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Study shows copper objects in ICUs reduce healthcare-acquired infections by 50%

Placement of copper objects in intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms reduced the number of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) in patients by more than half, according to a new study published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, in a special topic issue focused on the role of the environment in infection prevention.

10 Apr 2013

Metallothioneins play major role in virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans

Metallothioneins, proteins able to capture metal ions, play a major role in the virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungal pathogen which causes severe infections in immunodeficient and immunocompetent individuals (AIDS patients, transplant receivers, etc.)

5 Apr 2013

EGCG in green tea controls generation of metal-associated amyloids associated with Alzheimer's

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a new potential benefit of a molecule in green tea: preventing the misfolding of specific proteins in the brain.

6 Mar 2013

Study links grape seed and skin extracts with high-fat-diet-induced renal disease

New insight into grape seed extract as a therapeutic and preventative measure to fight obesity-induced kidney damage is presented in a new study. Grape seed and skin extract (GSSE) is known to contain powerful antioxidants.

1 Mar 2013

Brown University develops new implantable and rechargeable wireless brain sensor

A team of neuroengineers based at Brown University has developed a fully implantable and rechargeable wireless brain sensor capable of relaying real-time broadband signals from up to 100 neurons in freely moving subjects.

28 Feb 2013

High iron and zinc intake may reduce risk of pre-menstrual syndrome in women

Women who reported eating a diet rich in iron were 30 to 40 percent less likely to develop pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) than women who consumed lower amounts, in a study reported this week by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences and Harvard.

27 Feb 2013

Copper depletion may prevent breast cancer recurrence

Early trial findings suggest that copper depletion may promote tumor dormancy in patients at high risk for recurrent breast cancer.

18 Feb 2013

Long-acting reversible contraception with progestin may increase risk of type 2 diabetes in women

A first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) indicates that healthy, obese, reproductive-age women who use long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) containing the hormone progestin have a slightly increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes when compared to those who use non-hormonal contraception.

11 Feb 2013

Androgens could constitute an efficient treatment against multiple sclerosis

Testosterone and its derivatives could constitute an efficient treatment against myelin diseases such as multiple sclerosis, reveals a study by researchers from the Laboratoire d'Imagerie et de Neurosciences Cognitives, in collaboration in particular with the "Neuroprotection et Neurorégénération: Molécules Neuroactives de Petite Taille" unit.

30 Jan 2013

UAB dietitian suggests five foods for healthier eating

With the hectic hustle and bustle of daily life — managing family, career, home and more — it is no wonder that creativity in the kitchen can fall to the wayside. To help people get out of a food rut and eat healthier this year, a dietitian from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) suggests adding five foods to the grocery cart.

29 Jan 2013

People living in the e-waste village more likely to develop lung cancer

Residents living near an e-waste recycling site in China face elevated risks of lung cancer, according to a recent study co-authored by Oregon State University researchers.

24 Jan 2013

Prostate cancer patients experience minimal relief from side effects following proton radiotherapy

Prostate cancer patients receiving the costly treatment known as proton radiotherapy experienced minimal relief from side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, compared to patients undergoing a standard radiation treatment called intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

14 Dec 2012

Copper can prevent horizontal transmission of genes in antibiotic-resistant bacteria

New research from the University of Southampton has shown that copper can prevent horizontal transmission of genes, which has contributed to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant infections worldwide.

5 Dec 2012

Bruker secures major orders for its new SP9900+ 3D Optical Microscope

Bruker announced today that it has already received more than $7 million in orders for its new Bruker SP9900+ high-throughput high density interconnect (HDI) substrate metrology system, and has begun shipping the product in volume.

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 3 Dec 2012

IUD insertion does not increase risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in women

The risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) following insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) is very low, whether or not women have been screened beforehand for gonorrhea and chlamydia, according to a joint study of nearly 60,000 women by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.

21 Nov 2012

Trastuzumab increases risk of heart failure in older women with breast cancer

Heart failure is a relatively common complication in older women with breast cancer, but the risk is even higher in those patients treated with adjuvant trastuzumab (Herceptin-), Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

15 Nov 2012

Zinc deficiency mechanism associated with many health problems, aging

A new study has outlined for the first time a biological mechanism by which zinc deficiency can develop with age, leading to a decline of the immune system and increased inflammation associated with many health problems, including cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease and diabetes.

2 Oct 2012

ACS National Meeting & Exposition focuses on DNA wires and their potential use in identifying diseases

In a discovery that defies the popular meaning of the word "wire," scientists have found that Mother Nature uses DNA as a wire to detect the constantly occurring genetic damage and mistakes that ― if left unrepaired ― can result in diseases like cancer and underpin the physical and mental decline of aging.

20 Aug 2012

Reducing copper in the body delays onset of prion disease

Many of us are familiar with prion disease from its most startling and unusual incarnations-the outbreaks of "mad cow" disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) that created a crisis in the global beef industry. Or the strange story of Kuru, a fatal illness affecting a tribe in Papua New Guinea known for its cannibalism. Both are forms of prion disease, caused by the abnormal folding of a protein and resulting in progressive neurodegeneration and death.

13 Aug 2012

Slippery technology prevents harmful bacterial slime from forming on surfaces

Biofilms may no longer have any solid ground upon which to stand. A team of Harvard scientists has developed a slick way to prevent the troublesome bacterial communities from ever forming on a surface. Biofilms stick to just about everything, from copper pipes to steel ship hulls to glass catheters. The slimy coatings are more than just a nuisance, resulting in decreased energy efficiency, contamination of water and food supplies, and-especially in medical settings-persistent infections. Even cavities in teeth are the unwelcome result of bacterial colonies.

31 Jul 2012