Biotech Week articles from April 2009

Biotech Week archives from April 2009

Shrinking in hippocampus area of brain precedes Alzheimer's disease.
April 1, 2009... People who have lost brain cells in the hippocampus area of the brain are more likely to develop dementia, according to a study published in the March 17, 2009, print issue of Neurology[R], the medical journal of the American Academy of...

Journal Chest: March news briefs.(Report)
April 1, 2009... BLOOD CLOTS MORE LIKELY IN COPD PATIENTS WITH ACUTE EXACERBATIONS New research shows that one in four patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are hospitalized with acute exacerbations may have pulmonary embolism (PE)....

Experienced air traffic controllers work smarter, not harder, making up for normal mental aging.
April 1, 2009... Older air traffic controllers can head off mid-air collisions at least as well as younger controllers, using experience to compensate for age-related declines in mental sharpness, a new study finds. The evidence that experience triumphs over...

Early results favorable for 5-day radiation treatment of early stage prostate cancer.
April 1, 2009... Preliminary results show that a shortened course of radiation therapy for prostate cancer called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) provides good PSA response for early-stage prostate cancer and has the same side effects as other...

Guitarists' brains swing together.
April 1, 2009... When musicians play along together it isn't just their instruments that are in time u their brain waves are too. Research published in the online open access journal BMC Neuroscience shows how EEG readouts from pairs of guitarists become more...

Musicians have biological advantage in identifying emotion in sound.
April 1, 2009... Looking for a mate who in everyday conversation can pick up even your most subtle emotional cues? Find a musician, Northwestern University researchers suggest (see also Northwestern University). In a study in the latest issue of European...

The 2 worlds of kids' morals.
April 1, 2009... Children's moral behavior and attitudes in the real world largely carry over to the virtual world of computers, the Internet, video games and cell phones. Interestingly, there are marked gender and race differences in the way children rate...

New and unexpected mechanism identifies how the brain responds to stress.
April 1, 2009... Chronic stress takes a physical and emotional toll on our bodies and scientists are working on piecing together a medical puzzle to understand how we respond to stress at the cellular level in the brain. Being able to quickly and successfully...

Study gives more proof that intelligence is largely inherited.
April 1, 2009... They say a picture tells a thousand stories, but can it also tell how smart you are? Actually, say UCLA researchers, it can (see also University of California - Los Angeles). In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience Feb. 18, UCLA...

'Mind-reading' experiment highlights how brain records memories.
April 1, 2009... It may be possible to "read" a person's memories just by looking at brain activity, according to research carried out by Wellcome Trust scientists. In a study published in the journal Current Biology, they show that our memories are recorded in...

Avalon Pharmaceuticals Receives Staff Determination Regarding Nasdaq Delisting.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVRX), announced that on March 12, 2009, it received a Staff Determination letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC indicating that, as reported initially on November 25, 2008, Avalon fails to comply with...

Department of Justice Declines to Intervene in False Claims Act Lawsuits Against Gilead Sciences.
April 1, 2009... Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) announced that, after conducting an investigation, the United States Department of Justice (oDOJo) has notified the United States District Court for the Northern District of California oof its decision not to...

Mortgage Fraud at an All-Time High According to Mortgage Asset Research Institute MARI[R].(Report)
April 1, 2009... Reported incidents of mortgage fraud in the U.S. are at an all-time high and increased by 26 percent from 2007 to 2008 according to a new report released by the Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI[R]), a LexisNexis[R] service. The 11th...

OPKO Health, Inc. Announces Hart-Scott-Rodino Filing for Purchase of Shares by Dr. Phillip Frost.(Report)
April 1, 2009... OPKO Health, Inc. (NYSE Alternext U.S.:OPK) announced Phillip Frost, M.D., Chairman and CEO of the Company, has filed a Notification and Report Form under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the oHSRo Act), to allow him to...

Unexpected Side Effect: Makes You Happier.
April 1, 2009... In a study published in The Journals of Gerontology (Medical Sciences), researchers found that a brain fitness program measured initially for its impact on cognitive abilities in older adults also had a significant beneficial impact on symptoms...

New Report Further Demonstrates Ultra-Glo[TM] Luciferase is Less Susceptible to Compound Interference.
April 1, 2009... Research results just published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry demonstrate the superior performance of Promega Ultra-GloO Luciferase. The research, conducted by the NIH Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC), describes Ultra-Glo recombinant...

