Researchers from Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC) at University of Copenhagen have identified a new group of proteins that regulate the function of stem cells. The results are published in the new issue of Cell.All living organisms, including human beings, consist of a number of specialised cell types that all originate from the same type of primal cell; the embryonic stem cell. [click link for full article]

Research led by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) may link viruses that have been considered harmless to chromosomal instability (CIN) and cancer. “If the model that we propose is correct, protecting the body against viruses, or preventing the cell fusion that they cause may decrease the frequency of cancers and prevent their progression,” said CSHL’s lead investigator Yuri Lazebnik.According to this model, cells can be made cancerous by viruses that fuse cells. [click link for full article]

A revolution in the field of diagnostic testing for learning disabilities - Dr. Evelyn Shatil from The Center for Brain Research and Learning Disabilities and Prof. Baruch Nevo from the Department of Psychology at the University of Haifa have developed a standardized test for identifying and diagnosing learning disabilities. The project was headed by Prof. Zvia Breznitz, the director of The Center for Brain Research and Learning Disabilities at the University of Haifa. [click link for full article]

Even mildly elevated levels of uric acid in the elderly are associated with slower thinking and memory problems, according to a report by researchers at Yale and Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine in Neuropsychology.The researchers found that elderly individuals with uric acid levels at the high end of the normal range had the lowest scores on tests measuring mental processing speed, verbal memory and working memory. [click link for full article]

Contrary to accepted theory, yearning and acceptance are the two most salient emotions individuals experience after a significant loss, according to a Yale School of Medicine study in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association. The study is believed to be the first to empirically assess the stage theory of grief commonly attributed to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swiss physician, and relied upon heavily in medical education. [click link for full article]

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said recently that it would like to buy locally as much food as possible for 120,000 people already affected by flooding in central Mozambique but stressed that cash donations were crucial. [click link for full article]

The Government’s response to a human flu pandemic was tested in Exercise Winter Willow on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th February.The exercise fully tested the UK’s ability to manage the effects of an influenza pandemic by playing out the decision-making process at national, regional and local levels, when there are widespread cases across the country. A human flu pandemic would occur when a new flu virus, to which people had little or no natural immunity, emerged. [click link for full article]

The Medical University of South Carolina, (MUSC) was recognized for participating in an American Heart Association and American Stroke Association program called Get With the Guidelines. The program helps ensure that the care hospitals provide for coronary artery diseases, stroke and heart failure is aligned with the latest scientific guidelines. The level of achievement shows MUSC’s commitment to implement a higher standard of care for heart disease and stroke patients. [click link for full article]

Organized youth activities help teens develop independence without the conflict and distancing from their families that parents have come to anticipate during adolescence, says a new University of Illinois study.”Participation in these groups can make the teen passage smoother for everyone,” said Reed Larson, the Pampered Chef Ltd. Endowed Chair in Family Resiliency at the U of I. [click link for full article]