WHAT: Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, have determined that certain red blood cell traits in children can increase or decrease their risk for malaria. The findings could help identify future targets for new malaria drugs and vaccines. From 2008 to 2011, NIAID scientists and their collaborators followed 1,543 children ranging from 6 months to 17 years old in Mali, a West African country with a high incidence of childhood malaria. Throughout the study period, the children experienced a ...

Despite catastrophic earthquakes, the most vulnerable residents do not take steps to prepare themselves against future disaster, according to a new study in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. The authors provide an example from southern Spain. "Spain's persistent economic crisis and unemployment rate suggest that many residents of southern Spain belong to this vulnerable segment," write authors Shintaro Okazaki (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Amadeo Benavent-Climent (University of Madrid), Angeles Navarro (Universidad de Murcia), and Jörg Henseler (University ...

Online word-of-mouth communications are having a significant effect on product sales, yet research to date has failed to understand why that effect fluctuates, according to a new study in the Journal of Marketing. "Previous investigation into online communications had focused on product reviews, but it was clear that far more information was needed," write authors Ya You (College of Charleston), Gautham G. Vadakkepatt (George Mason University), and Amit M. Joshi (University of Central Florida). "The current study hypothesized that additional platforms such as blogs, ...

Consumers are tuning out TV commercials, making advertisers run louder, higher-energy ads to force their attention. This may be backfiring critically when consumers are watching sad or relaxing shows, according to a new study in the Journal of Marketing. "This research stands to fundamentally change the ways advertisers approach the use of commercials," write authors Nancy M. Puccinelli (Oxford University), Keith Wilcox (Columbia University), and Dhruv Grewal (Babson College). "Firms will realize substantially greater success if they use moderately energetic commercials ...

TORONTO, March 24, 2015 -- Diabetes is associated with more advanced stage breast cancer, according to a new study by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Women's College Hospital. The findings, published today in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, confirm a strong link between diabetes and later stage breast cancer at diagnosis for Canadian women. "Our findings suggest that women with diabetes may be predisposed to more advanced stage breast cancer, which may be a contributor to their higher cancer mortality," said Dr. Lorraine ...

How can beef be made healthier for consumption purposes? This question has been answered by Inmaculada Gómez-Bastida in her PhD thesis, read at the NUP/UPNA-University of Navarre. When ingredients rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, like flax seeds, and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) were added to the food of these animals, their fat was modified, achieving an increase in omega-3 fatty acids and CLA -regarded as being beneficial for health- and a reduction in saturated fatty acids linked to cardiovascular disease. "Adding flax seeds and CLA to the diet of calves," ...

The link between taking aspirin, and similar medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDS), and bowel (colorectal) cancer prevention is well established. However, the mechanisms behind the protective effect have not been understood and it is not known why some people appear to benefit while others do not. Conducted by investigators from four countries, including Professors Mark Jenkins and John Hopper from the University of Melbourne, the findings suggest this protection differs according to variations in DNA. "We've known for a long time ...

Published recently in the journal Advanced Materials, the new membranes will supply clean water for use in desalination and water purification applications. Sandra Kentish, Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering said that up until now, there has not been a way to add chlorinating agents to water to prevent biological growth in the desalination process. "Such biofouling has been a major issue to date, but the new membranes have the potential to lead to a more economic desalination operation," she said. For Professor Kentish, the availability ...

WASHINGTON, DC -- March 24, 2015--In the first study of an entire wine grapevine's microbiome, researchers have found that the microbes associated with the grapes, leaves and flowers are largely derived from the soil microbes found around the plant's roots. The findings, published in mBio the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, could help dissect how microbes affect a wine's properties and pave the way for biotechnological advances for producing hardier crops. "Growers have been sub-selecting the best regions to grow grapes over thousands ...

WASHINGTON, DC - March 24, 2015- The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum produces chemical compounds called terpenes that give off odors that attract mosquitoes, according to new research. The study, published this week in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, might explain why the insects are more likely to bite humans or animals infected with the organism. The work could lead to new diagnostic tests for malaria, said senior study author Audrey R. Odom, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of pediatrics and of molecular microbiology ...

New research conducted at the University of Kansas Medical Center has found a correlation between milk consumption and the levels of a naturally-occurring antioxidant called glutathione in the brain in older, healthy adults. In-Young Choi, Ph.D., an associate professor of neurology at KU Medical Center, and Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., professor and chair of dietetics and nutrition at KU Medical Center, worked together on the project. Their research, which was published in the Feb. 3, 2015 edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests a new way that drinking ...

HOUSTON -- ( March 24, 2015 ) -- An experimental drug that attacks brain tumor tissue by crippling the cells' energy source called the mitochondria has passed early tests in animal models and human tissue cultures, say Houston Methodist scientists. As reported on the cover of the April 2015 ChemMedChem (early online), Houston Methodist Kenneth R. Peak Brain & Pituitary Tumor Center Director David S. Baskin, M.D., and Peak Center Head of Research Martyn Sharpe, Ph.D. designed a drug called MP-MUS that destroyed 90 to 95 percent of malignant glioma cells, yet in other experiments ...

