Stanford researchers have found that a protein called calcineurin is involved in diabetes. Their research reveals that calcineurin is very important for the growth of special insulin-producing cells in the pancreas called beta cells. Insulin is the hormone that regulates sugar levels in the blood by telling cells to increase their sugar intake.
FULL STORY »There is a growing need for new ways to treat multidrug-resistant strains of staphylococci infections, beyond current antibiotic treatments, as antibiotic-resistant strains become increasingly prevalent.
Researchers at the University of Chicago recently published findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA on a novel approach to fighting staphylococcus aureus.
FULL STORY »Two major clinical trial results suggest that the anti-depressant drug Dapoxetine is effective for the treatment of premature ejaculation. The trials examined the effects of the drug on 2,614 men, and found that it increased ejaculation time 300%, from 1 to 3 minutes in the subjects in the trial.
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According to British researcher David Holmes, from Manchester Metropolitan University, a real mouse would much prefer grains and fruit to cheese.
Contrary to popular belief, cheese is much too rich for the average mouse. According to BBC, Holmes said, "mice respond to the smell, texture and taste of food and cheese is something that would not be available to them in their natural environment."
Source: BBC News
In its August 15th edition, the science journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported that researchers have discovered that the adult neocortex—that part of the brain that is required for higher thinking functions such as sensory and spatial perception, motor control, language and thought—does not generate new neurons also known as brain cells.
FULL STORY »Researchers at the University of Washington and Washington University have developed a new gene therapy tool that would allow targeting specific genes in patients' own DNA.
This gene therapy tool is based on the virus that is commonly found in humans, the adeno-associated virus (AAV), and is customized to delivery sequences needed to target the specific gene and to correct genetic defects.
FULL STORY »According to the Korea Times, the major AC maker, LG Electronics, plans to sell a line of air conditioners that they claim will prevent avian flu with a special filter coated with a substance from fermented kimchi (cabbage). The machines will be marketed in Southeast Asia where bird flu is a major concern.
FULL STORY »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt released an Avian Flu Pandemic Plan today. According to the HHS, the plan is a detailed guide for how the United States's health care system can prepare and respond to a Bird Flu pandemic.
More and more parents are choosing to feed their babies organic baby food, fearing the health effects of pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and other potentially harmful substances.
FULL STORY »The pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has announced that the company is close to developing a vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu in humans and that testing of the vaccine in humans could start within weeks. A vaccine may be administered in case of a flu pandemic.
FULL STORY »Why is there concern about the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in Asia and other countries?
Although it is unpredictable when the next pandemic will occur and what strain may cause it, the continued and expanded spread of a highly pathogenic—and now endemic—avian H5N1 virus across eastern Asia and other countries represents a significant threat.
FULL STORY »Tamiflu (oseltamivir), a popular antiviral drug made by Roche Holdings, is being stockpiled by governments around the world to fight a possible bird flu pandemic. However, a recent case of the disease seems to indicate that in some cases, Tamiflu may not be effective against the disease, according to an article in the October 20 issue of Nature.
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Japanese zoologists have photographed and filmed a live giant squid, one of the strangest and most mysterious creatures in the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been warning that an epidemic of bird flu (or avian flu) could very well sweep the globe in the near future. Alarmist reports have also begun to surface in major news media, such as the recent sobering report about the United States' poor preparedness on ABC's PrimeTime.
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This is not an ad for Sprite, but it is an endorsement for a hot product: Google Search, with it's mobile phone capabilities. And the anecdote of the Amazing Google comes from Google itself.
Scientists working at the Joint Genome Institute are looking for alternative fuel sources, and their current focus is on termites, and more specifically termite guts. Yes that is correct, termite guts may hold a very special ingredient that may make clean hydrogen fuel production possible.
BBC News recently reported that Earth and Titan are actually quite similar. Activities such as rain, wind, volcanoes and earthquakes take place on Titan as well as Earth.
A mysterious bulge on the surface of the earth that covers about 100 square miles seems to be growing.
The bulge is centered about 3 miles from the South Sister, 25 miles from Bend, Oregon, and is rising about 1.4 inches a year since about 1997. According to the likely cause is a pool of magma, and could signal a new volcano in the making. Read more about the Oregon Bulge.
