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PTSD symptoms were doubled in adults who underwent trauma if they had two key factors: variations in a gene active in the stress-response system and past child abuse. The gene variations and the impact of child abuse appear to affect each other in ways that change the body's stress-hormone system during the crucial developmental years. The study was conducted in the inner city, where PTSD rates are as high as in veterans.

Preliminary research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that community acquired pneumonia caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium may be more common than originally suspected, including that caused by antibiotic resistant strains.

Using the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, researchers have determined the detailed structure of the enzyme the Norwalk virus uses to make copies of its genetic code in order to replicate itself. The information is crucial to developing drugs that could be used to treat outbreaks of Norwalk and other related viruses.

A compound present naturally in grape skin,resveratrol, can protect against the cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high production of glucose in diabetes, according to an article in the science journal "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism." Resveratrol stops the damage by helping cells make protective enzymes to prevent the leakage of electrons and the production of toxic 'free radicals'.

Advances in genomic medicine for common adult chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer hold promise for improved prevention, diagnosis and treatment. But a new study finds that health professionals and the public are not prepared to effectively integrate these new tools into practice.

Researchers have provided, for the first time, a detailed look at the molecular pathways underlying sleep apnea. The team found that in an animal model of sleep apnea poorly folded proteins accumulate in one compartment of a muscle nerve cell, which, under certain conditions, tells a cell to heal itself or destroy itself.

Scientists have known for more than a decade that a protein associated with the HIV virus is good at crossing cell membranes, but they didn't know how it worked. Now they have solved the mystery, and their findings could improve the design of therapeutic agents that cross a variety of membrane types.

It may not be just women who need extra folate in their diets to reduce the risk of birth defects. A new study puts the spotlight on the other sex, finding that healthy men who report lower levels of the nutrient folate in their diets have higher rates of genetic abnormalities in their sperm.

New research suggests that comprehensive sex education might lead to less teen pregnancy, and there are no indications that it boosts the levels of sexual intercourse or sexually transmitted diseases. "It is not harmful to teach teens about birth control in addition to abstinence," said the study's lead author. Parents and educators have long argued over whether students should get instruction in birth control or simply learn how to say no. At issue is which approach will best postpone sex.

A standard part of testicular cancer care isn't used in more than half of all patients who have the condition, researchers have found. The tumor markers can show presence or absence of disease.