Stanford Study Improves Insights Into Parkinson's Disease and Possible Treatments.
April 1, 2009... About the only thing doctors have understood about deep-brain stimulation, which is widely used to treat ParkinsonEs disease symptoms, is that somehow it works for many patients. In a new study that will be published March 19 in the online...

Research from University of Ioannina broadens understanding of abdominal aortic aneurysm.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Ioannina, Greece, "Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR) requires the patient's extended exposure to X-rays, before, during, and after the intervention. The aim of this study was to determine...

Researchers at University of Limerick target abdominal aortic aneurysm.(Report)
April 1, 2009... "Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture is believed to occur when the local mechanical stress exceeds the local mechanical strength of the wall tissue. On the basis of this hypothesis, the knowledge of the stress acting on the wall of an...

Data on acid reflux disease detailed by researchers at Charite University.
April 1, 2009... According to a study from Berlin, Germany, "Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disorder associated with substantial reductions in health-related quality of life (HRQL). To describe patterns of change in HRQL during 5 years of...

Studies from Ankara University provide new data on acid reflux disease.
April 1, 2009... In this recent report, researchers in Ankara, Turkey conducted a study "To determine the clinical value of pharyngeal pH monitoring for the diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) by using a double-probe, triple-sensor catheter in patients...

Studies from S.H. Kim and colleagues reveal new findings on acute hepatotoxicity.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, "The hepatoprotective effects of ACTIValoe (R) N-931 complex, a mixture of Aloe vera and Silybum marianum, against acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride...

Research from University of California yields new data on acute pancreatitis.
April 1, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Mechanisms of acinar cell death in pancreatitis are poorly understood. Cytochrome c release is a central event in apoptosis in pancreatitis." "Here, we assessed the regulation of pancreatic...

Research reports from A.J.B. Wall and co-authors provide new insights into addiction medicine.
April 1, 2009... "WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT center dot The Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) is a legal document that gives healthcare providers information concerning each specific drug, including advice on the management of overdose....

Studies in the area of addiction medicine reported from M.L. Pelchat and co-researchers.
April 1, 2009... "Most of the evidence for or against food addiction in humans focuses on similarities between food craving and drug craving. There are numerous parallels in neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and learning," scientists in the United States report...

Researchers from University of Texas report details of new studies and findings in the area of adenoma.
April 1, 2009... "A uniform and reliable description of the exact locations of adenomatous parathyroid glands is necessary for accurate communications between surgeons and other specialists. We developed a nomenclature that provides a precise means of...

Research from University of Cambridge provide new insights into adolescence.
April 1, 2009... "This article investigates the life success at ages 32 and 48 of four categories of males: nonoffenders, adolescence-limited offenders (convicted only at ages 10-20), late-onset offenders (convicted only at ages 21-50), and persistent offenders...

Reports on adult onset still disease findings from Hanyang University provide new insights.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Seoul, South Korea, "Fey receptors (Fc gamma R) have important functions in the regulation of immune response and clearance of immune complex. High levels of immunoglobulins have been observed in patients with...

New adverse drug reactions data have been reported by scientists at University of Ottawa.(Clinical report)
April 1, 2009... "Adverse events (AEs) are patient injuries caused by medical care. Previous studies have reported increased mortality rates and prolonged hospital length of stay in patients having an AE," scientists writing in the journal BMC Health Services...

New findings from C. Pedros and co-authors in the area of adverse drug reactions published.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to a study from Barcelona, Spain, "Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in hospitals is scarce and several obstacles to such reporting have been identified previously. To assess the effectiveness of a multifaceted...

Research on adverse drug reactions published by I.A. Juster et al.
April 1, 2009... "Disease management (DM) programs claim to achieve cost savings by reducing clinical adverse events. While measuring changes in adverse events is straightforward, plausibly demonstrating savings has been contentious, especially absent an...

Studies in the area of adverse drug reactions reported from S. Yokohama and co-researchers.
April 1, 2009... "Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has become established as a useful enteral nutrition technique. Although various adverse events related to PEG are known, few reports have described Clostridium difficile-associated enteric disease...

