Targeting cholesterol metabolism in macrophages to eliminate viral infection

Recent evidence suggests a link between cholesterol metabolism and innate immunity. Upon viral infection, macrophages show reduced cholesterol synthesis accompanied by enhanced expression of antiviral genes, including type I interferon (IFN-I). IFN-I can induce 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) accumulation, which blocks viral entry. However, it has been unclear whether other cholesterol-associated metabolic products or enzymes regulate innate…

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Children born preterm are more likely to be placed outside the home

Children born prematurely, i.e. before week 37, are more likely to be placed outside the home as a supportive child welfare measure than their full-term counterparts, according to a population study conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The more premature a child is born, the greater the probability that the child…

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Severity of autism symptoms varies greatly among identical twins

WHAT: Identical twins with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience large differences in symptom severity even though they share the same DNA, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggest that identifying the causes of this variability may inform the treatment of ASD-related symptoms. The study was conducted by…

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Proton therapy as effective as standard radiation with fewer side effects

Cancer patients who receive high-tech proton therapy experience similar cure rates and fewer serious side effects compared with those who undergo traditional X-ray radiation therapy, according to a study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The reduction in side effects…

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On nitroglycerin, cardiovascular homeostasis and…bam, migraine!

London, UK: A clinical investigation recently published in the journal Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society, suggests that migraine patients may exhibit a systemic pathophysiological alteration. The study, entitled «Abnormal cardiovascular response to nitroglycerin in migraine», was conducted by Dr. Willebrordus PJ van Oosterhout, from Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Neurology,…

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In a Year of Notable Deaths, a World of Women Who Shattered Ceilings

Almost all were born between the world wars, one even before women had the right to vote. They came from white-collar homes and blue-, from black households and white. But when they died this year, they had something in common besides the final leveling that death brings. They had all found a place in a…

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Finding Joy in the Unknown

The way you meet your future spouse sets the tone for everything to come, some people believe, much like the opening music in a movie. This has definitely been true for Jennifer and Charanpaul Singh Gill who recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary (and appeared in the Vows column on Oct. 31, 1999). The two…

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Certain Foods May Help Postmenopausal Women Sleep Better

The right diet might help you sleep better. In a study of 77,860 postmenopausal women, researchers found that consuming foods that had a low glycemic index is associated with a reduced risk for insomnia. Foods with low glycemic indexes — for example, vegetables, nuts and whole grain breads — have carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed…

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36 Hours in Recife (and Environs)

Many people visiting Brazil make a beeline for the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. In doing so, they fly over Brazil’s fourth largest city, and one of the most culturally fascinating regions in the country. Recife and the northeastern corner of Brazil are a world apart from Rio, São Paulo and the rest of southern…

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