Body

It was a 3D puzzle with over 1000 pieces, with only a rather fuzzy outline as a guide. But scientists at EMBL have now put enough pieces in place to see the big picture. In a study published today in Science, they present their latest findings, bringing the nuclear pore complex into focus.

Surgery has become a volatile field during the past few years, with study after study challenging prevailing treatment practices. For example, surgical treatment of acute appendicitis and arthroscopic surgery on degenerative knees have been called into question by recent research results reached by Finnish researchers.

In neurosurgery, the evaluation of the success of treatment is challenging. Many patients undergoing surgery are either practically asymptomatic or extremely ill, meaning that the patient cannot him- or herself explain the impact of the surgery.

Americans are living longer but in poorer health, according to a new study.

The USC-led study examined life expectancy trends and disability rates in a 40-year period, from 1970 to 2010. The analysis of U.S. vital statistics found that the average total lifespan increased for men and women in those 40 years, but so did the proportion of time spent living with a disability.

The study found increased longevity is not necessarily indicative of good health. Most age groups live longer with a disability or other health problem.

Throughout our cells, materials are continuously transported via tiny packets called vesicles. This process is called intracellular trafficking and it is crucial for the normal functioning of cells.

Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have demonstrated that targeting survivin -- a protein that inhibits apoptosis or cell death -- enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cells and mouse models of retinoblastoma (Rb), the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology today published a consensus statement that establishes guidance for conducting pre-participation screenings of college athletes and encourages emergency action plans for quickly responding to sudden cardiac arrest. The statement was developed by a 29-person task force convened by the NCAA in September 2014. Task force members included multidisciplinary physician specialists and athletic trainers representing national sports and medical associations, including the American College of Cardiology.

Women are closing the education gap with men, but a global study of gender equality shows these advances are failing to bring equal access to quality jobs and government representation.

The study, which explored decades of data from more than 150 countries, finds that women have reached 91 percent of the education that men have - but only 70 percent of their rate of employment, and just 25 percent of political representation.

GENEVA, Switzerland, 15 April 2016 - The benefit of plasma genotyping to predict treatment benefit in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is confirmed in three studies presented today at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland.1 Researchers however warned that plasma tests are unlikely to fully replace tissue biopsies.

GENEVA, Switzerland, 15 April 2016 - Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expressing advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer benefit most from necitumumab added to gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy, according to a subgroup analysis from the SQUIRE trial presented today at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland.1

April 15, 2016, Barcelona, Spain: For the first time scientists have kick-started the natural process by which genetically predisposed obese mice gain weight, opening up a new potential approach to fight off obesity. The study that was presented today at The International Liver CongressTM in Barcelona, Spain suggests that impaired brown adipose tissue (BAT), otherwise known as 'brown fat', drives obesity, and by stimulating heat production in this fatty tissue, weight-management and glucose tolerance can be improved.

April 15, 2016, Barcelona, Spain: New research presented today shows that interferon alpha (IFNa) based therapies are effective in suppressing disease progression in a severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, Hepatitis delta.

April 15, 2016, Barcelona, Spain: A type 2 diabetes treatment has been found to also have 'off-label' benefits for glucose control in the liver and in fatty cells known as adipose.1 Presented at The International Liver CongressTM 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, today, the study shows that exenatide, a treatment that targets the pancreas to improve glucose absorption, enhances glucose uptake and reduces insulin resistance in the liver and in adipose tissue.

April 15, 2016, Barcelona, Spain: A new study presented today demonstrates a potential link between treatment of long-term oral nucleos(t)ide analogues and an increased risk of colorectal (p=0.029) and cervical (p=0.049) cancer in patients with chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV). The study results were presented at The International Liver CongressTM 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

"It's possible to finance the drinking water supply in the majority of countries worldwide by the year 2030," says Dr. Michael Jacob, lead author of the study from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) in Berlin. In India alone, a carbon tax would generate around 115 billion US dollars a year, "and only a fraction of that would be needed for clean water, meaning that enough money would remain for sanitation and electricity," said the researcher.

The University of Exeter Medical School has led an analysis of more than 3,000 people in Scotland who each had blood pressure measurements taken from both arms, published today in the British Journal of General Practice. Researchers say the findings show the importance of routinely measuring blood pressure in both arms.