Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by an RNA virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. In people, common symptoms of influenza are fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, and weakness and fatigue.
New research shows that an individual?s intestinal bacteria flora, regardless of nationality, gender and age, organises itself in certain clusters. – As partners in the international research consortium named MetaHit, scientists from the University of Copenhagen have contributed to show that an individual’s intestinal bacteria flora, regardless of nationality, gender and age, organises itself in certain clusters.
Stem cells take cues from cerebrospinal fluid in the brain – Proteins in fluids bathing the brain are essential for building the brain, revealed by researchers in the journal Neuron. The finding promises to advance research related to neurological disease, cancer and stem cells.
Coffee drinking linked to reduced stroke risk in women — American Heart Association rapid access journal report – Drinking more than a cup of coffee a day was associated with a 22 percent to 25 percent lower risk of stroke, compared with those who drank less, in a study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Advanced degrees add up to lower blood pressure – Freshmen on the eve of finals and graduate students staring down a thesis committee may not feel this way, but the privilege of obtaining an advanced education correlates with decades of lower blood pressure, according to a study led by a public health researcher at Brown University. The benefit appears to be greater for women than for men.
Using EEGs to diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infants — Machine-learning system finds differences in brain connectivity – A computational physicist and a cognitive neuroscientist at Children’s Hospital Boston have come up with the beginnings of a noninvasive test to evaluate an infant’s autism risk.
Fetal surgery, pioneered at UCSF, is more effective than operating after birth – Thirty years ago, the first human fetal surgery was performed at the University of California, San Francisco. Now, a randomized controlled trial has proven definitively that fetal surgery can help certain patients before birth.
Indoor Coal Use Associated With Possible Impairment of Early Childhood Growth – Children raised in homes using indoor coal for cooking or heating appear to be about a half-inch shorter at age 36 months than those in households using other fuel sources.
Hormone therapy begun at menopause may pose risk for breast cancer – Hormone therapy around menopause is linked to breast cancer risk, revealed by researchers in a study published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
FDA review indicates possible association between breast implants and a rare cancer — Agency requesting health care professionals to report confirmed cases – Saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants are linked to anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a very rare type of cancer, announced by US Health Agency FDA.
Study suggests possible new treatment for severe 2009 H1N1 infection – Convalescent plasma therapy-using plasma from patients who have recovered from an infection to treat those with the same infection-has been used to treat multiple diseases.
Research provides new kidney cancer clues — Gene is mutated in 1 in 3 patients with common form of renal cancer – Researchers have identified a gene that is mutated in one in three patients with the most common form of renal cancer. The identification of a frequently mutated gene will provide new insights into the biology of the disease.
GM chickens that don’t transmit bird flu developed – Breakthrough could prevent future bird flu epidemics – Chickens genetically modified to prevent them spreading bird flu have been produced by researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh. They developed a new gene coding that controls bird flu virus progress.