Recent studies by K. Neelam and co-authors add new data to age-related maculopathy findings.
April 1, 2009... In this recent report, researchers in Waterford, Ireland conducted a study "To compare clinical age-related maculopathy (ARM) grading using slit-lamp biomicroscopy (SLB) versus photographic grading of stereoscopically captured fundus...

Research on aggression published by scientists at Northern Illinois University.(Report)
April 1, 2009... "Aggressive responding following benzodiazepine ingestion has been recorded in both experimental and client populations, however, the mechanism responsible for this outcome is unclear. The goal of this study was to identify an affective...

Recent studies by E. Carletti and co-authors add new data to aging findings.
April 1, 2009... "Human butyrylcholinesterase (hBChE) hydrolyzes or scavenges a wide range of toxic esters, including heroin, cocaine, carbamate pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, and nerve agents. Organophosphates (OPs) exert their acute toxicity through...

Research from University of Tokyo provides new data about aging.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Hongo, Japan, "The intracellular accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins is believed to contribute to aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. However, the links between age-dependent...

Research from University of Trieste in the area of aging published.
April 1, 2009... In this recent report published in the Journal of Adhesive Dentistry, researchers in Trieste, Italy conducted a study "To evaluate microtensile bond strength and interfacial nanoleakage expression of adhesive interfaces created by XP-Bond on...

Research on aging discussed by scientists at University of Munster.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Munster, Germany, "Few studies have examined the effect of age on skilled perception. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the perceptual-motor abilities of highly skilled performers in dynamic,...

Researchers at Boston University target aging.(Report)
April 1, 2009... "In this study, a reverse-engineering strategy was used to infer and analyze the structure and function of an aging and glucose repressed gene regulatory network in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The method uses transcriptional...

Scientists at University of Jaen publish research in aging.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to a study from Jaen, Spain, "Inhibition is considered to have an important role in memory retrieval. However, many experimental results suggest that its efficiency declines with aging." "In this study, the authors tested this...

Study findings from University of Waterloo broaden understanding of aging.(Report)
April 1, 2009... In this recent report published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers in Waterloo, Canada conducted a study "To assess the robustness of the association between intelligence quotient (IQ) and mortality in older adults and to...

Findings in alcoholism reported from Linkoping University.(Report)
April 1, 2009... "Moderate alcohol consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with cardiovascular disease and total mortality. The importance of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing and many NAFLD patients suffer from...

New allergies study findings reported from University of Wisconsin, Medical Department.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "The primary function of IL-7 is to promote maturation and survival of T cells. Through microarray expression analysis, we previously observed that human blood eosinophils express mRNA for...

Recent findings in allergies described by researchers from University of New Mexico, Medical Department.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Adiponectin is associated with asthma. The direction of this association is no( known in humans." "In mice, this association is bidirectional: allergen inhalation affects serum...

Reports outline allergies study findings from T.A. Doherty and colleagues.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Doherty TA, Soroosh P, Broide DH, Croft M. CD4+ cells are required for chronic eosinophilic lung inflammation but not airway remodeling. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 296: L229-L235,...

Researchers at College of Medicine release new data on allergies.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Microbial survival in a host is usually dependent on the ability of a pathogen to undergo changes that promote escape from host defense mechanisms. The human-pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus...

Findings from Sichuan University broaden understanding of altitude sickness.
April 1, 2009... "Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is usually seen in unacclimatized individuals ascending to a high altitude within a short period of time. Severe cases may be complicated with multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS), which results in very high...

Data on Alzheimer disease detailed by R.L. Frozza and co-authors.
April 1, 2009... "Accumulation of the neurotoxic amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several synthetic A beta peptides have been used to study the mechanisms of toxicity," scientists writing in the journal...

Findings from Complutense University provide new insights into Alzheimer disease.
April 1, 2009... "Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and oxidative stress have been implicated in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities were assessed in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and AD subjects compared...

Reports outline Alzheimer disease research from National Taipei University of Technology.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Taipei, Taiwan, "The amyloid beta-peptides (A beta s) are the main protein components of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Detailed knowledge of the structure and assembly dynamics of A beta is...

Research from Q. Liu and co-researchers yields new findings on Alzheimer disease.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) containing alpha 7 subunits are thought to assemble as homomers. alpha 7-nAChR function has been implicated in learning and memory, and alterations...

