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Paving Way For Diagnostic Device, Researchers Attach Lyme Disease Antibodies to Nanotubes

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Nearly one quarter of Lyme disease patients are initially misdiagnosed because currently available serological tests have poor sensitivity and specificity during the early stages of infection. Early diagnosis is critical in treating Lyme disease. Misdiagnosed patients may go untreated and thus progress to late-stage Lyme disease, where they face longer and more invasive treatments, as well as persistent symptoms. Existing tests assess the presence of ...

Increased Risk of HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Due to Unclean Dentists

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Failure to sterilize equipments put more than 7,000 dental patients at the risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases. Officials do not yet know if any patients were infected but urged everyone who had ever been treated at the Tulsa oral surgery practice to be tested at a free clinic. "We do not know how long these improper practices have been occurring, so we recommend that all patients of Dr. (Scott) Harrington's be tested for Hepatitis ...

New 'Two Child Policy' in China

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Despite the strict rules in China , a few places allow parents to have more than one offspring. "If you have too many kids then it becomes difficult," said Lu Xiuyan, a 42-year-old restaurant manager in Jiashan, a dusty village of low-slung buildings a few hours north-east of Beijing, who has one son. "But if you have fewer kids, you have less of a burden and you'll be a little better off." The national one-child policy was imposed more than ...

'Leech Therapy' Comes Back to India

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Hollywood actress Demi Moore's 'leech therapy' had hit the headlines a few years ago. This ancient medical therapy of using leeches for clinical bloodletting to treat certain health conditions is making a comeback of sorts in India where the therapy is said to have originated. Leeches (or Hirudo Medicinalis) are segmented worms from the Annelida family with suckers at the ends of their body. A leech can consume between 5 and 15 ml of blood - or four-six times ...

Patients With Swallowing Difficulties Could be More Effectively Tested

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Patients who are suffering from swallowing difficulties, especially stroke patients, could be evaluated more efficiently and noninvasively. Thanks to research under way at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Toronto. Ervin Sejdic, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, is developing a small sensor that's externally placed on the neck near the thyroid and records how a person ...

Drink Boiled Greek Coffee and Live Long

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Do you wish to improve your cardiovascular health and live a long life? Sip a cup of Greek coffee! The caffeine present in the Greek coffee is the key to a healthy and long life. Records show that merely 0.1 percent of Europeans lived to the age of 90 years and more while 1 percent of inhabitants of Ikaria lived for more than 90 years of age. The scientists were amazed to see these records and tried to find out the reason behind the islander's ...

Self Management Interventions for Diabetic Patients Have Limited Benefits

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A new review of computer and mobile phone self-management interventions for diabetic patients revealed limited benefits. Although computer and mobile phone-based self-management programmes had small positive effects on blood sugar levels, these effects seemed to be short-lived. 347 million adults worldwide live with diabetes and are at higher risk of heart disease and serious complications such as heart attacks and stroke because of their condition. There is some ...

The World Must Push to Eradicate Polio: Bill Gates

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Bill Gates stressed on the importance of complete eradication of polio on Tuesday. Gates, speaking in an interview with AFP during a visit to Ghana, fended off criticism from those who have argued that the effort and money could be better spent on other causes, arguing forcefully against a reversal of course. The number of worldwide polio infections was down to 223 in 2012 compared to 360,000 in 1988, when the United Nations launched a campaign to eliminate ...

Important Properties of Influenza Vaccines Now Revealed

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An important mechanism for stimulating the protective immune response following seasonal flu vaccinations, is now clearly identified by scientists. While seasonal influenza vaccines protect 60 to 90 percent of healthy adults from "the flu," the mechanisms providing that protection are still not well understood. The study led by Octavio Ramilo, MD, chief of Infectious Diseases and an investigator in the Center for Vaccines and Immunity at Nationwide Children's ...

Educational Intervention Can Promote Healthful Fish Consumption in Pregnancy

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Nutritionists recommend pregnant mothers to consume fish, a rich source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as it helps in providing nutrients important for optimal brain development. There however existed a concern whether this would lead to excess intake of mercury which is toxic to nerves. A recent research demonstrate that it is possible to promote consumption of fish that is low in mercury and high in DHA among pregnant women. Fish and other seafood contain many ...

