Body
Simple, fast and flexible: It could become significantly easier to vaccinate plants against viruses in future. Scientists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) and the National Research Council in Italy (CNR) have developed a new method for this purpose. It enables the rapid identification and production of precisely tailored substances that combat different pathogens. The researchers discuss their work in the next edition of the journal "Nucleic Acids Research".
DALLAS, August 21, 2019 -- Type 2 diabetes affects the structure of the heart in heart failure patients and increases their risk for repeat hospitalizations and/or death, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
In an extensive "data mining" analysis of British medical records, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center conclude that taking even a single course of antibiotics might boost--albeit slightly--the risk of developing colon cancer--but not rectal cancer--a decade later.
A new DNA test to detect chlamydia infection in koalas which can be run in the field and gives on-the-spot results within 30 minutes has been developed in a research collaboration between researchers from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia.
Women who have heart attacks experience the same key symptoms as men, quashing one of the reasons given for women receiving unequal care. The British Heart Foundation-funded research puts into question a long-held medical myth that women tend to suffer unusual or 'atypical' heart attack symptoms, and emphasises the need for both sexes to recognise and act on the warning signs.
Doctors tell parents too late that their child is near death, suggest the results of a small survey, published online in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
National guidance is needed for doctors on how and when to give parents bad news, so that they can be properly prepared, say the researchers.
Open, accurate, and timely information about terminal illness and associated life expectancy are key tenets of high quality palliative care. But previous research suggests that doctors often find it difficult and distressing to discuss end of life issues.
In one of the largest studies of its kind, the research team, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, analysed the medical records of more than 630,000 people in the UK, including over 100,000 survivors of a range of cancers.
Some cases of the flu are so severe they cause lasting injury to the lungs. New research from the University of Pennsylvania now points to a strategy that may one day offer protection against this damage.
The implementation of a novel quality improvement toolkit has shown to enhance early detection and treatment of iron deficiency in pregnancy, according to a study led by St. Michael's Hospital.
IRON Deficiency in Pregnancy with Maternal IrOn OptiMization (IRON MOM) is a paper-based toolkit that includes clinical pathways and educational resources to guide clinicians and expectant mothers through diagnosis and management of iron deficiency.
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 13, 2019 -- Monitoring and tracking biological threats or epidemics require the ability to carry out medical and laboratory tests in the field during a disaster or other austere situations. Expensive laboratory equipment is often unavailable in these settings, so inexpensive point-of-care technology is needed.
Bottom Line: An analysis of Framingham Heart Study data examined the association of the time between quitting smoking and new cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This analysis included nearly 8,800 individuals, including 2,371 heavy smokers who smoked 20 or more pack-years, which is equal to smoking one pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years. Over an average follow-up of 26 years, 2,435 first CVD events (heart attack, stroke, heart failure or cardiovascular death) occurred in the entire group, with 1,095 among heavy smokers.
Medications currently used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) can merely reduce relapses during the initial relapsing-remitting phase. Many patients, however, develop progressive MS at a later stage, with disability becoming progressively worse. This type cannot be sufficiently treated at yet. Possible causes why an effective therapy for progressive MS is still lacking have been compiled by an international research team in a review article in the journal Nature Reviews Drug Discovery from 9 August 2019.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on the use of antibiotics in health care settings across the United States in 2018 tell us that while progress has been made to promote appropriate use of infection-fighting drugs, strengthened and continued efforts and greater resources are needed to protect some of the most valuable medicines we have and prevent the accelerating development of illness-causing bacteria that are resistant to treatment.
Philadelphia, August 20, 2019 - Sepsis, a complex systemic response to infection leading to organ failure, is generally studied at the level of individual organs; this research has hinted at altered metabolic changes.
Spending on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine by Americans reached nearly $150 billion in 2016, with a large proportion of spending coming from the small share of people who use drugs on a daily or near-daily basis, according to a new RAND Corporation report.
Researchers estimate that from 2006 to 2016, the total amount of money spent by Americans on these four drugs fluctuated between $120 billion and $145 billion each year. By contrast, a different analysis finds that spending on alcohol in the U.S. was estimated to be $158 billion in 2017.