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191,281 articles from EurekAlert

Hearing loss common following radiation therapy for head and neck cancer

Patients who undergo radiation therapy for head and neck cancer appear more likely to experience hearing loss and to be more disabled by its effects than those who do not receive such treatment, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

How do neural stem cells decide what to be -- and when?

Researchers at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore have uncovered a novel feedback mechanism that controls the delicate balance of brain stem cells. Zif, a newly discovered protein, controls whether brain stem cells renew themselves as stem cells or differentiate into a dedicated type of neuron (nerve cell).

Important brain area organized by color and orientation

A brain area known to play a critical role in vision is divided into compartments that respond separately to different colors and orientations, Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered. The findings have important implications for furthering our understanding of perception and attention.

Internal body clock controls fat metabolism, UCI study shows

UC Irvine researchers have discovered that circadian rhythms -- the internal body clock -- regulate fat metabolism. This helps explain why people burn fat more efficiently at certain times of day and could lead to new pharmaceuticals for obesity, diabetes and energy-related illnesses.

Is heart disease genetic destiny or lifestyle?

Is cardiovascular health in middle age and beyond a gift from your genes or is it earned by a healthy lifestyle and within your control? Two large studies from Northwestern Medicine confirm that a healthy lifestyle has the biggest impact on cardiovascular health. The studies were presented Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

JCI online early table of contents: Nov. 15, 2010

This release contains summaries, links to PDFs, and contact information for the following newsworthy papers to be published online, Nov. 15 2010, in the JCI: "'At-TRIB(1)-uting' a gene a new function in the liver"; "The proteins PD-1 and Tim-3: double trouble for hepatitis C virus immune cells"; "Patients explain exactly why we need the chemical element selenium"; "Attacking the symptoms of SLE";...

Mastermind steroid found in plants

Scientists have known how important plant steroids called brassinosteroids are for regulating plant growth and development. But until now, they did not know how extensive their reach is. Now Carnegie researchers have identified about a thousand brassinosteroid target genes showing links between the steroid and numerous cellular functions and other hormonal chain reactions. The study is the first...

Microsensors offer first look at whether cell mass affects growth rate

University of Illinois researchers are using a new kind of microsensor to answer one of the weightiest questions in biology -- the relationship between cell mass and growth rate. Each microsensor is a small, suspended platform with a resonance frequency that changes as the cells on it grow heavier. Researchers tacked individual cells' masses and divisions over time and found that the cells they...

Molecular evolution proves source of HIV infection in criminal cases

In 2009, a Texas jury sentenced Philippe Padieu to 45 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon -- having sex with women and not telling them he had HIV. A part of the evidence identifing him as the source of the women's infection came from experts at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas at Austin.In a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of...

Monday news tips, Nov. 15, 2010

This release features summaries from several presentations at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010. Some highlights are "People taking anti-clotting medication often unaware of dangers of taking herbal supplements," "Nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors common in overweight black youth" and others.

Natural compound shows promise against Huntington's disease

Fisetin, a naturally occurring compound found in strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, slows the onset of motor problems and delays death in three models of Huntington's disease, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The study, published in the online edition of Human Molecular Genetics, sets the stage for further investigations into fisetin's...

New blood test may help predict heart failure in apparently healthy older adults

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore report that a new, highly sensitive investigative blood test may help predict the risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death much earlier than previously possible in older people who do not have symptoms of heart failure. The test for troponin T, a marker for heart failure, detected levels 10 times lower than previous...

New research changes understanding of C4 plant evolution

A new analysis of fossilized grass-pollen grains deposited on ancient European lake and sea bottoms 16-35 million years ago reveals that C4 grasses evolved earlier than previously thought. This new evidence casts doubt on the widely held belief that the rise of this incredibly productive group of plants was driven by a large drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations during the Oligocene...

New research reveals danger of combining warfarin with herbal and dietary supplements

Herbal and dietary supplements are popular. People claim they make their joints feel better, their bones stronger and their hearts healthier. But a recent study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City shows that many of these people may not realize their favorite supplement, mixed with prescription medications, may be putting their lives in danger,...

New standard proposed for supercomputing

A new supercomputer rating system will be released at Supercomputing Conference 2010 on Nov. 17 by an international team led by Sandia National Laboratories. The rating system, Graph500, tests supercomputer ability to analyze large, graph-based structures that link the huge number of data points present in biological, social and security problems. The intent is to influence computer makers to...

New tech to help protect bridges, other infrastructure from scour

New technology allows engineers to assess the scour potential of soils at various depths and on-site for the first time -- which will help evaluate the safety of civil infrastructure before and after storm events. Scour, or erosion of soil around structures due to water flow, is responsible for a wide range of critical infrastructure failures -- from unstable bridges to the levees that gave way in...