Body

The double blind, randomised, placebo controlled feasibility RUTI trial, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), is now underway in the primary care setting, where patients recruited to the trial via their GPs will be offered one of two treatment paths.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections are associated with high mortality, primarily due to delays in administration of effective treatment and the limited availability of effective treatment options. New antibiotics capable of replacing carbapenems, a last-line group of antibiotics used to treat patients infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria, are not likely to become available in the near future. Furthermore, CRE are adapted to spread in healthcare settings as well as in the community.

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - The biennial Asia Pacific Lung Cancer Conference (APLCC 2016) was successfully organized in Chiang Mai, Thailand (13-15 May 2016) by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), Thai Society of Clinical Oncology (TSCO), Chiang Mai Lung Cancer Group and Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University (CMU). More than 870 participants from 26 countries with a wide range of expertise spanning prevention, treatment, research, and care and support fields actively participated in this regional meeting.

HANOVER, N.H. - Dartmouth College researchers are shedding light on the early chemical reactions in the organic sediments that would ultimately become the Marcellus Shale, a major source of natural gas and petroleum.

As the 69th World Health Assembly discusses progress on the Global Vaccine Action Plan, a new data visualization platform--from the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH)--provides stark numbers on where shortfalls exist in vaccine introduction and cov

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A study shows which psychological characteristics of some new mothers may affect how they use Facebook to show off their baby.

The study looked at a specific group of moms - highly educated, mostly married Midwestern women who had full-time jobs - and found that those who felt societal pressure to be perfect moms and who identified most strongly with their motherhood role posted more frequently than others to Facebook.

Unlike the declining populations of many fish species, the number of cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish and squid) has increased in the world's oceans over the past 60 years, a University of Adelaide study has found.

The international team, led by researchers from the University's Environment Institute, compiled a global database of cephalopod catch rates to investigate long-term trends in abundance, published in Cell Press journal Current Biology.

Men with blood cells that do not carry the Y chromosome are at greater risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and this is in addition to an increased risk of death from other causes, including many cancers, the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics will hear today (Tuesday). The paper is published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics*. The loss of the Y chromosome, or LOY, is known to affect up to 20% of men who are aged over 80, and is the most common genetic mutation acquired during a man's lifetime.

Barcelona, Spain: Cardiomyopathy, or a deterioration of the ability of the heart muscle to contract, generally leads to progressive heart failure. It is frequently inherited, and, because approximately 40% of children born with it are likely to die within five years of diagnosis, being able to identify its genetic basis is particularly important. Now, an international team of researchers has identified a new disease gene which is implicated in the development of severe paediatric cardiomyopathies. The gene is probably also involved in a milder, adult-onset form of the condition.

High arginine levels are often observed in asthmatic individuals and may support increased production of nitric oxide, which is known to worsen airway inflammation. Medications that reduce arginine availability do not effectively treat asthma, suggesting that other aspects of this condition are linked to elevated arginine metabolism. In this month's issue of the JCI, research led by Serpil Erzurum at the Cleveland Clinic indicates that increased arginine levels in asthmatic individuals may support metabolic pathways that counteract airway inflammation.

Boston, MA -- Women with elevated levels of common types of flame retardant chemicals in their blood may be at a higher risk for thyroid disease--and the risk may be significantly higher among post-menopausal women, according to a new study from researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Synthetic proteins based on those found in a variety of squid species' ring teeth may lead the way to self-healing polymers carefully constructed for specific toughness and stretchability that might have applications in textiles, cosmetics and medicine, according to Penn State researchers.

"We looked at what is common among squid teeth proteins for all species of squid we studied," said Abdon Pena-Francesch, graduate student in engineering science and mechanics. "We observed which properties changed dramatically for each set of proteins."

Men with blood cells that do not carry the Y chromosome are at greater risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This is in addition to an increased risk of death from other causes, including many cancers. These new findings by researchers at Uppsala University could lead to a simple test to identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The results are presented today in American Journal of Human Genetics.

Tuna fishers who network with their competition may be able to stop thousands of sharks a year from being accidentally captured and killed in the Pacific Ocean.

Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University and the University of Hawaii found if fishers communicated more with their rivals, it could lead to more sustainable fishing practices.

"Forty-six thousand sharks could have been saved if information about avoiding sharks was shared freely between fishing groups," says lead author Michele Barnes.

A new study, the largest of its kind, has systematically examined International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies over the past three decades. It found that--despite claims to have reformed their practices following the global financial crisis--the IMF has in fact ramped up the number of conditions imposed on borrower nations to pre-crisis levels.