Farber disease

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Farber disease is a genetic disease characterised by the deficiency of ceramidase. It has no specific treatment.

Brain's 'Molecular Memory Switch' Discovered

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Key molecule responsible triggering the chemical processes in human brain has been identified by scientists. The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Neural Circuits, reveal a new target for therapeutic interventions to reverse the devastating effects of memory loss. The BBSRC-funded research, led by scientists at the University of Bristol, aimed to better understand the mechanisms that enable us to form memories by studying the molecular changes in ...

Heart Failure Medications Highly Cost-effective: Study

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Medications used to treat heart failure are highly cost effective in saving lives and may also provide savings to the health care system. Heart failure, a chronic, progressive disease, affects millions of individuals and results in considerable morbidity, the use of extensive health care resources, and substantial costs. Currently published online, the study will also appear in the April 2 print issue of the iJournal of the American College ...

Gum Disease in Men May Lead to Erectile Dysfunction

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A recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine has revealed that men with severe gum disease are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction, inability to get or maintain erection. Researchers from Inonu University analyzed 80 men with erectile dysfunction and 82 men without any dysfunction. The participants aged between 30 and 40 years old. It was found that nearly 53% of the participants with erectile dysfunction suffered from gum disease. Scientists ...

New Synthetic Vaccines Developed to Treat Foot and Mouth Disease

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In a recent breakthrough in the field of vaccination, scientists have developed a synthetic vaccine using particle accelerator to treat foot and mouth disease in cattle. The new vaccine uses empty protein shell of the virus, which induces immunity in the animal against the virus. Early trials have produced remarkable results and have the same efficiency as the vaccine formed with live virus. Moreover, it is convenient to store without costly storage equipments. ...

Multiple Sclerosis Drug, Techfidera, from Biogen Has Been Approved by FDA

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FDA has given its green signal for the new drug, Techfidera from Biogen, to treat multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder causing difficulty in walking, vision and thinking, and has affected more than two million people worldwide. Dimethyl fumarate is the chemical name of the drug and it is the compound previously used in Europe to protect shoes and sofas from moulds. But following reports of skin allergy the chemical was banned in Europe. ...

Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy Associated With Various Health Complications

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A recent study published in the British Medical Journal points to the link between vitamin D deficiency and pregnancy complication. The research was based on 31 previous studies each of which has assessed the influence of low vitamin D levels in the blood during pregnancy on various health problems. Different studies had revealed an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and vaginal infection in the mother. These complications ...

Researchers Found a New Way to Treat Waste-water

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In the treatment of pollutants ranging from acid mine drainage to oil-containing wastewater, a newly developed membrane used to separate waste from water could become key. This could be used as well as in processes ranging from desalination to kidney dialysis. The research was published in iScientific Reports/i (Nature Publishing Group) on Friday, 22 March, coinciding with World Water Day and falling within South Africa's National Water Week. The ...

Wish List of a Terminally Ill 14-Year-Old

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A teenager suffering terminal bone cancer is living her last few days by making many of her wishes come true. She has made a list of the things she wishes to do before her death. Katelyn Norman, of LaFollette, Tenn., is a 14-year-old girl who has been battling bone cancer for two years. Doctors informed her recently that she cannot survive the disease as the cancer has spread to her heart and spine. When the world would have expected her to give up and ...

Quitting Marshmallow Test can be a Rational Decision: Penn Researchers

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As a marker of self control and even as a predictor of future success, a psychological experiment known as "the marshmallow test" has captured the public's imagination. This test shows how well children can delay gratification, a trait that has been shown to be as important to scholastic performance as traditional IQ. New research from University of Pennsylvania psychologists suggests, however, that changing one's mind about delaying gratification can be a rational ...

Certified Stroke Centers More Likely to Give Clot-busting Drugs: Study

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According to a study in the iJournal of the American Heart Association/i, stroke patients are three times more likely to receive clot-busting medication if treated at a certified stroke center. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency treatment for people who have ischemic (clot-caused) stroke. The drug can reduce stroke disability."The stroke center concept has rapidly taken ...

