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UCLA creates crowd-sourced online gaming system to detect malaria

Online crowd-sourcing - in which a task is presented to the public, who respond, for free, with various solutions and suggestions - has been used to evaluate potential consumer products, develop software algorithms and solve vexing research-and-development challenges. But diagnosing infectious diseases?

4 May 2012

Lexicon to receive funding for LX4211 Phase 2 trial in type 1 diabetes

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that an independent, non-profit organization will provide funding to support the Phase 2 development of LX4211 in type 1 diabetes.

4 May 2012

IGF-axis proteins may have a role in development of type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in collaboration with Nurses' Health Study investigators have shown that levels of certain related proteins found in blood are associated with a greatly reduced risk for developing type 2 diabetes up to a decade or more later. The findings, published today in the online edition of Diabetes, could open a new front in the war against diabetes.

4 May 2012

JAM-A protein a far more powerful clot inhibitor: Study

Cut your toe, and platelets -- those disc-shaped cells circulating in your blood -- rush to the scene, clumping together to plug the leak. But when an unwanted clot forms in an artery, and an overaccumulation of platelets blocks blood flow, a heart attack or stroke occurs, too often with fatal results.

4 May 2012

Hypoxia may be a primary cause of uncontrollable tumor growth in cancers

Low oxygen levels in cells may be a primary cause of uncontrollable tumor growth in some cancers, according to a new University of Georgia study. The authors' findings run counter to widely accepted beliefs that genetic mutations are responsible for cancer growth.

4 May 2012

Scientists identify first gene associated with congenital asplenia

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and Rockefeller University have identified the first gene to be linked to a rare condition in which babies are born without a spleen, putting those children at risk of dying from infections they cannot defend themselves against. The gene, Nkx2.5, was shown to regulate genesis of the spleen during early development in mice.

4 May 2012

Blond gene among Solomon islanders baffles researchers

It is known that skin and hair color is mostly inherited from parents but whole populations have evolved to share certain traits. It is also known that people who live closer to the equator have darker skin and hair colour to protect against the Sun. The exception is found in the Solomon Islands, an archipelago east of Papua New Guinea which has the highest proportion of natural blonds outside of Europe despite being just south of the equator.

3 May 2012

Medical Vision launches the next generation of its Double Pump, with RF compatibility

Medical Vision AB today announced the launch of their new technology Double® Pump RF, an arthroscopy pump that adjusts flow and pressure automatically when a Shaver or an RF system is in use. Suction is simultaneously directed through the Shaver or RF handpiece to improve the functionality of these systems.

3 May 2012

Increased maternal intake of choline better for the baby

Pregnant women may have added incentive to bulk up on broccoli and eggs now that a Cornell University study has found increased maternal intake of the nutrient choline could decrease their children's chances of developing hypertension and diabetes later in life.

3 May 2012

Nanoparticle carriers successfully deliver therapeutic doses of cancer drug

Current nanomedicine research has focused on the delivery of established and novel therapeutics. But a UNC team is taking a different approach. They developed nanoparticle carriers to successfully deliver therapeutic doses of a cancer drug that had previously failed clinical development due to pharmacologic challenges.

3 May 2012

Incentives increase blood drive donations

Blood drives do better with incentives, says University of Toronto study.

3 May 2012

A test to predict breast cancer many years before the disease is diagnosed

Ultimately the findings, in the journal Cancer Research, could lead to a simple blood test to screen women, they say. The test looks for how genes are altered by environmental factors like alcohol and hormones - a process known as epigenetics. One in five women is thought to have such a genetic “switch” that doubles breast cancer risk say researchers.

3 May 2012

15 million preterm babies born each year: WHO global report

According to a new report released this Wednesday, nearly 15 million premature babies are born every year - more than 1 in 10 of the world's births. This is considered by experts an obstetric epidemic. 1.1 million of these fragile new born babies die as a result, and even those who survive can suffer lifelong disabilities. Further most of these babies are born in Africa and Asia the report adds.

3 May 2012

One in six prescriptions may carry a medication error: GMC survey finds

A new study has found that more than one in six patients who are put on medication after seeing their GP are given a prescription containing an error. The study comes from the General Medical Council.

3 May 2012

Sleep deprivation may affect surgeons' ability to tackle unexpected events

Sleep-deprived surgeons can perform a previously learned task or learn a new task as well as surgeons who are rested, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. However, in sleep-deprived surgeons, the brain must work harder, which could lead to problems during unexpected events.

3 May 2012

Non-invasive imaging technique measures specific brain chemical changes

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. New and accurate techniques for early diagnosis are critical. Pravat K. Mandal, PhD, and his colleagues have developed a completely non-invasive brain imaging technique to measure specific brain chemical changes. This provides a signature of the early stages of AD from the hippocampal region of the brain.

3 May 2012

Large-scale, patient-specific simulations of blood function

Having a virtual copy of a patient's blood in a computer would be a boon to researchers and doctors. They could examine a simulated heart attack caused by blood clotting in a diseased coronary artery and see if a drug like aspirin would be effective in reducing the size of such a clot.

3 May 2012

A better understanding of link between glycemic variability and psychological disorders needed

When blood sugar levels in diabetes are poorly controlled, patients tend to have more complications such as depression and other mood disturbances, including anxiety and anger, and a lower overall quality of life.

3 May 2012

ENABLER-P Balloon Catheter System offers alternative to surgical revascularization

A new balloon catheter system could advance the endovascular approach to treating obstructed arteries in the leg, offering an alternative to surgical revascularization. Peripheral artery disease affects about 12 to 14 percent of the general population, and revascularization can be achieved through bypass surgery or a number of minimally invasive endovascular techniques that seek to reduce or eliminate symptoms of reduced blood flow by improving tissue perfusion.

3 May 2012

Brain imaging for stroke is still occurring too slowly at many hospitals

The mantra in stroke care is "time is brain." With each passing minute more brain cells are irretrievably lost and, because of this, timely diagnosis and treatment is essential to increase the chances for recovery. While significant strides have been made to improve the response time of caregivers, a new study shows that a critical step in the process - imaging of the brain to determine the nature of the stroke - is still occurring too slowly at too many hospitals.

3 May 2012