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Left and right sides of heart develop differently, research shows

Viewed from the outside, our body looks completely symmetrical. However, most internal organs - including the heart - are formed asymmetrically.

27 Mar 2013

Fibromyalgia: an interview with Dr Frederick Wolfe, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Fibromyalgia is a common disorder that is diagnosed in people who have pain in many areas of their body together with important symptoms such as...

22 Mar 2013

Bruker introduces new products with scientific capabilities for research, industrial and applied markets

At Pittcon 2013, Bruker today announced numerous new product introductions for research, industrial and applied markets, designed to deliver more confident analyses with increased sensitivity, specificity and productivity, as well as novel scientific capabilities which expand the boundaries of molecular and materials research.

19 Mar 2013

Small study shows smartphones can be used to detect intestinal worms

IRIN examines the feasibility of using a smartphone equipped with a glass lens to detect the presence of parasitic worms in stool samples, a concept that "could have a significant impact on the diagnosis of intestinal parasites that affect millions in remote, rural parts of the world, where even the most basic medical testing is hard to come by."

15 Mar 2013

Cell phone microscope can detect intestinal worm infections in children

Scientists working in rural Tanzania have used a simple US$8 glass lens, a strip of double-sided tape, and a cheap flashlight to convert an Apple iPhone into a field microscope that can successfully detect intestinal worm infections in children, according to a study published online today by the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

12 Mar 2013

Scientists succeed in direct observation of microorganisms feeding on the intestinal mucosa

The microbiology team of David Berry, Alexander Loy and Michael Wagner from the Faculty of Life Sciences, in collaboration with scientists at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories and with the help of NanoSIMS technology, has for the first time succeeded in directly observing microorganisms feeding on the intestinal mucosa.

6 Mar 2013

Hospital costs under microscope

An article that appeared in Time Magazine, "Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us," has fueled a new round of discussions about health care cost excesses -- especially in the hospital setting.

5 Mar 2013

Children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative chemotherapy

New results from a prospective clinical trial conducted in France show that children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative (adjuvant) chemotherapy to prevent disease recurrence or metastasis; the results also suggest that certain patients with intermediate-risk disease can receive less aggressive adjuvant treatment, or perhaps forego it altogether. Avoiding chemotherapy spares patients from treatment side effects and long-term health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and development of a second cancer.

5 Mar 2013

Breast cancer tests: an interview with Dr Steven Quay, CEO of Atossa Genetics

Breast cancer is a major concern throughout the world. It is the number 1 cancer among women and in the Western world it generates approximately one new case per minute: 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

22 Feb 2013

New test for leprosy gives results in less than 10 minutes, New York Times reports

"A simple, fast and inexpensive new test for leprosy offers hope that, even in the poorest countries, victims can be found and cured before they become permanently disabled or disfigured like the shunned lepers of yore," the New York Times reports.

21 Feb 2013

Plasma plays a crucial part in determining how blood flows

Blood flows differently than water. Anyone who has ever cut themselves knows that blood flows viscously and rather erratically. The similarity between blood and ketchup is something not only filmmakers are aware of. Experts refer to these materials as "non-Newtonian fluids," of which ketchup and blood are prime examples.

20 Feb 2013

Tiny microscope can help scientists observe neuronal firings in the brain

If you want to read a mouse's mind, it takes some fluorescent protein and a tiny microscope implanted in the rodent's head.

20 Feb 2013

'Innovations in Imaging' symposium at AAAS to explore leading edge of microscopy

When difficult biological questions are tackled by creative experts in physics, what can result? Images of great beauty, accessible for anyone to appreciate, that also offer rich information on fundamental life processes, and rewarding new paths for analysis and insight.

18 Feb 2013

Researchers discover genetic defect that can halt cell growth

A Melbourne-based research team has discovered a genetic defect that can halt cell growth and force cells into a death-evading survival state.

18 Feb 2013

Study shows how gene mutations affect calcium pathway in arrhythmia

Using powerful X-rays, University of British Columbia researchers have reconstructed a crime scene too small for any microscope to observe - and caught the culprit of arrhythmia in action.

17 Feb 2013

Central College to study effects of triclosan on heart rate

How often does a heart beat? For a zebrafish, it depends on the water it's swimming in. Ellen Du Pre, professor of biology at Central College, is working with four students, as well as biology colleague Nicole Palenske, to study the effects of triclosan on heart rate. The tiny fish, which can be as small as an eyelash when newly hatched, is transparent, and the students can easily count the heart beats under a microscope.

16 Feb 2013

New insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures

Research carried out by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Manchester has revealed new insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It's thought that abnormalities in their ability to do so play an important role in a broad range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

15 Feb 2013

Patient-specific cancer cell lines designed to predict chemotherapy sensitivity

In laboratory studies, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a way to personalize chemotherapy drug selection for cancer patients by using cell lines created from their own tumors.

15 Feb 2013

Improving tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis: an interview with Professor Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD

TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nearly 9 million people develop TB every year, and TB kills nearly 1.4 million individuals each year. While the incidence of TB has steadily declined in the west, it remains a huge public health problem in many developing countries, with India having the highest burden.

15 Feb 2013

Exercise may reduce risk of prostate cancer in Caucasian men

A new study suggests that exercise may reduce Caucasian men's risk of developing prostate cancer. And among Caucasian men who do have prostate cancer, exercise may reduce their risk of having more serious forms of the disease. Unfortunately, the benefits do not seem to apply to African- American men. The study is published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

11 Feb 2013