Sexual Agreements Among Gay Couples Show Promise for HIV Prevention: Study

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According to a University of Michigan study, the majority of gay men in relationships say they establish a "sexual agreement" with their partner, primarily to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Sexual agreements show promise for HIV prevention, but the down side is that only 57 percent of couples actually concur that they have agreements, says Jason Mitchell, assistant professor at the U-M School of Nursing. Further, among nearly ...

Same-sex Parents are Judged More Harshly Than Heterosexual Parents Suggests A New Study

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Do gay parents hold double standards? A new study suggests that gay parents are being judged more harshly than straight parents. The study was published this month by a Binghamton University research team. Members of Binghamton University's Interdisciplinary Research Group for the Study of Sexuality and Gender conducted a study of people's reactions to the parenting behaviors of gay and straight parents. Their results showed a clear pattern of negative reactions ...

Researchers Are Exploring the Cause of Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy

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Dravet syndrome (DS) is a form of infantile-onset, treatment-resistant epilepsy. It is caused by a mutation in the gene encoding a voltage-gated sodium channel, SCN1A. DS patients have a 30-fold increased risk of dying from sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) compared to patients with other forms of pediatric-onset epilepsy. In this issue of the iJournal of Clinical Investigation/i, Franck Kalume and colleagues at the University of Washington characterized ...

In Bulgaria Italian-style Coffee Philanthropy Takes Hold

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Don't worry if you can't afford coffee. An old Italian tradition that sees good souls buying hot drinks for those who struggle to make ends meet has taken hold after weeks of tensions over deepening poverty in Bulgaria. More than 150 cafes across Bulgaria have joined a goodwill initiative modelled on the Italian "caffe sospeso" tradition, which literally means "suspended coffee", according to a Facebook page devoted to the movement. The tradition -- ...

Scientists Decode Biology of Blood and Iron Disorders

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At Weill Cornell Medical College, two studies led by investigators shed light on the molecular biology of three blood disorders, leading to novel strategies to treat these diseases. The two new studies -- one published online March 17 by iNature Medicine/i and the other March 25 in the online edition of the iJournal of Clinical Investigation/i -- propose two new treatments for beta-thalassemia, a blood disorder which affects thousands of people globally ...

Scientists: Marine Bacteria Could Soon be Acting as Microscopic 'Bio-batteries'

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The power-generating mechanism used by well-known marine bacteria was identified by a team of scientists from the UK and the US. University of East Anglia collaborated with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington on the research project. Dr Tom Clarke, a lecturer at the school of biological sciences at the UEA, who led the research, told the BBC that the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis had been seen influencing levels of minerals in ...

Scientists Claim Listening to Bee's Buzz can Help Detect Diseases

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Scientists have claimed that eavesdropping on the buzzing of honey bees in their hives can reveal whether they are suffering from disease. Researchers have found that they can detect subtle changes in the vibrations honey bees use to communicate with each other that indicate how healthy the insects are, the Telegraph reported. Growing levels of disease, including a deadly parasite known as verroa mite, have taken a devastating toll on honey bee colonies, ...

Neurobiologists Explain How Long-term Memory is Saved in Our Brains

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A novel molecular mechanism that helps trigger the formation of long-term memory was found by neurobiologists. The researchers believe that the discovery of this mechanism adds another piece to the puzzle in the ongoing effort to uncover the mysteries of memory and, potentially, certain intellectual disabilities. In a study led by Marcelo Wood of UC Irvine's Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, the team investigated the role of this mechanism ...

Light Shed on Early Language Development Among Infants By New Study

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Could infants' ability to learn new words be shaped by the particular language being acquired? Researchers are looking into the subject matter. A new Northwestern University study cites a promising new research agenda aimed at bringing researchers closer to discovering the impact of different languages on early language and cognitive development. For decades, researchers have asked why infants learn new nouns more rapidly and more easily than new verbs. ...

Experts Have Produced The First Step-by-step Guide to Deal With Dementia

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A step-by-step guide for patients to living with dementia was produced by experts at Alzheimer's Society. They said that tens of thousands of Alzheimer's sufferers are being placed into care far too early and instead should be cared for at home, the Daily Express reported. Research showed that the vast majority of the ones who are suffering with the condition want to stay in the comfort of a loving home environment for as long as possible. But ...

