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Glucose test device for diabetics that does not involve pricking the finger

A Syracuse University chemistry professor has patented a device that aims to make painful fingerstick testing of glucose levels a thing of the past for diabetics.

11 Oct 2005

Nanogen subsidiary, Epoch Biosciences issued new patent

Nanogen announced today its subsidiary, Epoch Biosciences, was issued Patent No. 6,951,930, "Hybridization-Triggered Fluorescent Detection of Nucleic Acids" by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

11 Oct 2005

Technique for inserting genes into specific sites on the genome in liver cells

The genes are inserted into non-coding regions of the genome so there is no danger of interfering with the functioning of other genes. Once inserted, the gene remains a permanent part of the cell's genome.

10 Oct 2005

CT colonography best choice for regular screening for cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in most developed countries. Screening for colorectal malignancies and polyps (which frequently become cancerous) has been shown to lower the number of deaths from cancer. Most cancer societies and preventive task forces recommend regular screening for cancer of the colon.

10 Oct 2005

Promising new treatment options for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death among American men. It is estimated that one in six males will develop the disease during his lifetime. However, promising new treatment options have been developed to help combat this threatening disease.

9 Oct 2005

Long-term use of NSAIDs cuts the risk for oral cancer in smokers by half but increases risk of cardiovascular problems

An analysis of 20 years of data on the health of over 900 adults has found that long-term use of traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, cuts the risk for oral cancer in smokers by half.

9 Oct 2005

Minimally invasive needle breast biopsies and sentinel node biopsies should be performed more routinely than they currently are

Physicians should strive to replace traditional, invasive procedures for diagnosing breast cancer with proven, less-invasive diagnostic methods, according to an international panel of breast cancer experts convened at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

9 Oct 2005

New role for the blood protein serum amyloid P in the body's response to medical materials

Using a technique called proteomics, the researchers identified many of the blood proteins that stick (adsorb) to the surfaces of medical devices. Blood proteins that adsorb to the surfaces of materials unfold and can be recognized by the body, which then mounts a response against the device.

5 Oct 2005

Deadly 1918 Spanish flue virus has been reconstructed and characterized

This research, reported in this week's issue of Science, is part of a larger research initiative being led by Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Peter Palese, PhD, Professor and Chairman of Microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

5 Oct 2005

Cost-effectiveness of potentially life-saving implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) is an important public health issue

The use of implanted defibrillators that keep the heart beating in proper electrical rhythm to prevent cardiac arrest appears to be cost-effective for those patients who receive a significant mortality reduction, according to researchers from Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Calif. They analyzed eight clinical trials of the devices to arrive at their conclusion.

5 Oct 2005

Students with higher levels of emotional intelligence achieve more academically

The emotional intelligence of students indirectly contributes to academic success in information technology studies, preliminary results from a study led by Virginia Tech researchers show.

4 Oct 2005

Mechanism of X-chromosome dosage compensation in Drosophila

In Drosophila, like in humans, male cells have a single X chromosome, while female cells have two. Researchers have long debated over how X and autosomal chromosome gene expression is equalized between the sexes (generally regarding two different models, known as the activation model and the inverse model).

4 Oct 2005

Largest systematic analysis of duplicated gene function to date

When Mother Nature creates an identical copy of a gene in an organism's genome, the duplicated copy is usually deleted, inactivated, or otherwise rendered nonfunctional in order to prevent genetic redundancy and to preserve biological homeostasis. In some cases, however, gene duplicates are maintained in a functional state.

4 Oct 2005

Beta glucan may help treat skin disorders and remove fine lines and wrinkles

The fight against aging has received a scientific boost thanks to an innovative study done in part by a University of Alberta spin-off company--research that dispels a hard-held belief about the natural ingredient, beta glucan.

3 Oct 2005

Cost-effective technique for reducing mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants

Researchers at Lehigh University's Energy Research Center (ERC) have developed and successfully tested a cost-effective technique for reducing mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.

3 Oct 2005

First direct clues about how the brain alters the state of consciousness during sleep

In the human brain, cells talk to one another through the routine exchange of electrical signals. But when people fall into a deep sleep, the higher regions of the brain - regions that during waking hours are a bustling grid of neural dialogue - apparently lose their ability to communicate effectively, causing consciousness to fade.

3 Oct 2005