Can an individual's state of mind effect how well a vaccine may work? In the case of seniors and shingles, the answer is yes. Reporting in the current online edition of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, Dr. Michael Irwin, a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, demonstrates a link between untreated depression in older adults and decreased effectiveness of the herpes zoster —or shingles — vaccine. Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash that can last for months or even years. It's caused by the varicella–zoster ...

(Boston) – A review article by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) proposes a new epigenetic hypothesis linked to tumor production and novel ideas about what causes progenitor cells to develop into cancer cells. Published in the February 2013 issue of Epigenomics, the article provides examples of how epigenetic drug treatments could be beneficial in treating cancers while also decreasing the likelihood of cancer relapse. The article was written by researchers at the Boston University Cancer Center. Sibaji Sarkar, PhD, adjunct instructor of medicine ...

Some infants raised in poverty exhibit physical traits that make them more vulnerable to poor caregiving, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The combination of physiological vulnerability and poor caregiving may lead these children to show increased problem behaviors later in childhood. For infants growing up in poverty, the ability to adapt and regulate — both biologically and behaviorally — in response to various environmental pressures seems to be critical for successful development. To ...

In a pair of new papers, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences upend a long-held view about the basic functioning of a key receptor molecule involved in signaling between neurons, and describe how a compound linked to Alzheimer's disease impacts that receptor and weakens synaptic connections between brain cells. The findings are published in the Feb. 18 early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Long the object of study, the NMDA receptor is located ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Using a grown-up version of the rock-paper-scissors game, Indiana University cognitive scientists offer a new theory of the group dynamics that arise in situations as varied as cycles of fashion, fluctuations of financial markets, eBay bidding wars and political campaign strategies. In a study written about this week in PLOS ONE, the researchers analyzed situations in which each person's decision depends on what they think other people will decide, looking at the riddle of "what you think I think you think I think." What they found, said Seth Frey, ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Chemists at the University of California, Riverside have developed a compound that holds much promise in the laboratory in fighting renal (kidney) cancer. Named TIR-199, the compound targets the "proteasome," a cellular complex in kidney cancer cells, similar to the way the drug bortezomib, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, targets and inhibits the proteasome in multiple myeloma cells, a cancer coming from bone marrow. Michael Pirrung, a distinguished professor of chemistry at UC Riverside, announced the development of TIR-199 in a lecture ...

VIDEO: Scientists at the University of Montreal's Quebec Research Group in Animal Pharmacology have found a way to recognize and treat osteoarthritis in cats -- a condition that the owner might... Click here for more information. Scientists at the University of Montreal's Quebec Research Group in Animal Pharmacology have found a way to recognize and treat osteoarthritis in cats – a condition that the owner might not notice and that can make even petting painful. "Osteoarthritis ...

If you want to read a mouse's mind, it takes some fluorescent protein and a tiny microscope implanted in the rodent's head. Stanford scientists have demonstrated a technique for observing hundreds of neurons firing in the brain of a live mouse, in real time, and have linked that activity to long-term information storage. The unprecedented work could provide a useful tool for studying new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. The researchers first used a gene therapy approach to cause the mouse's neurons to express a green fluorescent protein ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Understanding exactly how droplets and bubbles stick to surfaces — everything from dew on blades of grass to the water droplets that form on condensing coils after steam drives a turbine in a power plant — is a "100-year-old problem" that has eluded experimental answers, says MIT's Kripa Varanasi. Furthermore, it's a question with implications for everything from how to improve power-plant efficiency to how to reduce fogging on windshields. Now this longstanding problem has finally been licked, Varanasi says, in research he conducted with graduate student ...

There are "things hidden in plain sight" all around us. But art can help students see their world anew, unlocking discoveries in fields ranging from plant biology to biomedical imaging, according to University of Delaware professor John Jungck. Jungck's sentiments were echoed by a panel of experts speaking on "Artful Science" on Feb. 15 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston. Jungck organized the panel and also spoke at the event. Canoeing on a lake near his home in northwestern Minnesota when he was a youngster, ...

Would you prefer $120 today or $154 in one year? Your answer may depend on how powerful you feel, according to new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Many people tend to forego the larger reward and opt for the $120 now, a phenomenon known as temporal discounting. But research conducted by Priyanka Joshi and Nathanael Fast of the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business suggests that people who feel powerful are more likely to wait for the bigger reward, in part because they feel a stronger connection ...

BOSTON -- Models of the human brain, patterned on engineering control theory, may some day help researchers control such neurological diseases as epilepsy, Parkinson's and migraines, according to a Penn State researcher who is using mathematical models of neuron networks from which more complex brain models emerge. "The dual concepts of observability and controlability have been considered one of the most important developments in mathematics of the 20th century," said Steven J. Schiff, the Brush Chair Professor of Engineering and director of the Penn State Center for ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Identifying areas of malarial infection risk depends more on daily temperature variation than on the average monthly temperatures, according to a team of researchers, who believe that their results may also apply to environmentally temperature-dependent organisms other than the malaria parasite. "Temperature is a key driver of several of the essential mosquito and parasite life history traits that combine to determine transmission intensity, including mosquito development rate, biting rate, development rate and survival of the parasite within the ...

