Thursday, January 14, 2010

Yoga Reduces Cytokine Levels Known to Promote Inflammation, Study Shows

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — Regularly practicing yoga exercises may lower a number of compounds in the blood and reduce the level of inflammation that normally rises because of both normal aging and stress, a new study has shown.

Arctic Could Face Warmer and Ice-Free Conditions

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — There is increased evidence that the Arctic could face seasonally ice-free conditions and much warmer temperatures in the future.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

U.S. Adult Obesity Still High, but Recent Data Suggest Rates May Have Stabilized

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — The prevalence of adults in the U.S. who are obese is still high, with about one-third of adults obese in 2007-2008, although new data suggest that the rate of increase for obesity in the U.S. in recent decades may be slowing, according to a study appearing in the January 20 issue of JAMA.

Plastic Chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) Linked to Cardiovascular Disease in Adults, Analysis Confirms

ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2010) — Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter, UK, have found more evidence for a link between Bisphenol A exposure (BPA, a chemical commonly used in plastic food containers) and cardiovascular disease. The team analysed new US population data and their results are published by the online journal PLoS ONE.

Longevity Gene' Helps Prevent Memory Decline and Dementia

ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2010) — Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that a "longevity gene" helps to slow age-related decline in brain function in older adults. Drugs that mimic the gene's effect are now under development, the researchers note, and could help protect against Alzheimer's disease.

Obesity Linked to Common Form of Kidney Cancer and Each Extra BMI Point Increases Risk

ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2010) — Being obese could lead to a greater risk of developing the most common form of renal cell cancer, according to research in the January issue of the UK-based urology journal BJUI.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Mango Effective in Preventing, Stopping Certain Colon, Breast Cancer Cells, Food Scientists Find

ScienceDaily (Jan. 12, 2010) — Mango fruit been found to prevent or stop certain colon and breast cancer cells in the lab.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Startup Tests Drugs Aimed at Autism

Posted by kdawson on Monday January 11, @04:52AM
from the whose-x-you-callin'-fragile dept.
An anonymous reader sends in this link from Technology Review about a startup company testing drugs that may help those with autism-spectrum disorders — even adults."Seaside Therapeutics, a startup based in Cambridge, MA, is testing two compounds for the treatment of fragile X syndrome, a rare, inherited form of intellectual disability linked to autism. The treatments have emerged from molecular studies of animal models that mirror the genetic mutations seen in humans. Researchers hope that the drugs, which are designed to correct abnormalities at the connections between neurons, will ultimately prove effective in other forms of autism spectrum disorders. ... The company is funded almost entirely by an undisclosed family investment of $60 million, with $6 million from the National Institutes of Health. [A spokesman] says that Seaside has enough funding to take its compounds through clinical testing and approval.

More Evidence That Autism Is a Brain 'Connectivity' Disorder

ScienceDaily (Jan. 11, 2010) — Studying a rare disorder known as tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), researchers at Children's Hospital Boston add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that autism spectrum disorders, which affect 25 to 50 percent of TSC patients, result from a miswiring of connections in the developing brain, leading to improper information flow. The finding may also help explain why many people with TSC have seizures and intellectual disabilities.

Brain Activity Levels Affect Self-Perception: 'Rose-Colored Glasses' Correlate With Less Frontal Lobe Use

ScienceDaily (Jan. 11, 2010) — The less you use your brain's frontal lobes, the more you see yourself through rose-colored glasses, a University of Texas at Austin researcher says.