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Mechanisms of evolution may be associated with disease

By comparing the human genome with that of the chimpanzee, man's closest living relative, researchers have discovered that chunks of similar DNA that have been flipped in orientation and reinserted into chromosomes are hundreds of times more common in primates than previously thought.

26 Oct 2005

Kids with asthma may also be at risk for psychological problems such as depression

This study, recently published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, is one of the first to examine relationships among asthma, anxiety and depression, and several aspects of social functioning in urban children.

26 Oct 2005

Doctors call for urgent review of UK cancer initiative

Hospital doctors are calling for an urgent review of the UK Government’s two-week cancer wait, saying there’s no evidence that the initiative has had any impact on survival rates.

26 Oct 2005

Bird flu in Germany - Britain and Europe ban all bird imports

Following the discovery of signs of the bird flu virus in two dead migratory birds at a lake in Neuwied, Germany, a ban is shortly to be imposed on the import of all captive birds from around the world plus a ban on all bird fairs, exhibitions and shows, to protect Britain and Europe from the deadly avian flu virus.

26 Oct 2005

State budget cuts lead to decline in care by private practice physicians

In a study of access to specialty healthcare by the uninsured and publicly insured in New Haven, Yale researchers found that recent state budget cuts, out-of-date provider rates and other policy changes had caused a decline in care by private practice physicians.

25 Oct 2005

Scientists find key step in a signaling pathway that helps orchestrate embryonic development

The study, reported in Nature (Oct. 13, 2005), focuses on the Hedgehog family of signaling molecules, which play a central role in directing development of the early embryo's growth and spatial plan, as well as its later organ and limb development. Defects in Hedgehog signaling are a significant cause of some birth defects and cancers.

25 Oct 2005

Study provides insight into cellular defenses against genetic mutation

With their latest discovery, researchers have significantly advanced the understanding of how human cells protect themselves from constant and potentially destructive changes in gene expression.

25 Oct 2005

Australian researchers determine structure of JAK2 kinase, huge implications for development of new cancer drugs

Researchers from Monash's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology have determined the structure of the protein JAK2 kinase, a discovery with huge implications for the design and development of new cancer drugs.

25 Oct 2005

Common anthrax sampling methods need improvement

A research team from the National Nuclear Security Administration's Sandia National Laboratories has discovered that common anthrax sampling methods need improvement. The research shows that more deadly spores remain after decontamination than previously believed.

25 Oct 2005

Most communities woefully unprepared for outbreaks of killer flu

If health officials and media prognosticators are accurate, this coming winter may bring with it one of the most sweeping, deadly outbreaks of killer flu that the world has ever seen.

25 Oct 2005

Gold nanorods injected into the bloodstream may be used to develop an advanced medical imaging tool

Researchers at Purdue University have taken a step toward developing a new type of ultra-sensitive medical imaging technique that works by shining a laser through the skin to detect tiny gold nanorods injected into the bloodstream.

25 Oct 2005

Preventing pneumonia in children helps prevent pneumonia in older adults

The incidence of pneumonia among older adults has decreased substantially, linked to the introduction of a pneumonia vaccine for children in 2000, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Oct 2005

Supplemental oxygen during colorectal surgery reduces risk of wound infection

Patients who received a higher concentration of supplemental oxygen during colorectal surgery had a significantly reduced risk of wound infection, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Oct 2005

Two competing drug-eluting stents work equally well

After completing the most comprehensive U.S.-based study of its kind, Dr. Charles Simonton reported that the performance of two competing coronary stents was "virtually identical" in head-to-head comparisons.

25 Oct 2005

Middle-age people more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine

"Midlife adults entered adulthood at a time of more widespread use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the population and when public health policy was shifting attention toward individual responsibility for health and health promotion," said Joseph G. Grzywacz, Ph.D., and his colleagues, writing in the October issue of the Journal of Aging and Health.

25 Oct 2005

Measurement of telomerase activity in urine appears useful for detection of bladder cancer in men

The incidence of human bladder cancer has greatly increased over the last few decades, with more than 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States alone, and now represents the 4th most common malignancy in men and the 10th most common in women, according to background information in the article.

25 Oct 2005

Little evidence exists to support the widespread use of bronchodilators to treat children and adults with cystic fibrosis

"Recurrent wheeze and breathlessness are common in people with cystic fibrosis, and bronchodilators are commonly prescribed," according to lead author Clare Halfhide, M.D., of the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital in England. "Despite their wide-scale and often long-term use, there is limited objective evidence about their efficacy in cystic fibrosis."

25 Oct 2005

Lawyers' salaries in private sector impact whether drug cases go to trial

Assistant U.S. attorneys in districts with high private salaries are more likely to take a drug-trafficking case to trial than are assistant attorneys in districts with low private salaries, according to a study by economists at Rice University and Colgate University that is published in the October issue of the Journal of Law and Economics.

25 Oct 2005

New strategies to help developing countries address neglected diseases

For the health challenges facing developing countries, the numbers alone are staggering. Every day, 40,000 people - enough to fill a sports stadium - die from preventable infectious diseases and malnutrition. Entire generations of human potential are perishing.

25 Oct 2005

Growth hormone illegal for off-label anti-aging use

Because of 1988 and 1990 amendments to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, off-label distribution or provision of human growth hormone to treat aging or age-associated illnesses is illegal in the United States, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Oct 2005