Biology and Medicine

Mayo Clinic IDs immune system glitch tied to fourfold higher likelihood of death

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:00:00 +0000

(Mayo Clinic) Mayo Clinic researchers have identified an immune system deficiency whose presence shows someone is up to four times likelier to die than a person without it. The glitch involves an antibody molecule called a free light chain; people whose immune systems produce too much of the molecule are far more likely to die of a life-threatening illness such as cancer, diabetes and cardiac and respiratory disease than those whose bodies make normal levels.

Excessive endurance training can be too much of a good thing, research suggests

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:00:00 +0000

(Elsevier Health Sciences) Recent research suggests that chronic training for, and competing in, extreme endurance exercise such as marathons, iron man distance triathlons, and very long distance bicycle races may cause structural changes to the heart and large arteries, leading to myocardial injury. A study in the June issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings reviews the literature and outlines in detail for the first time the mechanisms, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations of cardiovascular injury from excessive endurance exercise.

Antidepressant helps relieve pain from chemotherapy, study finds

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:00:00 +0000

(University of Michigan Health System) The antidepressant drug duloxetine, known commercially as Cymbalta, helped relieve painful tingling feelings caused by chemotherapy in 59 percent of patients, a new study finds. This is the first clinical trial to find an effective treatment for this pain.

N.Y. prison inmates overuse and misuse antibiotic ointments, study says

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:00:00 +0000

(Association for Professionals in Infection Control) Prisoners need education on the appropriate use of topical antibiotic products, according to a study released today at the 39th Annual Educational Conference and International Meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Rehospitalizations after surgical site infections add $10-65 million to health-care costs

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:00:00 +0000

(Association for Professionals in Infection Control) Preventing further complications in patients who develop infections after surgery to replace a knee or hip could save the US health-care system as much as $65 million annually, according to an analysis presented today at the 39th Annual Educational Conference and International Meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Future medical conditions predicted with new statistical model

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:00:00 +0000

(University of Washington) Analyzing medical records from thousands of patients, statisticians have devised a statistical model for predicting what other medical problems a patient might encounter.

Keeping up with embryogenesis: New microscope lets users track individual cells as they move, divide

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:31:01 +0000

(Medical Xpress) -- The transformation of a fertilized egg into a functioning animal requires thousands of cell divisions and intricate rearrangements of those cells. That process is captured with unprecedented speed and precision by a new imaging technology developed at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Farm Research Campus, which lets users track each cell in an embryo as it takes shape over hours or days.

Larger refuges needed to sustain success of transgenic corn

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 20:00:01 +0000

Transgenic crops that produce insect-killing proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have reduced reliance on insecticide sprays since 1996. Yet, just as insects become resistant to conventional insecticides, they also can evolve resistance to the Bt proteins in transgenic crops. Thus, to delay pest resistance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required farmers to plant "refuges" of crops that do not produce Bt proteins near Bt crops. But how much refuge acreage is enough?

Researchers complete most comprehensive genetic analysis yet of corn

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:00:09 +0000

An interdisciplinary team, led by researchers at Cornell University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), today published the most comprehensive analysis to date of the corn genome.

Maize diversity discoveries may help ease world’s hunger pangs

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:00:08 +0000

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, report that ancient farmers had a stronger impact on the evolution of maize, or corn, than modern plant breeders have had on the grain — now one of the world's top production crops.

Mediterranean Diet Good For Mental And Physical Health

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of Spain, Southern France, Italy, Greece, and parts of the Middle East, the Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower mortality rate, and reduced chance of developing chronic illness. Now, researchers state that is its also beneficial for mental and physical health too. The diet is characterized by the consumption of fish, olive oil, nuts, pulses, vegetables, and fruit. In order to determine how much the Mediterranean diet impacts quality of life, researchers examined over 11,000 university students over a period of four years...

Pioglitazone Raises Bladder Cancer Risk In Diabetes Patients

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Patients with type 2 diabetes who take medication pioglitazone have a higher risk of incident bladder cancer than diabetes patients who do not, researchers from McGill University, Canada, reported in the BMJ. The authors added that bladder cancer risk was also linked to pioglitazone usage duration and dosage. The team set out to find out whether pioglitazone usage might raise the risk of incident bladder cancer among type 2 diabetes patients. They conducted a retrospective cohort study and used a nested case-control analysis...

New Process Gives Antibacterial Coating To Stainless Steel