(Press-News.org) Researchers in Sydney and Newcastle, Australia have found that elements of dust, particularly those coarse particles that contain iron traces, stimulate the production of inflammatory molecules in cells from the airways of mice and healthy human volunteers. Surprisingly, traffic fume pollutants did not cause these changes. The findings are featured in a new Respirology study.
"These effects are likely to contribute to the development of asthma in childhood, as well as to worsening of asthma when pollution levels are high." said Dr. Rakesh Kumar, lead author of the study. "Our findings emphasize that larger airborne particles derived from dust may have important adverse effects on human health."
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Airborne particles beyond traffic fumes may affect asthma risk
2014-09-15
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Cellular protein may be key to longevity
2014-09-15
Researchers have found that levels of a regulatory protein called ATF4, and the corresponding levels of the molecules whose expression it controls, are elevated in the livers of mice exposed to multiple interventions known increase longevity.
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2014-09-15
New research indicates that people with psychopathic traits have a preference for nonromantic sexual fantasies with anonymous and uncommitted partners. The study's investigators noted that psychopathic sexual behavior is likely due to a preference for sexual activity outside a loving, committed relationship rather than only an inability to form such relationships.
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2014-09-15
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How a change in slope affects lava flows
2014-09-15
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Predicting prostate cancer: Pitt-developed test identifies new methods for treatment
2014-09-15
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 15, 2014 – A genetic discovery out of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is leading to a highly accurate test for aggressive prostate cancer and identifies new avenues for treatment.
The analysis, published today in the American Journal of Pathology, found that prostate cancer patients who carry certain genetic mutations have a 91 percent chance of their cancer recurring. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Cancer Society and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI).
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Scientists identify the master regulator of cells' heat shock response
2014-09-15
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Research offers new way to predict hurricane strength, destruction
2014-09-15
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A new study by Florida State University researchers demonstrates a different way of projecting a hurricane's strength and intensity that could give the public a better idea of a storm's potential for destruction.
Vasu Misra, associate professor of meteorology and co-director of the Florida Climate Institute, and fourth-year doctoral student Michael Kozar introduce in the Monthly Weather Review of the American Meteorological Society a new statistical model that complements hurricane forecasting by showing the size of storms, not just the wind speed.
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This is your brain on snacks -- brain stimulation affects craving and consumption
2014-09-15
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2014-09-15
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Caregivers of family members newly diagnosed with mental illness at risk for anxiety
2014-09-15
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