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Your own stem cells can treat heart disease

November 17, 2009

CHICAGO --- The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.

'Culture of we' buffers genetic tendency to depression

October 27, 2009

A genetic tendency to depression is much less likely to be realized in a culture centered on collectivistic rather than individualistic values, according to a new Northwestern University study.

Why antidepressants don't work for so many

October 23, 2009

CHICAGO --- More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief.

College students vote smarter than expected

October 1, 2009

College students make strategic choices about where to vote, most prefer absentee ballots, and they are especially likely to vote absentee if their homes are in swing states, according to a new Northwestern University study of student absentee voting in the 2008 presidential election.

Extra virgin olive oil compound may help prevent, treat Alzheimer's

September 29, 2009

PHILADELPHIA (September 29, 2009) -- Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease. This structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells.

How would Einstein use e-mail?

September 25, 2009

You're not as different from Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin after all, at least when it comes to patterns of correspondence.

A new Northwestern University study of human behavior has determined that those who wrote letters using pen and paper -- long before electronic mail existed -- did so in a pattern similar to the way people use e-mail today.

Smart memory foam made smarter

September 24, 2009

Researchers from Northwestern University and Boise State University have figured out how to produce a less expensive shape-shifting "memory" foam, which could lead to more widespread applications of the material, such as in surgical positioning tools and valve mechanisms.

Neurons found to be similar to Electoral College

September 14, 2009

A tiny neuron is a very complicated structure. Its complex network of dendrites, axons and synapses is constantly dealing with information, deciding whether or not to send a nerve impulse, to drive a certain action.

Democrats seen as the 'undeserving rich' face rejection by party voters

September 11, 2009

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In a recent study, researchers from several universities looked at why white working-class voters voted Republican in recent national elections even when they didn't like Republican policies.

Promise of nanodiamonds for safer gene therapy

September 1, 2009

Gene therapy holds promise in the treatment of a myriad of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among many others. However, developing a scalable system for delivering genes to cells both efficiently and safely has been challenging.

Surprising rate of recurring heart attacks, strokes globally

August 31, 2009

CHICAGO --- Despite many medicines and other treatments for patients with vascular disease, a large international study shows these patients have a surprisingly high rate of recurring events such as strokes, heart attacks and hospitalizations as well as mortality.

Misfolded proteins: The fundamental problem is aging

August 24, 2009

Proteins are essential for all biological activities and the health of the cell. Misfolded and damaged proteins spell trouble and are common to all human neurodegenerative diseases and many other age-associated diseases. But when during a lifespan do proteins start to misbehave?

Taking up music so you can hear

August 17, 2009

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Anyone with an MP3 device -- just about every man, woman and child on the planet today, it seems -- has a notion of the majesty of music, of the primal place it holds in the human imagination.

Camera flash turns an insulating material into a conductor

August 12, 2009

An insulator can now be transformed to conduct electricity by an ordinary camera flash.

Traffic jam in brain causes schizophrenia symptoms

August 10, 2009

CHICAGO --- Schizophrenia waits silently until a seemingly normal child becomes a teenager or young adult. Then it swoops down and derails a young life.

Scientists have not understood what causes the severe mental disorder, which affects up to 1 percent of the population and results in hallucinations, memory loss and social withdrawal.



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