Report: You Don't 'Own' Your Own Genes

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Humans don't "own" their own genes. Genes are the cellular chemicals that define who they are and what diseases they might be at risk for. Two researchers who analyzed the patents on human DNA report that through more than 40,000 patents on DNA molecules, companies have essentially claimed the entire human genome for profit. Their study, published March 25 in the journal iGenome Medicine/i, raises an alarm about the loss of individual "genomic liberty." In ...

Reverse Cholesterol Transport: A Cholesterol Removal System

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A process in which accumulated cholesterol is removed from tissues is called reverse cholesterol transport, including the artery wall and transported back to the liver for excretion. Little is known about how cholesterol is removed from peripheral tissues, but a better understanding of these mechanisms could help in the development of therapies that treat atherosclerosis and other cholesterol-related disorders. In this issue of the iJournal of Clinical Investigation/i, ...

Research Probes How Pancreatic Cancers Metastasize

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Researchers have discovered that a protein found in the cells surrounding pancreatic cancers play a role in the spread of the disease to other parts of the body. In a finding to be published in the March 25 issue of iOncogene/i, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that the protein palladin enhances the ability of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to assemble organelles known as invadopodia to break down the barriers between ...

Researchers Reveal Animal-to-human Transmission of Bacterial Pathogens

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To reveal if drug-resistant bacteria are transmitted from animals to humans in two disease outbreaks that occurred on different farms in Denmark, researchers have used whole genome sequencing. The results, which are published today in iEMBO Molecular Medicine/i, confirm animal-to-human transmission of methicillin-resistant iStaphylococcus aureus/i (MRSA), a disease-causing bacterium that carries the recently described mecC gene. The mecC gene is responsible ...

Bigorexia: Higher Notion of Self-Perceived Masculinity

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A new study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders reveals that people who suffer from muscle dysmorphia, popularly called bigorexia, have a higher notion of self perceived masculinity compared to other men who are regular gym visitors. The study was conducted by researchers at University of Sydney and the Australian National University who asked a group of men to fill out a questionnaire and found that those who suffered from anorexia nervosa related more strongly ...

Baby Girl With Organs Outside the Body Functioning Well

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A nine-month old, who was given just a 25 percent chance to live after doctors found that her organs were inside-out, is now functioning and alive with the help of cling film which the doctors used to protect the organs and keep them moist. Amanda Smith, 29, was told that she should consider aborting her unborn child after a 11-week scan found the presence of a rare abdominal weakness. The child, Piper Smith, was both after 35 weeks with fully functioning ...

Cough Syrup Ingredient may Help Down's Syndrome Patients Improve Language Skills

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Researchers at Monash University in Australia have found that an ingredient in cough syrup can help patients with Down's syndrome improve their language skills. Down's syndrome patients often have low conductivity of the nerves in the brain and researchers found that the ingredient, known as BTD-001, improves the conductivity. The ingredient is already being used in treating people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. "The investigation first ...

Researchers Reveal Role of Fat Busting Bacteria in Gastric Bypass Surgery Outcomes

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A new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine suggests that the benefits of a gastric bypass surgery can be obtained without the need to go under the knife after researchers found that one of the reasons why a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery works was due to a change in the mix of bacteria in our bellies. Co-author of the study, Dr Lee Kaplan, from the Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that doctors ...

Vitamin D Supplements can Help Regulate Blood Sugar Levels in Obese Kids

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A new study conducted by researchers at University of Missouri reveals that giving vitamin D supplements to obese children and teens can help them fight against diabetes by regulating their blood sugar levels. The researchers conducted their study on a group of 35 obese children and adolescents who were pre-diabetic, at a high risk of developing diabetes, and found that all of them had lower amounts of vitamin D levels with similar diets and similar activity levels. ...