Researchers' work from University of Nevada focuses on Alzheimer disease.
April 1, 2009... "Oxidative stress has been suggested to contribute to neuronal apoptosis associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Copper may participate in oxidative stress through redox-cycling between its +2 and +1 oxidation states to generate reactive...

Scientists at Technical University target Alzheimer disease.(Report)
April 1, 2009... "Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) degenerate in aging and Alzheimer's disease. It has been proposed that estrogen can affect the survival and function of BFCNs," investigators in the United States report (see also Alzheimer Disease)....

Study data from University of Melbourne provide new insights into Alzheimer disease.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Melbourne, Australia, "Cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves pathological accumulation of synaptotoxic amyloid-beta (A beta) oligomers and hyperphosphorylated tau. Because recent evidence...

Recent studies by R.B. Kucumen and co-authors add new data to ametropia findings.
April 1, 2009... According to a study from Istanbul, Turkey, "The authors describe a technique of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for the management of postkeratoplasty ametropia using a femtosecond laser for flap creation. The first step was the placement...

Research by R.I. Westphalen and colleagues in amnesia provides new insights.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Inhaled anaesthetics (IAs) produce multiple dose-dependent behavioural effects including amnesia, hypnosis, and immobility in response to painful stimuli that are mediated by distinct...

Research conducted at Columbia University has provided new information about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
April 1, 2009... "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains a clinical diagnosis without definable biomarkers," scientists writing in the journal Muscle & Nerve report (see also Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). "The pathomechanism of motor neuron...

Researchers at Tor Vergata University publish new data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Experimental Neurology, "Cortical hyperexcitability has been observed in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. Familial ALS accounts for 10% of all cases and mutations of the Cu,Zn...

Study findings from Albany Medical College, Medical College provide new insights into analgesics.
April 1, 2009... "Despite nearing the end of the decade of pain research, the analgesic mechanisms of one of the most widely used and popular analgesics remains uncertain. Acetaminophen (APAP) (paracetamol [PARA]) has been used clinically for over a half of a...

New anatomy study findings recently were reported by researchers at Hebei Medical University.
April 1, 2009... In this recent article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, scientists in Shijiazhuang, People's Republic of China conducted a study "To explore the role of color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in visualization of spleen vessels...

Findings from R. Nayyar and co-authors provide new insights into anesthesia.
April 1, 2009... In this recent article published in the Journal of Endourology, scientists in New Delhi, India conducted a study "To evaluate the feasibility and safety of two concomitant robot-assisted procedures in the same patient in one anesthesia...

New anesthesia research from M. Messina and colleagues discussed.(Clinical report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Minerva Anestesiologica, "The authors performed a study to evaluate if the onset time, duration of sensory block, and quality of postoperative analgesia in Superficial cervical plexus...

Reports outline anesthesia research from Lapeyronie University.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia - Journal Canadien D Anesthesie, "Septorhinoplasty is a traumatic procedure that is associated with epistaxis and postoperative pain. The primary objective of this...

Research from D. Faraoni and co-researchers in the area of anesthesia published.(Clinical report)
April 1, 2009... "Ketamine 0.15-1 mg kg(-1) decreases postoperative morphine consumption, but 0.5 mg kg(-1) is associated with an increase in the bispectral index (BIS) values that can lead to an overdose of hypnotic agents. The purpose of our investigation was...

Research from M. Dalsasso and co-researchers yields new findings on anesthesia.
April 1, 2009... "Education is the core activity of academic anaesthesia departments. One of the main difficulties appears to be the development of realistic high-quality 'training' practices that are safe For patients," scientists in Padua, Italy report (see...

Studies from E.C. Figueira and colleagues yield new information about anesthesia.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Eye, " To evaluate an office-based Lanindar (light and nociceptive interaction noting distress and response) test to assist in the assessment of patient suitability for assisted topical...

Studies from Osaka City University, Medical Department describe new findings in anesthesia.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Osaka, Japan, "We investigated age-related differences in the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane and sevoflurane for maintaining bispectral index (BIS) below 50 (MAC(BIS50)). One hundred and...

Studies from Yonsei University in the area of anesthesia described.
April 1, 2009... "Seventy elderly males received lumbar epidural anaesthesia with 12 ml of 2% lidocaine containing fentanyl 50 mu g. At the end of transurethral surgery, the washout group (n = 33) received an epidural bolus of 30 ml saline while the control...

