Month: April 2012

Scientists claim to have found that a rare immune cell helps the immune system “remember” an attack, a key finding which may pave the way for new and more effective treatments for immune disorders.

A team at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute says the cells, called T follicular helper cells, represent less than half of one per cent of all immune cells, but play a key role in antibody production and developing long-lasting immunity.

A simple low-cost silicon ring can slash the risk of premature birth, a major cause of death in newborns and health problems in adult life, according to a trial reported today by The Lancet.

Spanish doctors tested the USD 49.50 device, known as a pessary, on women in their last three months of pregnancy who had cervical shortening, a condition that weakens the pelvic floor and leads to pre-term birth.

The pessary is designed to strengthen the cervix – the lower end of the uterus that leads to the vagina — so that it can cope with the extra weight of the final weeks of pregnancy.

A US biosecurity committee has withdrawn its objection to the publication of two controversial bird flu studies.

After reviewing revised versions of the studies, the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity has now recommended for full publication of the research papers.

The academic studies, which show that mutated forms of the H5N1 virus could infect ferrets in aerosol form, provide the strongest suggestion yet that it could also be transmitted between humans.

Already facing heightened risks of cancer, asbestos workers also run a greater danger of heart disease and stroke, a British study published today said.

Researchers looked into more than 15,000 deaths that occurred among nearly 99,000 workers in the British asbestos industry between 1971 and 2005.

Almost 4,200 deaths were caused by heart disease and more than 1,000 by a stroke, particularly among women.

With nearly eight percent of southeast Asia`s population above the age of 60 years, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Monday said it will draw global attention to ageing to highlight it as a rapidly emerging priority that most countries in the region have yet to address adequately.

The number of aged people will double by 2025 and triple by 2050, the global health body said ahead of World Health Day April 7.

Scientists have found that the scent of food given off during the cooking process can trigger positive memories in the brain.

They discovered that the smell of a baked potato can actually make us feel happier.

The majority of participants were uplifted by comforting childhood memories – including favorite grandparents and meals with the family, the Daily Mail reported.

As part of the study, subjects were presented with a Maris Piper, baked in the oven for an hour 140 degrees, and asked if it inspired any feelings.