Protein That Plays Important Role in Recovery of Nerves After Injury Identified

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A key protein present in the Schwann cells plays an important role in regulating the recovery of peripheral nerves after injury, according to a new study led by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The discovery has implications for improving the treatment of neuropathic pain, a complex and largely mysterious form of chronic pain that afflicts over 100 million Americans. The findings are published in the March 27, 2013 issue of ...

Life Expectancy Remains Unchanged in Russia Since Break-Up of Soviet Union

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A new report published in The Lancet reveals that while life expectancy has risen in former eastern-bloc allies, it continues to remain unchanged in Russia since the days of Soviet Union. Alcohol, tobacco and road accidents head a list of problems that lie behind premature death in the former Communist eastern Europe but remain chronic in many of the ex-Soviet republics, it said. In Russia, male life expectancy at birth was 63 years in 1990, but fell ...

Dietary Recommendations on Cancer Institution Websites are Not Consistent

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Following a new study that found online dietary recommendations for cancer patients, even if they are published on an institution's website, are inconsistent, radiation oncologists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have called for evidence-based, standardized guidelines. A review of all 21 of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) member institutions found that only four provided nutritional guidelines, with seven linking to external sites. What''s ...

Two in Five Newborns in Europe Born Outside Wedlock

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Two in five newborn babies in Europe are born outside marriage, a rate which has doubled over the last two decades, with Estonia, France and Slovenia being home to the highest number (nearly 60 percent) of babies born outside wedlock. Across Europe, the percentage soared from 17.4 percent in 1990 to 39.5 percent in 2011, said the European Union's statistics agency Eurostat. But in Estonia the figure was 59.7 percent in 2011, followed by Slovenia at 56.8 ...

Gay Marriage Fight in the US Reaches Supreme Court

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Even as judges continue to hear arguments inside the United States Supreme Court for and against allowing same-sex marriage, two different crowds are brushing up against each other as they seek to make their voice heard before a decision is taken. The bigger crowd, numbering a few thousand, rallied boisterously in support of marriage equality, turning up in colorful, placard-waving hordes as the sun rose on an otherwise chilly Washington morning. A parallel ...

Drug That Impairs Function of Cancer Driving Proteins Developed

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Researchers have developed a drug that can be used in treating patients with ALK--positive non-small cell lung cancer, which works by indirectly impairing the function of several cancer-driving proteins, including anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). The drug, ganetespib, may also be effective for treating patients who have become resistant to the only FDA-approved targeted therapy for this disease, crizotinib, according to data published in iCancer Discovery/i, ...

Johns Hopkins Researchers Say Formula Used to Calculate 'Bad' Cholesterol is Inaccurate

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The formula that has been used to calculate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol levels is often inaccurate, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Of most concern, the researchers say, is their finding that the widely used formula underestimates LDL where accuracy matters most - in the range considered desirable for high-risk patients. Results of the study are published in an online article, ...

Four Minutes of Intense Exercise Every Day can Improve Heart Health

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A highly intensive exercise regimen that takes just four minutes every day can improve your cardiovascular health, a Japanese researcher suggests. Inspired by his work with Japan's speed skating team, Dr Izumi Tabata's training protocol involve - 20 seconds of all-out effort, 10 seconds of rest, repeating eight times - the Guardain reported. "After four minutes' hard exercise they were wiped out. But after six weeks they saw the results and were surprised. ...

Sleeping on The Back During Pregnancy Could Increase Risk of Stillbirth

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A study conducted among pregnant women in Ghana found that those who slept on their back during their pregnancy were at an increased risk of stillbirth. In the study, researchers from University of Michigan found that supine sleep increased the risk of low birth weight by a factor of 5 and that it was the low birth weight that explained the high risk for stillbirth in these women. The study's senior author, Louise O'Brien, Ph.D., M.S., associate professor ...

Goa Hopes to Follow Gujarat into Becoming a Leading Pharma Industry Player in India

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Goa's chapter of Indian industry chamber CII is hoping to emulate Gujarat's success in the pharma field as it looks to promote Goa as the leading pharmaceutical industry player in the country. Speaking to reporters here Monday, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Goa vice chairman Kirit Maganlal said Gujarat's prowess as a leader in the pharma industry was something which Goa needed to emulate, if the state were to make rapid strides in the sector. "We ...