Dallas, TX (March 24, 2015) - John Rodakis, the parent of a child with autism was not looking to launch an international investigation into the microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that live on and in us) and autism, but, as he describes in his newly published article in the scientific journal Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, when his young son's autism unexpectedly and dramatically improved while taking an antibiotic for strep throat, he began a quest to understand why. Following the surprise improvement, Mr. Rodakis, who in addition to being a parent ...

DENVER, March 24, 2015 -- Chocolate has many health benefits -- it can potentially lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce stroke risk. But just as connoisseurs thought it couldn't get any better, there's this tasty new tidbit: Researchers have found a way to make the treat even more nutritious -- and sweeter. They will describe their research here today at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. The meeting features nearly 11,000 reports on new advances in science and other topics. ...

DENVER, March 24, 2015 -- A new weapon in the war against type 2 diabetes is coming in an unexpected form: fat. Researchers have discovered a new class of potentially therapeutic lipids, called fatty-acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs). These lipids are found at lower levels in people with insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, compared with those who don't have the condition. Administering FAHFAs to diabetic mice improved their glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, opening a surprising avenue for the development of novel medications for the ...

DENVER, March 24, 2015 -- The recent increase in natural gas production could provide a bridge to a lower carbon future because it generates half the carbon dioxide (CO2) of coal when burned. However, natural gas that is leaked into the atmosphere could speed global warming and climate change. That's because its primary component, methane, is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2. Understanding the leakage rate is critical to assessing the environmental benefit of natural gas, but there is much controversy, debate and confusion among scientists and policy-makers ...

LAS VEGAS--Osteoporosis is a disease of progressive bone loss affecting more than 44 million Americans and contributing to an estimated 2 million bone fractures each year. A new study presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that routine bisphosphonate treatment of women over 65 who sustain a distal radius (wrist) fracture--one of the most common fractures associated with osteoporosis--could significantly reduce the risk for additional fractures, primarily hip fractures, but at an estimated cost of more than ...

LAS VEGAS--New research presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that most child pedestrian injuries involving a motor vehicle occurred while children were unsupervised, near schools and bus stops, and in the spring months during the afternoon and evening hours. Pedestrian injuries are among the leading causes of pediatric deaths in the U.S. In 2012, 557 child and young adult pedestrians under age 20 were killed by motor vehicles in the U.S. and 22,000 were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic ...

LAS VEGAS--Thanks to improved surgical, pain management and rehabilitation procedures, patients who undergo a total hip replacement (THR) may be able to safely drive as early as two weeks following surgery, according to new research presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Each year, more than 322,000 patients undergo hip replacement surgery in the U.S. Previous studies, conducted more than a decade ago, recommended between six and eight weeks of recovery before driving; however, recent advances in surgical treatment ...

LAS VEGAS--Diabetes and previous joint pain, along with a patient's overall physical health status, may predicts arthritis pain with nearly 100 percent accuracy, in new research presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). An estimated one out of five adults is living with an arthritis diagnosis, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the number is expected to rise from 52.5 to 67 million by 2030. Arthritis means "inflammation of a joint." In osteoarthritis, the most common type ...

LAS VEGAS--Chronic low back pain can limit everyday activities, including sex. New research presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), found that 70 percent of patients consider sexual activity "relevant" to their life quality, and patients who receive surgical treatment for spinal spondylolisthesis (DS) and spinal stenosis (SS)--common degenerative conditions most often occurring in older adults--were twice as likely to report no pain during sex. "Our current research sheds light on the effect that spinal surgery ...

LAS VEGAS--While men and women have similar levels of improvement following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery, men have higher levels of function before and after TKR, according to new research presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 600,000 knee replacements are performed in the U.S. each year. In 2012, 393,345 women and 237,896 men underwent TKR, most often to alleviate the pain and immobility associated with late-stage arthritis. While ...

LAS VEGAS--In recent years there has been an explosion in barefoot running, as well as the purchase and use of "minimalist" running shoes that more closely resemble barefoot running by encouraging the balls of the feet, between the arch and toes, to hit the pavement first. A new study presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), found that a significant number of experienced runners, age 30 and older (40 percent of men and 20 percent of women), maintained a heel-first running pattern--which naturally occurs when wearing ...

LAS VEGAS--Thanks to improved surgical, pain management and rehabilitation procedures, patients who undergo a total hip replacement (THR) may be able to safely drive as early as two weeks following surgery, according to new research presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Each year, more than 322,000 patients undergo hip replacement surgery in the U.S. Previous studies, conducted more than a decade ago, recommended between six and eight weeks of recovery before driving; however, recent advances in surgical treatment ...

LAS VEGAS -- A new study presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that 48 percent of hip fracture patients, age 65 and older, had delirium, or acute confusion, before, during and after surgery (perioperative), resulting in significantly longer hospital stays and higher costs for care. Approximately 300,000 Americans are hospitalized with hip fractures each year. The risk is particularly high in post-menopausal women who face an increased risk for osteoporosis, a disease that diminishes bone mass and increases ...