Lupus Research Institute-funded researcher Betty Tsao, PhD, at the University of California Los Angeles has discovered that humans - males in particular - with a variant form of the immune receptor gene "Toll Like Receptor 7 (TLR7)" are at increased risk of developing the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). This breakthrough finding offers renewed hope for developing more targeted treatments...

Sociologist Ms Lucía Merino presented her PhD thesis entitled, Digital natives: a study of the technological socialisation of young people, at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Considering that young people nowadays are natives of the so-called digital culture, Ms Merino explored their relationship with the new technologies and how they learn and socialise through them. With this research, the author wished to set out guidelines as a basis to continue studying the so-called digital natives in the future...

The majority of rare diseases are hereditary. But despite significant progress in genome research, in most cases their exact cause remains unclear. The discovery of the underlying genetic defect is, however, a prerequisite for their definitive diagnosis and the development of innovative approaches to their treatment. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and the Institute of Medical Genetics at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin have succeeded in using a new process with which all of the genes in the human genome can be analysed simultaneously...

A large international study aimed at improving the care of muscular dystrophy patients worldwide is being launched by physicians, physical therapists, and researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Neurologist Robert "Berch" Griggs, M.D., is heading the study of treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common form of the disease that affects children. The condition, which affects boys almost exclusively, progresses rapidly. Boys' symptoms start when they are toddlers; untreated, they end up in a wheelchair before they become teenagers...

The Medical Affairs function arguably plays the most critical role in a biopharmaceutical organization, with heavy responsibilities across areas such as clinical development, scientific publications, KOL development, and medical education. These areas must operate effectively for new products to succeed. Appropriate spending across these activities is one of the challenges facing the Medical Affairs function as it attempts to balance its different roles across the organization...

CyberKnife radiosurgery treatment for prostate cancer is rapid, effective and has no side effects, with the added benefit of being non-invasive. Since 2003, the CyberKnife Center of Miami and the CyberKnife Center of Palm Beach have been providing this high tech cancer treatment longer than any facility in South Florida. Prostate Cancer is diagnosed in more than a quarter of a million men each year in the U.S. Treatment options in existence which are non-invasive with little to no side effects are practically none...

Scientists have built a clearer picture of how lengthy strands of DNA are concertinaed when our cells grow and divide, in a discovery could help explain how cell renewal can go wrong. Scientists have identified thousands of proteins that play a key role in compacting DNA - a crucial process by which DNA is shortened up to 10,000 times to fit inside cells as they split into two. Researchers hope the findings could shed light on what happens when this packaging process fails and cells divide abnormally - which can lead to cancer or cause developing embryos to miscarry...

A study comparing a University of Pennsylvania method for evaluating a dog's susceptibility to hip dysplasia to the traditional American method has shown that 80 percent of dogs judged to be normal by the traditional method are actually at risk for developing osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia, according to the Penn method. The results indicate that traditional scoring of radiographs that certify dogs for breeding underestimate their osteoarthritis susceptibility. The results are of clinical importance to several populations, most notably veterinarians, breeders and pet owners...

Virtual characters can behave according to actions carried out unconsciously by humans. Researchers at the University of Barcelona have created a system which measures human physiological parameters, such as respiration or heart rate, and introduces them into computer designed characters in real time...

Millions of patients with advanced disease in palliative care settings receive oxygen therapy to help them breathe more easily. But a new study from Duke University Medical Center says roughly half of them don't benefit from the intervention, and among those who do benefit, it doesn't make a bit of difference whether they get pure oxygen or just plain old room air - both offer equal benefit. "Offering oxygen when patients begin experiencing shortness of breath has become standard care in many places, but the practice is not based on rigorous scientific investigation," says Dr...

A study published in the journal Science shows how our bodies try to minimise potential 'collateral damage' caused by our immune system when fighting infection. The research may also provide new clues to why cigarette smoke is a significant risk factor for developing diseases of the lung such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. When bacteria or viruses enter the body, our immune system fights back to neutralise any danger. One of the key 'soldiers' working for the immune system is a particular type of cell known as a neutrophil, which releases toxic enzymes to kill the invading organism...

In two closely related studies, two teams of Scripps Research Institute scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma, and malignant tumors. The results of the two companion studies were published in the September 3, 2010 issue of the prestigious journal Science...

A new discovery by scientists at the Universities of East Anglia and Frankfurt could make it possible in future to identify the source of banned CFCs that are probably still being released into the atmosphere. Using mass spectrometers, the researchers analysed air samples collected in the stratosphere by balloons belonging to the French space agency, the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). They discovered the largest chlorine isotope enrichment ever found in nature. CFCs were banned in most countries because of their depletion of the ozone layer...

New research uncovers a case of mistaken identity that may have a significant impact on future breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies. The study, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggests that despite their "stem cell-like" characteristics, most aggressive breast tumors are not derived from normal mammary gland stem cells. The glandular tissue of the breast contains two main cell types, outer "basal" cells and inner "luminal" cells...

Scientists have devised a method for coaxing mouse embryonic stem cells into forming a highly specific motor neuron subtype. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, provides new insight into motor neuron differentiation and may prove useful for devising and testing future therapies for motor neuron diseases. Motor neurons in the spinal cord communicate with other neurons in the central nervous system and send long projections out to muscles, transmitting signals that are essential for proper control of movement and posture...

Prompted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a UC Santa Barbara scientist has come up with a new way of predicting how contaminants like oil will spread. He was able to forecast several days in advance that oil from that spill would wash ashore in particular parts of the Gulf of Mexico. "We predicted where the oil was going to go," says Igor Mezic, a professor of mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara who studies fluid dynamics. "We were able to do 3-day predictions pretty accurately." In a paper published online Sept...

A survey of emergency medical services (EMS) agencies from across the country found wide variation in perceptions of workplace safety culture - providing a tool that might point to potential patient safety threats, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study, to be published in the October/December issue of Prehospital Emergency Care and now available online, analyzed survey results from 61 EMS agencies in the U.S. and Canada...

There are still about 4.7 million uninsured American children who are eligible for CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) or Medicaid and are not enrolled, says a new report published in the journal Health Affairs. The report estimated about 7.3 million American children were uninsured on an average day in 2008 - of those, 65% of them (4.7 million) were eligible for Medical or CHIP but not enrolled. According to the report, ten states had participation rates either close to or above 90%. 39% of eligible uninsured children live in California, Florida or Texas, while 61% (2...

The number of people in the USA who took one prescription medication in a one month period rose 10% during the decade up to the end of 2008. Americans spent US234.1 billion on prescription medications in 2008, more than double the figure in 1999, according to a report published by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). A prescription drug or medication is one that requires a doctor's prescription, as opposed to an OTC (over-the-counter) drug, which can be purchased straight from the pharmacy without having to see the doctor first...

Quite an unusual case of Legionnaire's disease arose in 2010 and is now being thoroughly investigated. Why so strange? A healthy 67 year old man contracted Legionnaire's through a cut on his hand while handling compost in his garden. This week's edition of The Lancet reports the full details based on a Case Report by Dr. Simon M Patten, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley and his colleagues. In March 2010, this fit senior in the United Kingdom arrived at the Royal Alexandra Hospital possessing eight days delirium, fever with shakes, lethargy, and shortness of breath...