New aneurysm research from University of Ulm described.(Clinical report)
April 1, 2009... "Fast-track recovery programs have led to reduced patient morbidity and mortality after major surgery. In terms of elective open infrarenal aneurysm repair, no evidence is available about such programs," scientists in Ulm, Germany report (see...

New aneurysm study findings have been reported from H. Scheuerlein et al.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Jena, Germany, "A 61-year-old woman with neurofibromatosis type I (Recklinghausen's disease) was referred for massive swelling of the right forearm, pain, increasing numbness, and impaired movement of the...

Researchers from Leiden University report details of new studies and findings in the area of aneurysm.
April 1, 2009... In this recent study, researchers in Netherlands conducted a study "To investigate whether, and to which extent, the type of graft has influence on the pressure in the aneurysm sac. The study consisted of a dynamic and a static experiment." ...

Studies conducted at H. Fraser et al on aneurysm recently published.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, "The family of secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)) enzymes has been associated with inflammatory diseases and tissue injury including atherosclerosis....

Studies from University of Amsterdam describe new findings in aneurysm.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Netherlands, "Impact of cardiac complications after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis to assess whether EKG changes, myocardial damage, or...

Studies from K. Sadamatsu et al add new findings in the area of angiography.(Report)
April 1, 2009... According to a study from Saga, Japan, "Conventional coronary angiography is subject to a significant foreshortening of the proximal left anterior descending artery and overlapping of the left anterior descending artery and the circumflex...

Findings from T.M.A.L. Klem and co-researchers advance knowledge in angiology.(Clinical report)
April 1, 2009... "This multicenter randomized clinical trial compared cryo stripping of the great saphenous vein (GSV) with conventional stripping. The study randomized 494 patients With symptomatic (CEAP) clinical severity class 2 to 4 to cryo stripping (n =...

Findings from T.S. Lo and co-authors provide new insights into angiology.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Heart, "The transradial approach for percutaneous coronary procedures has the advantage of reduced access site complications but is associated with specific technical challenges in...

Findings from Tsumura & Co. in angiology reported.
April 1, 2009... "Effects of goshuyuto, a traditional Japanese medicine, on vascular constriction were examined using isolated strips of rat aorta. Goshuyuto (1 x 10(-5) to 1 x 10(-3) g/ml) caused constriction of aorta strips in a dose-dependent manner,"...

Reports from A.N. Makaryus and colleagues advance knowledge in angiology.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Revascularization is an important strategy for reducing stroke risk in patients with severe carotid atherosclerosis. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and/or carotid ultrasound have...

Reports on angiology findings from J.M. Bugnicourt and co-researchers provide new insights.(Clinical report)
April 1, 2009... According to recent research published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, "Intracranial artery calcification (IAC) is frequently observed on brain computed tomography (CT) scans in stroke patients. This retrospective...

Reports on angiology findings from L. Biasi and co-researchers provide new insights.
April 1, 2009... In this recent report published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, researchers in London, the United Kingdom conducted a study "To evaluate feasibility, technical success, and the need for reintervention in the early perioperative period,...

Research conducted at University of Utah, Medical Department has updated our knowledge about angiology.(Report)
April 1, 2009... "Liu X, He L, Stensaas L, Dinger B, Fidone S. Adaptation to chronic hypoxia involves immune cell invasion and increased expression of inflammatory cytokines in rat carotid body. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 296: L158-L166, 2009,"...

Research from Mater Misericordiae University in the area of angiology published.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from Dublin, Ireland, "Endovascular technology has revolutionised the management of abdominal aortic aneurysmal disease but the less frequent occurrence of pathology in the thoracic aorta has meant that evidence...

Research results from Ohio University update knowledge of hearing research.
April 1, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "The electrically evoked compound action potential (ECAP) of the auditory nerve in response to amplitude-modulated pulse trains varies over time, but the response amplitudes are not linearly...

Study findings on angiology are outlined in reports from University of Cincinnati.
April 1, 2009... "Jandacek RJ, Rider T, Yang Q, Woollett LA, Tso P. Lymphatic and portal vein absorption of organochlorine compounds in rats. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 296: G226-G234, 2009," scientists writing in the American Journal of Physiology...