Blacks are more likely to have an undiagnosed key risk factor for stroke and are more likely to have a stroke than whites, according to two studies presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010.
In two separate reports using data from the REGARDS (REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study, researchers found significant racial and geographic disparities in stroke incidence and in receiving the recommended treatment to prevent stroke.
Providence, RI – Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital have discovered how cells communicate with each other during times of cellular injury. The findings shed new light on how the body repairs itself when organs become diseased, through small particles known as microvesicles, and offers hope for tissue regeneration. The paper is published in the March 2010 edition of the journal Experimental Hematology and is now available online in advance of publication.
The natural-occurring biopolymer known as chitosan is being put forward as an effective alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics in the diet of ruminants, according to research carried out by scientists at the Basque technological centre, Neiker-Tecnalia. The presence of these antibiotics as additives in the diet of ruminants has been prohibited in the European Union since 2006, given that their use is linked to developing microbial resistance to antibiotics.
Spanish scientists have studied interactions between the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and fishing gear such as longline hooks used at the water surface, mass beachings, and the effects of climate change on these animals. In order to reduce captures of this marine species without causing economic losses for fishermen, the scientists are proposing that fishing in the summer should only be carried out by night and in areas more than 35 nautical miles from land.
With the failure of the Copenhagen summit to draft a legally binding agreement on the reduction of global CO2 emission rates, it seems almost certain that we will see further rapid changes in the global climate. So how are we going to identify and protect the planet's most vulnerable species at this time of unprecedented change?
CHICAGO --- Two to three times more pregnant women may soon be diagnosed and treated for gestational diabetes, based on new measurements for determining risky blood sugar levels for the mother and her unborn baby, according to a study that was coordinated by investigators at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Several genes affect tooth development in the first year of life, according to the findings of a study conducted at Imperial College London, the University of Bristol in the UK and the University of Oulu in Finland. The research, published February 26 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, shows that the teeth of babies with certain genetic variants tend to appear later and that these children have a lower number of teeth by age one. Additionally, those children whose teeth develop later are more likely to need orthodontic treatment.
Sticklebacks have long been a focus for behavioral biologists because of their complex courtship rituals. Only recently have they come under genetic and genomic scrutiny, and the UO has been at the forefront of such studies. Until recently, efforts focused on small numbers of traits, tracking just a few genes at a time. In a 2006 talk on campus, Cresko outlined the challenges of the research, saying that faster, cheaper DNA-analyzing tools were needed to scan entire genomes. In the audience was Eric Johnson of the UO's Institute of Molecular Biology.
A new study shows that a novel antiviral compound is effective against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, including oseltamivir (Tamiflu)-resistant strains, according to scientists from Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research, published February 26 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens, suggests that the prodrug CS-8958 is a promising alternative antiviral for prevention and treatment of H5N1 influenza.
MADISON — A novel compound is highly effective against the pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, including some drug-resistant strains, according to new research led by a University of Wisconsin-Madison virologist.
The work, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Pathogens on Feb. 26, suggests that the compound CS-8958 is a promising alternative antiviral for prevention and treatment of bird flu.
A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows mice infected with the bacteria salmonella develop clinical signs consistent with a deadly and poorly understood human inflammatory disease, a finding that may lead to new therapies.
Repeated lack of oxygen for short periods of time in a distant organ by stopping blood flow, can protect another organ (e.g. the heart), during a subsequent tissue damaging period due to oxygen deficiency. The principle can be applied before predictable oxygen deficiency during heart surgery. However, in most patients heart attacks are unpredictable.
A new study published on bmj.com today casts doubt on recent claims that a human retrovirus known as XMRV is linked to chronic fatigue syndrome or ME (myalgic encephalitis).
This is the third study to refute the original US study reporting the link.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide with disabling physical and mental fatigue that does not improve with rest. Its causes remain unclear, but many people say their illness started after a viral infection.
Decisions about which drugs to abandon to fund new treatments recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are inconsistent and may be contributing to the postcode lottery – one of the key issues that NICE was set up to tackle, warn experts on bmj.com today.
Dyfrig Hughes and Robin Ferner argue that the methods for identifying drugs that can be discontinued need to be as rigorous as those for assessing potential new treatments to ensure best use of NHS resources.
A new UN resolution has the potential to fight torture and cruelty say experts on bmj.com today.
The resolution, passed in March 2009, goes further than previous rulings, say the authors and spells out that "states must never request or require anyone, including medical or other health personnel, to commit any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".