Species facing widespread and rapid environmental changes can sometimes evolve quickly enough to dodge the extinction bullet. Populations of disease-causing bacteria evolve, for example, as doctors flood their "environment," the human body, with antibiotics. Insects, animals and plants can make evolutionary adaptations in response to pesticides, heavy metals and overfishing. Previous studies have shown that the more gradual the change, the better the chances for "evolutionary rescue" – the process of mutations occurring fast enough to allow a population to avoid extinction ...

Tropical Storm Haruna came together on Feb. 19 in the Southern Indian Ocean and two NASA satellites provided visible and infrared imagery that helped forecasters see the system's organization. A low pressure area called System 94S developed on Friday, Feb. 15 in the northern Mozambique Channel. Over the course of four days System 94S became more organized and by Feb. 19 it became Tropical Storm Haruna. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, Tropical Storm Haruna had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40.2 mph/64.8 kph). Haruna was located in the Mozambique Channel, near 21.4 south ...

The second tropical depression of the northwestern Pacific Ocean season formed on Feb. 19, and NASA's Aqua satellite showed the storm was soaking the central and southern Philippines. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Depression 02W (TD02W) as it was coming together and soaking provinces in Mindanao and the Palawan province of Luzon. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard Aqua captured an infrared image of the depression at 0541 UTC (12:41 a.m. EST). The AIRS image showed very cold cloud top temperatures, colder than -63F (-52C) ...

New research out of the University of Cincinnati reveals a relatively rare look into the success of substance abuse treatment programs for African-Americans. Researchers report that self-motivation could be an important consideration into deciding on the most effective treatment strategy. The study led by Ann Kathleen Burlew, a UC professor of psychology, and LaTrice Montgomery, a UC assistant professor of human services, is published online this week in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Specifically among African-Americans, the study investigated the effectiveness of ...

New York, NY (February 19, 2013) — New findings by Columbia researchers suggest that along with amyloid deposits, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) may be a second necessary factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Most current approaches to Alzheimer's disease focus on the accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brain. The researchers at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, led by Adam M. Brickman, PhD, assistant professor of neuropsychology, examined the additional contribution of small-vessel cerebrovascular disease, ...

Philadelphia, PA, February 20, 2013 – A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has determined that there is increasing evidence of a connection between diet and acne, particularly from high glycemic load diets and dairy products, and that medical nutrition therapy (MNT) can play an important role in acne treatment. More than 17 million Americans suffer from acne, mostly during their adolescent and young adult years. Acne influences quality of life, including social withdrawal, anxiety, and depression, making treatment essential. Since ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – Viewers of primetime crime dramas, like NCIS, CSI or Law & Order, are more inclined than non-viewers to see themselves intervening on behalf of the victim of a sexual assault, according to recent research at Washington State University. Published in the Journal of Health Communication, the study suggests prime-time television may be a successful medium for educating the public about sexual assault and encouraging positive responses, according to Stacey Hust, associate professor of communication with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communications and ...

Twin Cities' KMOJ radio personality Georgia Ellyse is celebrating her 25th birthday this Saturday in a royal way. The soiree, dubbed "Miss Georgia's Royal 25th Birthday Experience," is presented by Team Sophisticated as part of its weekly "A Sophisticated Experience" and has gained buzz as a must-attend event for the Twin Cities' most influential tastemakers. As host of KMOJ/89.9 FM's Midday Show, Ellyse is excited to take a moment to celebrate this milestone in her life as she continues to pursue her dreams within the entertainment and beauty ...

Faith Lutheran High School strongly believes that it can win a football championship in the Division 1A Sunset League. On Tuesday - February 19th, during a private ceremony on campus, the school will back its belief by introducing its new head coach, Vernon Fox. Fox is a native Las Vegan who competed in the NFL (National Football League) for eight seasons with formidable teams including the multiple Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins. Since retiring a few years ago, Fox has helped hundreds of youth become better players and individuals by hosting ...

Trinity Preparatory Academy (www.trinityprepacademy.com) is a new classical Christian University-Model School opening in fall 2013 in North Austin. The school provides faculty with a unique teaching experience. At Trinity Preparatory Academy, students are engaged in a 5-day per week, rigorous classical curriculum. In the Grammar School (K-5), students attend the Trinity Preparatory Academy campus two days per week to learn from professional teachers. The remaining three days of curriculum are delivered in the satellite classroom at home with a parent teacher. All curriculum ...

JTM Food Group, a Harrison, Ohio-based company specializing in great-tasting, fully cooked, healthier menu solutions, has added four new low sodium, vegetarian soups to their product lineup. Based on popular recipes and familiar flavor-profiles, these soups provide school food service directors with convenience and versatility while helping them meet the new minimums requirements for the vegetable subgroups which include red/orange, dark green, legumes, starchy and other. The following varieties are available: • Vegetarian Minestrone, a hearty soup made with diced ...

Cary Family Dental is pleased to announce that Allan Acton, DDS, has been named one of the Best Dentists in Western Wake County by readers of Cary Magazine. The 2013 Maggy Awards accepts online votes from readers who vote on their favorites among a variety of categories including services, media, restaurants, sports, and shopping. This marks the fourth time that Dr. Acton has been recognized in this category. Cary Magazine began recognizing the Best of Western Wake in 2006. Winners in each category are chosen through a two-part nomination process. Voting began in September ...