pH News and Research

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pH comes from the term “power of Hydrogen”, or the hydrogen ion concentration present in a given solution. It helps to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance.

Online infusion calculator and a computerized drug ordering system reduces medication errors in children

Two new studies from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center show that computerizing ordering of chemotherapy and other types of intravenous drug infusions for children greatly reduces the risk of potentially dangerous medical errors.

8 May 2006

Anthrax killed by protein that explodes cell walls

Not all biological weapons are created equal. They are separated into categories A through C, category A biological agents being the scariest: They are easy to spread, kill effectively and call for special actions by the pubic health system. One of these worrisome organisms is anthrax, which has already received its fair share of media attention. But work in Vince Fischetti's laboratory at Rockefeller University suggests that a newly discovered protein could be used to fight anthrax infections and even decontaminate areas in which anthrax spores have been released.

26 Apr 2006

Scientists gain greater understanding of how embryos differentiate left from right

Researchers at the Forsyth Institute have discovered a new mechanism responsible for early left/right patterning, the process by which organs locate themselves on the left or right side of the body.

19 Apr 2006

A drink or two a day may be associated with better cognitive function in women

"Women who had up to two drinks a day scored about 20 percent higher on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) than women who didn't drink at all or who consumed less than one drink a week," said Clinton Wright, M.D., M.S., lead author of the study.

13 Apr 2006

Dasatinib provides significant benefit in chronic myeloid leukemia patients resistant to Gleevec

A study led by researchers from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has found that dasatinib provides significant benefit in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients resistant to Gleevec. (imatinib), according to a study presented during the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

11 Apr 2006

Black and Hispanic parents of children with special heath care needs dissatisfied with health care for special needs children

Black and Hispanic parents of children with special heath care needs are twice as likely as white parents to be dissatisfied with their child's care, according to a study appearing in the April issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

3 Apr 2006

Scientists create new type of 'bio-gel'

Scientists at The University of Manchester have created a new type of 'bio-gel' which provides a pH neutral environment for culturing cells in 3D, as published in the journal Advanced Materials.

From The University of Manchester 7 Mar 2006

Metabolic acidosis increases mortality rate

Critically ill patients with metabolic acidosis are twice as likely to die as patients who do not have metabolic acidosis.

19 Feb 2006

New sensor to provide early warning of oxygen loss to unborn children

Researchers at the University of Warwick, and the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, have devised a new sensor which dramatically improves the amount of early warning doctors and midwives get of a dangerous situation in the birth process when the unborn child's brain is starved of oxygen - Fetal Hypoxia.

14 Feb 2006

Common genetic variation increases SIDS risk in African Americans

About five percent of deaths from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in African Americans can be traced to defects in one gene and half of those deaths result from a common genetic variation that increases an infant's risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm during times of environmental stress

13 Feb 2006

Acetazolamide improves central sleep apnea in heart failure

Since sleep apnea is associated with heart failure, patients who take a single dose of acetazolamide - a mild diuretic and respiratory stimulant - before going to bed exhibit less sleep apnea, improved blood oxygen levels and fewer daytime symptoms of sleepiness.

16 Jan 2006

Scientists design a fluorescent sensor capable of measuring intracellular acidity

The colouring agents traditionally used to stain organic tissues are no longer sufficient to meet today’s needs. The study of cell metabolism can only advance with better tools than those currently available.

16 Jan 2006

Syrupy medications may cause cavities in children

A spoon full of sugar may help the medicine go down, but most dentists would likely encourage parents to skip that step when treating a child's illness.

9 Jan 2006

High cholesterol may lead to high blood pressure in men

Men with high total cholesterol are much more likely to develop high blood pressure than men with low total cholesterol, according to a study in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Dec 2005

Streptococcus mutans copes without pathway

Leave it to the bacteria that cause tooth decay to be able to live without something all cells were thought to require.

13 Dec 2005

Lifestyle factors affect prostate cancer tests

According to a new study a prostate cancer-screening test may not be that reliable.

12 Dec 2005

One-half of cancer patients continue to smoke after diagnosis

A pair of articles from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center makes the case that patients would receive better care if physicians and researchers would address the issue of tobacco use after a cancer diagnosis and monitor tobacco use during clinical trials that test new agents.

28 Nov 2005

Diabetic black men have lower amounts of atherosclerosis than diabetic white men

In a surprising outcome, investigators at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that diabetic black men have dramatically lower amounts of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, than diabetic white men.

3 Nov 2005

"Screen and treat” cervical cancer programs effective in poorly resourced areas

According to a new study two "screen and treat" cervical cancer prevention programs developed for high-risk women in low-resource settings resulted in a lower prevalence of precancerous cervical lesions and cervical cancer, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

2 Nov 2005

As men grow older, bladder function can worsen and the prostate gland may be responsible

Their findings remind patients and their physicians that urination difficulties in men can be better cared for at early onset. Additionally, the study notes that as men age, the possibility increases that they will experience problems with urination.

25 Oct 2005