Increases in Biological News

Moving to the US increases cancer risk for Hispanics

PHILADELPHIA Results of a new study confirm trends that different Hispanic population groups have higher incidence rates of certain cancers and worse cancer outcomes if they live in the United States, than they do if they live in their homelands. "Hispanics are not all the same with regard to...

Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology increases impact, international reach

FAIRFAX, Va.The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology 's quality and influence has remained consistently high over the past five years, and the increase in its impact factor to 2.217 in 2008 ranks JVIR in the top half of 90 radiology, nuclear medicine and medical imaging journals, acco...

UT multimedia program increases middle school interest in science

Middle school students who were part of a unique science learning program developed by The University of Texas School of Public Health showed significant increases in interest and achievement scores compared to other students, a recent study found. Results from the study are published in the Ju...

The battle for CRTC2: How obesity increases the risk for diabetes

La Jolla, CAObesity is probably the most important factor in the development of insulin resistance, but science's understanding of the chain of events is still spotty. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have filled in the gap and identified the missing link between the t...

Researchers identify a molecule that increases the risk of cardiac insufficiency

This release is available in Spanish . A team of scientists from the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra has identified a key enzyme in the development of cardiac insufficiency. This enzyme is involved in the accumulation of fibrous tissues in the heart...

Agent Orange exposure increases veterans' risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are at increased risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer, researchers report. A study of 1,495 veterans who underwent radical prostatectomy to remove their cancerous prostates showed that the 206 exposed to Agent Orange had nearly a 50 pe...

Lower increases in global temps could lead to greater impacts than previously thought, study finds

Princeton, NJ February 23, 2009 - A new study by scientists updating some of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 Third Assessment Report finds that even a lower level of increase in average global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions could cause signi...

Indoor air pollution increases asthma symptoms

A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University found an association between increasing levels of indoor particulate matter pollution and the severity of asthma symptoms among children. The study, which followed a group of asthmatic children in Baltimore, Md., is among the first to examine ...

Gene mutation increases drug toxicity, rejection risk in pediatric kidney transplants

CINCINNATI Screening for mutations in a gene that helps the body metabolize a kidney transplant anti-rejection drug may predict which children are at higher risk for side effects, including compromised white blood cell count or organ rejection, according to new research. Published online Feb. ...

Sweetened beverage consumption increases in the US

Over the past two decades, the number of adults consuming sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, fruit drinks and punches has increased dramatically, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers examined changes over the past t...

Long-term use of diabetes drugs by women significantly increases risk of fractures

A group of drugs commonly used to treat diabetes can double the risk of bone fractures in women, according to a new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Wake Forest University. Published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) , the findings show that use of thiazo...

European ancestry increases breast cancer risk among Latinas

PHILADELPHIA Latina women have a lower risk of breast cancer than European or African-American women generally, but those with higher European ancestry could be at increased risk, according to data published in the December 1 issue of Cancer Research , a journal of the American Association for C...

Exercise increases brain growth factor and receptors, prevents stem cell drop in middle age

BETHESDA, Md. (Nov. 18, 2008) − A new study confirms that exercise can reverse the age-related decline in the production of neural stem cells in the hippocampus of the mouse brain, and suggests that this happens because exercise restores a brain chemical which promotes the production and mat...

New UGA biomass technology dramatically increases ethanol yield from grasses and yard waste

University of Georgia researchers have developed a new technology that promises to dramatically increase the yield of ethanol from readily available non-food crops, such as Bermudagrass, switchgrass, Napiergrassand even yard waste. "Producing ethanol from renewable biomass sources such as gra...

Good breeding increases shelf life

SALINAS, CA - The lettuce cut and packaged for food service and salad mixes is an increasingly important component of the produce industry. Lettuce is highly perishable, and the cutting required in processing further shortens its shelf life. Packaging cut lettuce and other fresh produce in semi...

Genetic variant increases triglyceride levels in Asian-Americans

A genetic variant found almost exclusively in individuals of Asian descent increases the risk of elevated triglycerides over four-fold, reports a comprehensive study in the August Journal of Lipid Research . In fact, all 11 subjects who carried both copies of this rare variant for apolipoprotein ...

Study shows increased education on nanotech, human enhancement increases public concerns

Educating the public about nanotechnology and other complex but emerging technologies causes people to become more "worried and cautious" about the new technologies' prospective benefits, according to a recent study by researchers at North Carolina State University. A new study by researchers a...

Organic corn: Increasing rotation complexity increases yields

While demand for organic meat and milk is increasing by about 20% per year in the United States, almost all organic grain and forage to support these industries in the mid-Atlantic region is imported from other regions. To meet this demand locally, area farmers need information on expected crop yi...

Disabling mouse enzyme increases fertility

St. Louis, May 16, 2008 Changing the sugars attached to a hormone produced in the pituitary gland increased fertility levels in mice nearly 50 percent, a research group at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found. The change appears to alter a reproductive "thermostat," unv...

High cholesterol in your 40s increases risk of Alzheimer's disease

CHICAGO People with high cholesterol in their early 40s are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those with low cholesterol, according to research that will be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 1219, 2008. "Our ...

