooler's reading skills benefit from one modest change by teachers
CARD14 gene linked to common form of psoriasis
The First-ever, Completely Plastic Solar Cell
“Vibration chair,” to relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
Cellular pathway linked to diabetes, heart disease
What it means to be human: Evolution of intelligence by cooperation and teamwork
IceCube Neutrino Observatory to find how the highest energy cosmic rays are produced

Long-term cognitive effects of chemo and radiation need further study

Posted: 20 Apr 2012 07:03 AM PDT

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida and University of Kentucky have found that breast cancer survivors who have had chemotherapy, radiation or both do not perform as well on some cognitive tests as women who have not had cancer.

They published their study in the April 1 issue of CANCER.

Depression linked to greater risk of peripheral artery disease

Posted: 20 Apr 2012 06:58 AM PDT

Depression may be associated with an increased risk of arterial narrowing in the legs and pelvis, a condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2012 Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

While experts know that depression is a risk factor for constricted heart arteries, its effect on PAD is uncertain. Researchers used data from 1,024 men and women in the Heart and Soul Study and followed them for about seven years.

Individual neuron observations and beta-amyloid protein levels in Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 20 Apr 2012 06:06 AM PDT

Studying a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, neuroscientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have observed correlations between increases in both soluble and plaque-forming beta-amyloid – a protein implicated in the disease process – and dysfunctional developments on several levels: individual cortical neurons, neuronal circuits, sensory cognition, and behavior. Their results, published in Nature Communications, show that these changes progress in parallel and that, together, they reveal distinct stages in Alzheimer's disease with a specific order in time.

Use of Drug Interferon beta-1a Following First Sign of Possible MS Reduces Likelihood of Progression to MS

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:41 PM PDT

People who received injections of the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug interferon beta-1a soon after their first signs of possible MS were less likely to progress to clinically definite MS than people who switched to interferon beta-1a from placebo, according to new phase three results of the three-year REFLEXION clinical trial that will be presented as part of the Emerging Science program (formerly known as Late-Breaking Science) at the American Academy of Neurology’s 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21 to April 28, 2012.

Modest Alcohol Use Lowers Risk and Severity of Some Liver Disease

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:31 PM PDT

People with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) who consume alcohol in modest amounts – no more than one or two servings per day – are half as likely to develop hepatitis as non-drinkers with the same condition, reports a national team of scientists led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

The findings are published in the April 19, 2012 online issue of The Journal of Hepatology.

New Brain-Machine Interface Moves a Paralyzed Hand

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 07:59 PM PDT

A new Northwestern Medicine brain-machine technology delivers messages from the brain directly to the muscles -- bypassing the spinal cord -- to enable voluntary and complex movement of a paralyzed hand. The device could eventually be tested on, and perhaps aid, paralyzed patients.

Perivascular Mesenchymal Stem Cell - A New Stem Cell Identified in the Adult Human Brain

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:28 PM PDT

A multinational team of researchers report that the adult human brain harbors a new type of stem cells called multipotent perivascular mesenchymal stem cells. Perivascular stem cells have not been identified before in the human adult brain. The researchers isolated and characterized these stem cells from two different regions in the adult human brain.

The research report was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.

NIST Mini-sensor Measures Magnetic Activity in Human Brain

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 01:50 PM PDT

A miniature atom-based magnetic sensor developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has passed an important research milestone by successfully measuring human brain activity. Experiments reported this week* verify the sensor's potential for biomedical applications such as studying mental processes and advancing the understanding of neurological diseases.

Preschooler's reading skills benefit from one modest change by teachers

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 01:35 PM PDT

A small change in how teachers and parents read aloud to preschoolers may provide a big boost to their reading skills later on, a new study found.

That small change involves making specific references to print in books while reading to children – such as pointing out letters and words on the pages, showing capital letters, and showing how you read from left to right and top to bottom on the page.

CARD14 gene linked to common form of psoriasis

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 12:05 PM PDT

Scientists led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition.

The research shows that rare mutations in the CARD14 gene, when activated by an environmental trigger, can lead to plaque psoriasis. This type of psoriasis accounts for 80 percent of all cases and is characterized by dry, raised, red patches covered with silvery scales that can be itchy and painful.

The First-ever, Completely Plastic Solar Cell

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 11:46 AM PDT

Georgia Tech researchers have introduced a printed electronics conductor with a low-work function. They coated a thin layer of polymer on the conductor's surface turning it into air-stable and efficient. The new finding is published in the journal Science has many applications like completeley plastic solar cells.

“Vibration chair,” to relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 11:28 AM PDT

In the 19th century, Jean-Martin Charcot, the celebrated neurologist, developed a “vibration chair,” to relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Charcot reported improvements in his patients, but he died shortly thereafter and a more complete evaluation of the therapy was never conducted. Now, a group of neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center have replicated his work in a study to see if Charcot’s observation holds true against modern scientific testing.

Cellular pathway linked to diabetes, heart disease

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 11:24 AM PDT

Cardiac researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that a certain cellular pathway is linked to obesity-related disorders, like diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver disease.

These findings, being presented at the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB) 2012 Scientific Sessions in Chicago, April 19, 2012, could lead to a potential molecular target for metabolic diseases in humans.

What it means to be human: Evolution of intelligence by cooperation and teamwork

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 09:51 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered proof that the evolution of intelligence and larger brain sizes can be driven by cooperation and teamwork, shedding new light on the origins of what it means to be human. The study appears online in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B and was led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin: PhD student, Luke McNally and Assistant Professor Dr Andrew Jackson at the School of Natural Sciences in collaboration with Dr Sam Brown of the University of Edinburgh.

IceCube Neutrino Observatory to find how the highest energy cosmic rays are produced

Posted: 19 Apr 2012 09:42 AM PDT

The origin of high energy cosmic rays is unknown to physics. To study this mystery, a massive detector, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory located in Antarctica has taken up the task.

Although cosmic rays were discovered 100 years ago, their origin remains one of the most enduring mysteries in physics. Now, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a massive detector in Antarctica, is honing in on how the highest energy cosmic rays are produced.