Duke University Medical Center
Duke University Medical Center researchers have shown that the protein produced by an artificial HIV-1 gene triggers anti-HIV-1 immune responses in animals. Such proteins -- produced by genes engineered to have "centralized" structures similar to those in several HIV strains -- could serve as a basis for vaccines that protect against many strains. Showing that artificial genes produce biologically functional proteins is a significant step in HIV vaccine development, the researchers said.
Since many health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, originate in childhood, the current epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States has led many medical experts to re-examine and update their recommendations for measures to help protect children's health. In order to detect potential medical problems as early as possible, the American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed the recommendations of a national children's health group calling for blood pressure screenings to begin for most children at age three.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have demonstrated for the first time what happens inside a cell when it is deprived of the essential nutrient iron. Iron is found abundantly in red meats, shellfish dried fruits, whole grains, spinach, seeds and other foods. Their study in yeast cells demonstrated that iron-starved cells preserve the little iron they possess by shutting down the major iron users in order to maintain the cell's essential functions, said Dennis J. Thiele, Ph.D., professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke. He said their discovery could aid in the diagnosis and ultimately the treatment of serious disorders caused by low iron levels.
Male and female mice have significantly different immune responses to different types of HIV vaccines, Duke University Medical Center researchers report. The results mean the most potent HIV vaccines may be gender-specific, necessitating separate delivery techniques and even separate vaccines for men and women, the researchers said.
With new research showing that abdominal fat is a major risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and other serious health problems, Duke University Medical Center researchers said that waist circumference can also be a reliable risk indicator. Recent surveys have shown that more than a third of all Americans are overweight or obese. According to the Duke researchers, there are several simple methods for determining weight status.
While toys can be a big part of the holidays for children, many can pose serious injury risks at different stages of a child's development according to Duke University Medical Center emergency room workers. Claudia McCormick, program director of the Duke Trauma Center, said parents can help prevent toy-related injuries by following simple safety guidelines, beginning with shopping for the toy.
Geneticists have discovered new proteins that help the olfactory system in mammals organize properly. Thus the proteins are key to the ability of mammals, including humans, to detect and respond appropriately to chemicals in the environment via their sense of smell. The finding in mice paves the way for scientists to unravel the underlying code that allows the brain to interpret smells, according to the researchers.
Obesity significantly impairs sexual quality of life for men and women, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found. Obese people report sexual problems such as lack of desire, lack of enjoyment, avoiding sex and performance difficulty at a much higher rate than people of normal weight -- in some cases, they are 25 times more likely to report problems, according to the Duke study. Overall, women experienced more difficulties than men among both weight groups, but the gender differences were small compared to the disparity between the obese and normal weight study populations.
Researchers have found a strong correlation between caffeine intake at mealtime and increased glucose and insulin levels among people with type-2 diabetes. Although the participant pool was relatively small, the researchers believe their findings are significant enough to suggest that diabetics who regularly enjoy caffeinated beverages and are struggling to maintain their glucose levels should consider reducing or eliminating caffeine in their diets.
When we learn a new motor skill, we experience rapid improvement in motor performance during the initial training period and slowly improve with further training across subsequent days. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center now report evidence that certain neural circuits in the brain exhibit significant modulations in neuronal activity and connectivity during motor-skill learning and that distinct processes may mediate the neuronal changes that accompany the initial, fast phase of motor-skill learning compared to the longer-lasting, slower phase.
The first sensory map of the fly equivalent of a tongue suggests that insects have discriminating taste -- perhaps trumping that of mammals in the ability to differentiate among bitter flavors. The findings could ultimately prove useful in the development of improved pest repellants, said the Duke University Medical Center researchers.
According to the team's analysis, specialized cells in the fruit fly's primary taste organ, the labellum -- a structure on the fly's head that looks like a pair of lips covered in bristles -- respond to either sweet or bitter flavors, much like cells of the human tongue.
A new study of patients who undergo cardiothoracic surgery has found the elderly, people with diabetes and women were more likely to develop a serious, potentially fatal chest infection caused by drug-resistant bacteria. "The infection occurs infrequently, but when it does occur, it is extraordinarily devastating," said Vance Fowler, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Duke University Medical Center. "It's catastrophic for the patient and expensive for the health-care system."
A new analysis of data on smoking and health finds that smokers who quit before the age of 35 have a reasonable chance to regain their health over time and to live as long and as well as people who have never smoked. The Duke University Medical Center researchers who performed the analysis said that smokers who quit can dodge the debilitating effects of smoking-related diseases and maintain a high quality of life into middle-age and beyond.
Researchers have found that a new generation of medications called "atypical antipsychotics" can significantly lower the risk of violent behavior in people with schizophrenia who are being treated in community-based centers. In a two-year study, the researchers found that patients who consistently took one of the newer medications had less than one-third the incidence of getting into fights or engaging in violent actions toward others, compared to subjects who consistently took one of the older antipsychotic medications.
In tests on human volunteers, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that even small amounts of alcohol boost the pleasurable effects of nicotine, inducing people to smoke more when drinking alcoholic beverages. The findings provide a physiological explanation for the common observation that people smoke more in bars. The findings also explain statistics showing that alcoholics tend to smoke more than non-alcoholics, and that smokers are more likely to be alcoholics.