Ibuprofen or acetaminophen in long-term resistance training increases muscle mass/strength

Taking daily recommended dosages of ibuprofen and acetaminophen caused a substantially greater increase over placebo in the amount of quadriceps muscle mass and muscle strength gained during three months of regular weight lifting, in a study by physiologists at the Human Performance Laboratory, Ba...

Gene variant increases breast cancer risk

This release is available in German . In roughly five to ten percent of breast cancer cases there is a family history of breast cancer i.e., hereditary and, thus, genetic factors play a role here. Alterations in the genes known as BRCAI and BRCAII are a major cause of familial breast cancer...

Washington University increases fleet of Roche Genome Sequencer FLX Systems

INDIANAPOLISThe Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University School of Medicine increased its sequencing capacity with an agreement to acquire five additional Genome Sequencer FLX Systems from Roche Diagnostics. With a total of eight Genome Sequencer FLX Systems, the Genome Sequencing Cent...

Varying prevalence among ethnic groups of gene mutation that increases risk of breast cancer

CHICAGO Among several U.S. racial/ethnic groups examined, Hispanic women were found to have the highest prevalence of the cancer-associated gene mutation BRCA1 at 3.5 percent, with Asian Americans having the lowest prevalence (0.5 percent), according to a study in the December 26 issue of JAMA. ...

New study increases concerns about climate model reliability

ROCHESTER, NY (Dec. 11, 2007) A new study comparing the composite output of 22 leading global climate models with actual climate data finds that the models do an unsatisfactory job of mimicking climate change in key portions of the atmosphere. This research, published on-line Wednesday in the ...

Waterborne carbon increases threat of environmental mercury

MADISON - Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and a worrisome environmental contaminant, but the severity of its threat appears to depend on what else is in the water. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that the presence of dissolved organic material increases the biologic...

Drug commonly used to treat bipolar disorder dramatically increases lifespan in worms

Nematode worms treated with lithium show a 46 percent increase in lifespan, raising the tantalizing question of whether humans taking the mood affecting drug are also taking an anti-aging medication. Results of the Buck Institute study, led by faculty member Gordon J. Lithgow, PhD, are currently p...

Age increases chance of success as two-timer

This release is available in German . The coal tit appears to live a strictly monogamous life. Couples often stay together for their whole lives. That's only a facade. This indigenous songbird is among the top ten two-timers worldwide. That is what research by biologists at the University o...

Springer increases publishing activities in South Korea

Springer, one of the worlds leading STM publishers, has signed publishing agreements with eight South Korean scientific societies during the past half year. With this move, Springer will be the publisher of a representative selection of Korean society journals and confirms its long tradition of d...

Study finds Viagra increases release of key reproductive hormone

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison report this month that sildenafil increases the amount of oxytocin released by stimulation of the posterior pituitary gland, a small structure directly underneath the brain that regulates hormone levels in response to neural signals. The finding...

Risk of lymphoma increases with hepatitis C virus infection

People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are at an increased risk of developing certain lymphomas (cancers of the lymphatic system), according to a study published in the May 8, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (...

Blocking immune cell action increases Alzheimer's-associated protein deposits

The immune system's response against amyloid-beta, the protein that forms plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, appears to protect the brain from damage in early stages of the devastating neurological disorder. A report from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers fi...

Study shows interruption of antiretroviral therapy increases risk of disease and death

Findings from one of the largest HIV/AIDS therapy studies conducted to date show that a specific strategy of interrupting antiretroviral therapy more than doubles the risk of AIDS or death from any cause. Researchers affiliated with the Mailman School of Public Health and Harlem Hospital Hospital l...

Pak1 expression increases tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer patients

A protein that activates estrogen receptors in breast cancer may play a role in resistance to therapeutic effects of anti-estrogen tamoxifen treatment, according to a study in the May 17 Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Pak 1 is a member of a family of proteins involved in many cell ...

Mosquito spray increases toxicity of pyrethroids in creek, study finds

A relatively benign compound contained in a widely used group of insecticides can mix with and increase the toxicity of existing pesticides in the environment, according to a new study led by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley. While the increase in toxicity was relatively mode...

Single cell amoeba increases MRSA numbers 1000- fold

Scientists in the UK have found that a type of amoeba acts as an incubator for MRSA bacteria. As amoebae are often found in healthcare environments this discovery has implications for the infection control strategies adopted by hospitals. The single cell amoeba, Acanthamoeba polyphagam commonly e...

Gene variation increases SIDS risk in African Americans

About five percent of deaths from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in African Americans can be traced to defects in one gene and half of those deaths result from a common genetic variation that increases an infant's risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm during times of environmental stress...

Variation in bitter-taste receptor gene increases risk for alcoholism

A team of researchers, led by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has found that a gene variant for a bitter-taste receptor on the tongue is associated with an increased risk for alcohol dependence.The research team studied DNA samples from 262 families, all of w...

Lack of a key enzyme dramatically increases resistance to sepsis

According to the new study, the presence of caspase-12, which appears to modulate inflammation and innate immunity in humans, increases the body's "vulnerability to bacterial infection and septic shock" while a deficiency confers strong resistance to sepsis. This new discovery suggests that caspase...

Male rivalry increases when females at most fertile, say researchers

Men become more jealous of dominant males when their female partner is near ovulation, researchers at the University of Liverpool have found. Previous studies have found that women's preferences for male physical appearance vary according to their fertility status. During ovulation women tend to...