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Urinary tract infections from the catheter - most common hospital-acquired infection

One in four Americans in the hospital right now has a urinary catheter. One percent of them will get a urinary tract infection from that catheter.

4 Jan 2008

Carnegie Mellon study identifies where thoughts of familiar objects occur inside the human brain

A team of Carnegie Mellon University computer scientists and cognitive neuroscientists, combining methods of machine learning and brain imaging, have found a way to identify where people's thoughts and perceptions of familiar objects originate in the brain by identifying the patterns of brain activity associated with the objects.

4 Jan 2008

Experimental IT to reduce medication errors under study

Medication errors are one of the most serious problems occurring in doctor's offices and out-patient clinics, and older persons with chronic conditions are the most vulnerable.

4 Jan 2008

Treating depression may help alcoholics recover

It's hard to stay on the wagon when you're depressed, according to a new study of problem drinkers.

4 Jan 2008

Avalon Explosion shaped early history of multicellular life

Scientists have known for some time that most major groups of complex animals appeared in the fossils record during the Cambrian Explosion, a seemingly rapid evolutionary event that occurred 542 million years ago.

4 Jan 2008

Elective surgery puts seniors at risk for long-term cognitive problems

According to new research from the U.S. patients over the age of 60 who opt to have elective surgeries put themselves at an increased risk for long-term cognitive problems.

3 Jan 2008

Healthy food good for health but hard on the purse

A new study has found that while the cost of fresh food is becoming more and more expensive junk food is becoming cheaper.

3 Jan 2008

Down's syndrome gene protects against cancer

Researchers in the United States say the chromosomal abnormality that affects people with Down's syndrome also protects them against cancer.

3 Jan 2008

A tipple or two a day a good thing for the over-65s

Scientists in Britain say for the over-65s one or two drinks every day may be a good thing.

3 Jan 2008

Britain's love affair with fast food makes them number one

An international survey has revealed that when it comes loving fast food it is Britain which heads the league with the United States coming a close second.

3 Jan 2008

Women who smoke at increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Here's another reason not to smoke, especially for women: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

3 Jan 2008

Polyphenols in wine may help prevent cavities

A class of chemicals in red wine grapes may significantly reduce the ability of bacteria to cause cavities, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

3 Jan 2008

Vitamin D2 is as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that vitamin D2 is equally as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.

3 Jan 2008

Testosterone therapy and mental function in healthy older men

When we think about the powers of testosterone, we usually do not consider mental processes.

3 Jan 2008

Hormone therapy in younger menopausal women

Could hormone therapy, when begun near the onset of menopause, prevent or delay the onset of atherosclerosis, more commonly called hardening of the arteries.

3 Jan 2008

Scientists find missing evolutionary link using tiny fungus crystal

The crystal structure of a molecule from a primitive fungus has served as a time machine to show researchers more about the evolution of life from the simple to the complex.

3 Jan 2008

Researchers seek to make cavity-causing bacteria self-destruct

Bacteria that eat sugar and release cavity-causing acid onto teeth may soon be made dramatically more vulnerable to their own acid.

3 Jan 2008

Effects of sleep deprivation reversed

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have shown that the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance can be reversed when the naturally occurring brain peptide, orexin-A, is administered in monkeys.

3 Jan 2008

New hope for Batten disease sufferers

Investigators at the University of Rochester Medical Center have uncovered a promising drug therapy that offers a ray of hope for children with Batten disease – a rare neurodegenerative disease that strikes seemingly healthy kids, progressively robs them of their abilities to see, reason and move, and ultimately kills them in their young twenties.

3 Jan 2008

New understanding of hydrogen peroxide's role in cell health

Hydrogen peroxide, the same mild acid that many people use to disinfectant their kitchens or treat cuts and abrasions, is also produced by the body to keep cells healthy.

3 Jan 2008