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FEV1/FVC lower limit of normal aids surgery risk stratification in COPD

Researchers say that using the lower limit of normal of the forced expiration volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity ratio improves risk stratification in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing thoracic surgery.

27 May 2015

GnRH infusion recommended for adolescent hypogonadotropic hypogonadodism

Pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone may be more effective than human chorionic gonadotropin for the treatment of peripubescent boys with hypogonadotropic hypogonadodism, say Chinese researchers.

27 May 2015

Aldosterone/renin ratio reliable diagnostic tool in infant primary hypoaldosteronism

The ratio of aldosterone to renin in plasma is a reliable indicator of primary hypoaldosteronism in newborns and infants, say researchers.

27 May 2015

Pediatric Endocrine Society publishes guidelines for persistent hypoglycaemia

The Pediatric Endocrine Society has published guidelines for the management of persistent hypoglycaemia in neonates, infants and children without diabetes.

27 May 2015

Individualised GH dosing provides cost-effective catch-up growth in ISS

Treating children with idiopathic short stature with an individualised, formula-based dose of recombinant human growth hormone induces equivalent catch-up growth to that achieved with a standard dose, show findings from a randomised trial.

27 May 2015

Addiction history indicates bipolar conversion risk from precursor disorders

Substance use and the presence of subthreshold affective symptoms may predict future bipolar disorder in young people with precursor conditions such as depression, research suggests.

27 May 2015

GOLD 2007 and 2011 fail to accurately predict mortality risk

Neither the 2007 nor the 2011 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease classification systems have sufficient prognostic accuracy to predict mortality, a pooled analysis of individual patient data shows.

27 May 2015

Mucus dehydration may contribute to chronic bronchitis

Mucus dehydration may lead to reduced mucociliary clearance and symptoms of chronic bronchitis, research suggests.

27 May 2015

Puberty timing complicates adiposity measurements

Research suggests that the timing of puberty affects the accuracy and interpretation of body mass index z-scores for judging adiposity in both girls and boys.

27 May 2015

Researchers use animal models to study how dysfunction of genes contributes to ASD risk

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects approximately two percent of people around the world. Although several genes have been linked to multiple concurring conditions of ASD, the process that explains how specific genetic variants lead to behaviors characteristic of the disorder remains elusive.

27 May 2015

New genetic models allow for comprehensive analysis of drivers for osteosarcoma

New models developed at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota reveal the genes and pathways that, when altered, can cause osteosarcoma. The information could be used to better target treatments for the often-deadly type of cancer.

27 May 2015

Six research teams awarded grant to accelerate discovery of new drugs for brain, nervous system disorders

CQDM, Brain Canada and the Ontario Brain Institute award close to $8.5M to six (6) multi-disciplinary and multi-provincial research teams across Canada to address unmet needs in neuroscience within their Focus on Brain strategic initiative. To this amount, $1.5M is added from the various research entities involved as in-kind contributions.

27 May 2015

Novel in-line blood gas analyser demonstrated in Germany at H.I.T. 2015

The Proxima sensor is a miniaturised blood gas analyser that is integrated directly into the patient’s arterial line, which also ensures blood conservation since all blood is returned to the patient...

27 May 2015

Berkeley Lab offers 'on-demand' X-rays

Consumers are now in the era of "on-demand" entertainment, in which they have access to the books, music and movies they want thanks to the internet. Likewise, scientists who use synchrotron light sources are welcoming an era of "on-demand" X-rays, in which they have access to the light beams they want thanks to a technique developed at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

27 May 2015

Quicker, more effective, and more reliable protocols for RNA extractions

Ask any molecular plant biologist about RNA extractions and you might just open up the floodgates to the woes of troubleshooting. RNA extraction is a notoriously tricky and sensitive lab procedure. New protocols out of the University of Florida are quicker, more effective, and more reliable than previous methods.

27 May 2015

Not feeling pain due to genetic mutation may not be a blessing

A rare congenital genetic mutation means that those affected do not feel pain. However, what seems, at first sight, to be a blessing, can have serious consequences. It means that injuries or diseases can go undetected for a long time. The affected gene was identified by an international research team from MedUni Vienna, the University of Munich and the University of Cambridge.

27 May 2015

Scorpion venom could kill cancer cells

When the toxin invades channels in the cells with this disease produces cellular damage until killing them.

27 May 2015

Researchers present new program to evaluate clinical relevance of genetic variants

Millions of genetic variants have been discovered over the last 25 years, but interpreting the clinical impact of the differences in a person's genome remains a major bottleneck in genomic medicine. In a paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine on May 27, a consortium including investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Partners HealthCare present ClinGen, a program to evaluate the clinical relevance of genetic variants for use in precision medicine and research.

27 May 2015

Individually rare CNVs may be negatively associated with educational attainment

Individually rare but collectively common intermediate-size copy number variations may be negatively associated with educational attainment, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA. Copy number variations (CNVs) are regions of the genome that differ in the number of segments of DNA.

27 May 2015

Carbon monoxide may actually protect the brain from damage after subarachnoid hemorrhage

Carbon monoxide is known by many as a poisonous gas that causes brain injury and other neurological symptoms, including memory loss and confusion. But a new study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests the opposite may be true: When administered in small, carefully controlled amounts, carbon monoxide may actually protect the brain from damage following subarachnoid hemorrhage, a devastating stroke that results from bleeding in the brain.

27 May 2015