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Study finds creating unique health ID numbers would improve health care quality, efficiency

Creating a unique patient identification number for every person in the United States would facilitate a reduction in medical errors, simplify the use of electronic medical records, increase overall efficiency and help protect patient privacy, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Although creating such an identification system could cost as much as $11 billion, the effort would likely return even more in benefits to the nation's health care system, according to researchers from RAND Health.

Respiratory rhythms can help predict insomnia

The breathing and heart rates and cortisol levels of women with metastatic breast cancer can be used to predict if they'll suffer from chronic insomnia and sleep disruptions, a common complaint from patients who want to maintain their quality of life, according to a study by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

McMaster University unveils world's most advanced microscope

Hamilton, ON. Oct. 20, 2008 – The most advanced and powerful electron microscope on the planet—capable of unprecedented resolution—has been installed in the new Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster University.

Getting to grips with the complexity of disease proteins

Drug molecules seldom act simply on one protein but on protein complexes and networks. A deeper understanding of these 'cooperative assemblies' should lead to better targeting of drugs

New research into how proteins in human cells interact and 'talk' to each other is leading to a better understanding of how drug molecules work and should result in more effective therapies, according to a leading European scientist.

Hypertension disparity linked to environment

Social environment may play a greater role in the disparity between the numbers of African Americans living with hypertension compared to non-Hispanic whites with the disease. A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the disparity was substantially reduced when comparing groups of African Americans and non-Hispanic whites living in similar social environments. The results are published in the November 2008 print edition of Social Science and Medicine.

T cell response to new melanoma antigen linked to relapse-free survival

Melanoma patients infused with a special type of tumor-fighting T cell are more likely to survive without relapse, suggests a new study by researchers in France. Their report will be published online on October 20 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

A potential new way to make a good anti-leukemia drug even better

A recently identified cancer-causing protein makes the anti-leukemia drug imatinib, less effective. By blocking the protein, an international team of researchers was able to slow the spread of leukemia cells in culture. The study, which will appear online on October 20 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests that the most effective treatment for leukemia may rely on a combination of targeted drugs, rather than a single miracle drug.

Blue bananas

Ripe bananas are of course yellow. However, under black light, the yellow bananas are bright blue, as discovered by scientists at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and Columbia University (New York, USA). The team, headed by Bernhard Kräutler, reports in the journal Angewandte Chemie that the blue glow is connected to the degradation of chlorophyll that occurs during ripening. In this process, colorless but fluorescing breakdown products of chlorophyll are concentrated in the banana peel.

Contact lenses are home to pathogenic amoebae

Contact lenses increase the risk of infection with pathogenic protozoa that can cause blindness. New research, published in the November issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology, shows that a high percentage of contact lens cases in Tenerife are contaminated with Acanthamoeba that cannot be killed by normal contact lens solution.

Ruthenium in a clinch

Orange appeal to clean up dirty water

Highly colored industrial waste water is a serious environmental problem as it seriously discolors waterways as well as blocking sunlight for photosynthesizing plant species in the water. Now, researchers in Algeria have discovered that nothing more sophisticated than orange peel could be used to remove acidic dyes from industrial effluent. They describe their findings in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Environment and Pollution.

Knocking the 'sox' off cancer and lymphatic disorders

Researchers have identified a gene critical for the development of the lymphatic system in a discovery that will have implications for treatment of cancer and lymphatic disorders and other diseases.

The team, led by Professor Peter Koopman and Dr Mathias François from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland (UQ), found that a single gene - Sox18 - triggers the development of the lymphatic vessels.

Educational materials can alter young women's attitudes about tanning, may reduce skin cancer

A new study indicates that educational literature can influence young women's use of indoor tanning, not by raising their fear of skin cancer but by changing their attitudes about indoor tanning and promoting healthier alternatives for changing appearance. The study is published in the December 1, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Socioeconomic and treatment factors affect non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients' survival

Socioeconomic factors and the type of treatment received have an impact on a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patient's risk of dying. That is the finding of a new study published in the December 1, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study reveals that poorer socioeconomic status increases a patient's risk of dying, while receiving chemotherapy reduces the risk.

Increased rate of hemangiomas linked to rise in number of low birth weight infants in US

Low birth weight is the most significant factor for the development of infantile hemangiomas, a common birthmark, according to a new study by researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Research Institute.

The study, led by Beth Drolet, M.D., professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the Medical College and medical director of pediatric dermatology and birthmarks and vascular anomalies clinic at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, is published in the November 2008 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.