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Brain cooling after severe head injury may prevent epileptic seizures

In the weeks, months and years after a severe head injury, patients often experience epileptic seizures that are difficult to control. A new study in rats suggests that gently cooling the brain after injury may prevent these seizures.

22 Feb 2013

Researchers determine that neuroblastoma is sensitive to BET bromodomain inhibitors

Neuroblastoma, the most common malignant tumor of early childhood, is frequently associated with the presence of MYCN amplification, a genetic biomarker associated with poor prognosis. Researchers have determined that tumors containing MYCN amplification are sensitive to a new class of drugs, BET bromodomain inhibitors.

22 Feb 2013

Scientists uncover atomic structure of dermcidin

An international team of scientists has discovered how an important natural antibiotic called dermcidin, produced by our skin when we sweat, is a highly efficient tool to fight tuberculosis germs and other dangerous bugs.

22 Feb 2013

Researchers identify second B-cell attachment receptor for Epstein-Barr virus

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) affects more than 90 percent of the population worldwide and was the first human virus found to be associated with cancer. Now, researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have broadened the understanding of this widespread infection with their discovery of a second B-cell attachment receptor for EBV.

21 Feb 2013

Loyola offers tips to avoid sledding injuries in kids

A hearty snowfall brings anticipation for one of winter's highlights - sledding. The adrenaline from speeding down an icy hill, feeling the snow spraying your face and the wind's icy fingers nearly taking your breath away can be exhilarating. There is nothing like tearing down a perfect sledding hill to get rid of cabin fever. However, serious injuries can accompany the winter fun if precautions are not taken.

21 Feb 2013

Weekend reading: Why a trip to the ER costs more than a college semester; Searching for the 'stomach share;' Lessons for the U.S. from Rwanda

Routine Care, Unforgettable Bills .... Sean was allowed to see the doctor only after he advanced MD Anderson $7,500 from his credit card. ... The total cost, in advance, for Sean to get his treatment plan and initial doses of chemotherapy was $83,900.

21 Feb 2013

Donated liver survival rate improved by antioxidant

Researchers from Italy have found that the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), when injected prior to harvesting of the liver, significantly improves graft survival following transplantation. Results published in the February issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), suggest that the NAC effect on early graft function and survival is higher when suboptimal organs are used.

21 Feb 2013

Heart disease awareness still lags in minorities and younger women

The number of women aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, but that knowledge still lags in minorities and younger women, according to a new study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

21 Feb 2013

Younger parents more likely to say online scores for physicians are very important

Numerous websites are available to rate just about any service or product: restaurant food, hotel service and even a pediatrician's care. However, a new poll from the University of Michigan shows that only 25 percent of parents say they consider doctor rating websites very important in their search for a child's physician.

21 Feb 2013

Microbubble-ultrasound method improves cardiac output after heart attack

Scientists from the Bonn University Hospital successfully tested a method in mice allowing the morphological and functional sequelae of a myocardial infarction to be reduced. Tiny gas bubbles are made to oscillate within the heart via focused ultrasound - this improves microcirculation and decreases the size of the scar tissue. The results show that the mice, following myocardial infarction, have improved cardiac output as a result of this method, as compared to untreated animals.

21 Feb 2013

Patients with Barrett's esophagus benefit from endoscope-based therapies

According to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, patients with Barrett's esophagus and early or pre-cancerous cells have been shown to significantly benefit from minimally invasive therapy delivered through an endoscope - a medical instrument used to look inside an organ or cavity in the body.

21 Feb 2013

Sixth death from novel coronavirus recorded in Britain

"A British man infected with a new virus from the same family as SARS has died, health officials said on Tuesday, bringing the worldwide death toll from the previously unknown disease to six," Reuters reports.

21 Feb 2013

Resveratrol may protect against hearing and cognitive decline

Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a published laboratory study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

21 Feb 2013

States continue mulling Medicaid expansion's costs and benefits

After conducting a review of the two choices California officials are considering for optional Medi-Cal expansion, the state Legislative Analyst's Office yesterday strongly recommended the state-based option, rather than a county-based plan.

21 Feb 2013

Supreme Court gives FTC more power to police hospital mergers

The decision is a win for the federal government as it seeks to monitor the trend toward consolidations around the country.

21 Feb 2013

Bracelet-like device with magnetic beads can control gastroesophageal reflux disease

A bracelet-like device with magnetic beads can control the chronic digestive disorder gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to a study published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Feb 2013

Simple interventions could reduce delirium and improve patient perceptions about sleep quality

A hospital is not the best place to get a good night's sleep, especially in a noisy intensive care unit. It's a cause for concern because studies have shown that a lack of sleep can cause patients to experience delirium-an altered mental state that may delay their recovery and lead to short and long-term confusion and memory problems.

21 Feb 2013

Researchers determine normative data for hopping or running

Motor development in children under five years of age can now be tested reliably: Together with colleagues from Lausanne, researchers from the University Children's Hospital Zurich and the University of Zurich have determined normative data for different exercises such as hopping or running. This enables parents and experts to gage the motor skills of young children for the first time objectively and thus identify abnormalities at an early stage.

21 Feb 2013

BCHE gene variant predicts extent of plaque deposits in Alzheimer's

A study combining genetic data with brain imaging, designed to identify genes associated with the amyloid plaque deposits found in Alzheimer's disease patients, has not only identified the APOE gene -- long associated with development of Alzheimer's -- but has uncovered an association with a second gene, called BCHE.

21 Feb 2013

Studies confirm music therapy's positive effects on perceived quality of life

After 35 years as a music therapist, Anci Sandell can now present research findings showing that the therapy methods she uses, increases quality of life for people who are being treated for severe medical or psychosocial conditions.

21 Feb 2013