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New study: Neonicotinoid insecticides linked to wild bee decline across England

Exposure to neonicotinoid seed treated oilseed rape crops has been linked to long-term population decline of wild bee species across the English countryside, according to research published today in Nature Communications.

Chronic pain linked to partners of people with depression

Partners of people with depression are more likely to suffer from chronic pain, research has found.

The study shows that the two conditions share common causes - some of which are genetic whilst other causes originate from the environment that partners share.

Experts say their findings shed new light on the illnesses and could one day help to develop better diagnostic tests and treatments.

Researchers led by the University of Edinburgh studied information from more than 100,000 people taking part in large nationwide health studies.

Study suggests ways to block hypertension in those with sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea - a disorder that affects nearly one out of four people between the ages of 30 and 70 - is a common cause of high blood pressure. In the Aug. 17, 2016, issue of the journal Science Signaling, researchers based primarily at the University of Chicago describe the signaling cascade that leads to this form of hypertension and suggest ways to disrupt those signals and prevent elevated blood pressures.

International Society for Burn Injuries issues new guidelines on burn care

New York, NY, August 16, 2016 - Burns can be among the most devastating of injuries. Following the formulation of practice guidelines (PGs) that addressed the care and management of burn injuries in developed countries, the International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI) has updated these recommendations to guide the improvement of care of burn patients in resource-limited settings (RLS). Published in Burns, the official journal of ISBI, these guidelines are an important step in ISBI's global effort to achieve "one world, one standard of care."

Scientists find a salty way to kill MRSA

Scientists have discovered a new way to attack Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The team, from Imperial College London, have revealed how the bacteria regulates its salt levels.

The bacteria are a common source of food poisoning and are resistant to heat and high salt concentrations, which are used for food preparation and storage. The team hope to use this knowledge to develop a treatment that prevents food poisoning by ensuring all bacteria in food are killed.

Why peeing in the pool is more than just gross (video)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2016 -- Summer would not be the same without the sweet smell of swimming pools. But behind the familiar smell is the hazard of disinfection byproducts, or DBPs. While chlorine and other disinfectants help prevent microorganisms from colonizing your pool, the cleaning products can also react with organic substances -- including urine -- to create DBPs. Learn about pool chemistry and how you can limit your exposure to DBPs in this week's Reactions video: https://youtu.be/wHIsfVffWf0.

Healthy people more at ease socializing with stocky folks, but it can hinder weight loss

People trying to shed pounds -- but who hang out with heavier pals regularly -- are more likely to lose weight if they include thinner people in their social lives, according to a study by a Baylor University researcher.

Ironically, people who want to lose weight are more likely to experience weight discrimination and feel more comfortable with people whose body mass is similar. But spending time with them may undercut success at weight loss, according to the study, published in the journal Obesity.

Tube-feeding in dementia nursing home residents drops dramatically

BOSTON--August 16, 2016-- The proportion of nursing home residents with advanced dementia and eating dependency who received feeding tubes decreased by approximately 50% between 2000 and 2014 according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Researchers from the Harvard affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research (IFAR), Brown University's Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research and University of Washington's Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence conducted the study.

NIH explores connection between Ebola survival and co-infection with malaria parasites

People infected with Ebola virus were 20 percent more likely to survive if they were co-infected with malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites, according to data collected at an Ebola diagnostic laboratory in Liberia in 2014-15. Moreover, greater numbers of Plasmodium parasites correlated with increased rates of Ebola survival, according to a dozen collaborating research groups in the new study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The survival difference was evident even after controlling for Ebola viral load and age.

Sleep apnea worsens non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese adolescents

AURORA, Colo. (Aug. 16, 2016) - Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine have published a new study showing that sleep apnea worsens non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese adolescents.

Study details sources of discrepancies between initial and final pathology reports

When should a surgeon stop cutting? The answer can depend on whether a patient's tissue does or does not contain cancer cells. This is the kind of question answered by a technique known as "intraoperative consultation by frozen section" - basically, a surgeon removes a small tissue sample, which is frozen and sent to a hospital's pathology department for lightning-fast analysis. A pathologist examines the tissue and returns an answer to the surgeon, who may base surgery decisions on the results.

Big fish -- and their pee -- are key parts of coral reef ecosystems

Coral reefs wouldn't be the same without their beautiful fish.

A diversity of colorful, beautifully patterned species lives in tandem with coral reefs around the world, having adapted their appearance, body structure and lifestyle to take refuge in the folds of spiny, spongy, slippery reefs.

Cellular snowplow keeps genes open

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A new discovery at Michigan State University has revealed how special genes stay open for business, helping diagram a mechanism that plays a key role in fighting inflammation and infections.

In the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, MSU scientists show that when immune cells encounter a bacteria, a number of genes become active. During this process, nucleosomes, which coat DNA and essentially block genes, are gone, leaving the genes open and ready to enlist in the fight against bacteria.

New enzyme-mapping advance could help drug development

Scientists at MIT and the University of São Paulo in Brazil have identified the structure of an enzyme that could be a good target for drugs combatting three diseases common in the developing world.

The enzyme, fumarate hydratase (FH) is essential for metabolic processes of parasites that are responsible for the spread of three diseases: Leishmaniases, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness. As such, understanding the enzyme's structure could help researchers figure out how to inhibit FH enzymes, thereby providing new medical therapies.

Researchers identify the secret genetic weapon of Clostridium difficile

Washington, DC - August 16, 2016 - A trio of researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health in Houston, have identified the location of the genes that control production of toxins that harm people infected by Clostridium difficile bacteria. The gene locus, agr1, forms part of a signaling communication system that produces a small molecule that, in turn, tells the rest of the population to turn on their toxin genes.