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Scientists measure distraction

A scientific indicator of how easily distracted you are has been designed by a UCL (University College London) psychologist. It could be used as another assessment tool during the recruitment process and would have particular benefits in fields where employee distraction could lead to fatal errors.

4 Jul 2007

Myeloperoxidase protein provides clues to heart attacks in healthy people

We've all wondered how a seemingly healthy person can actually be at high risk for heart disease or a heart attack.

4 Jul 2007

AMA sics drug salesmen on doctors charge groups at annual meeting

The big topic at the American Medical Association's annual meeting this summer was not Michael Moore's Sicko but the AMA's sic-ing drug salesmen on doctors by selling its database.

3 Jul 2007

New drug resistance screening method

A growing number of drug-resistant strains of HIV are a threat to the effectiveness of current treatments despite anti-HIV drug cocktails decreasing the number of HIV-related deaths and improving the quality of life for HIV patients.

29 Jun 2007

Lowering cardiac risk later in life

In a study published in the July 2007 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston found that people 45 to 64 years of age who added healthy lifestyle behaviors could substantially reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and reduce their death rate.

29 Jun 2007

How diet, exercise and weight loss affect inflammation

A $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will help researchers at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center identify how weight loss and lifestyle changes affect the risk for heart disease in obese and diabetic patients, a rapidly-growing group in America.

29 Jun 2007

Papworth breathing technique helps asthmatics

New research is suggesting that an old-fashioned breathing and relaxation technique could help those with asthma.

28 Jun 2007

Papworth method reduces asthma symptoms by a third

A sequence of breathing and relaxation exercises known as the Papworth method has been shown to reduce asthma symptoms by a third by the first randomised controlled trial to investigate the technique, which is published online ahead of print in Thorax .

28 Jun 2007

New model for signal transduction in cells

Among the key communication systems within a cell is the Wnt signaling pathway, which regulates embryonic development and whose deregulation can also contribute to cancer development.

28 Jun 2007

Many needle-stick injuries unreported

A survey of nearly 700 surgical residents in 17 U.S. medical centers finds that more than half failed to report needle-stick injuries involving patients whose blood could be a source of HIV, hepatitis and other infections.

28 Jun 2007

Men and women with multiple sclerosis equally transmit the genetic risk of the disease to their children

The research contradicts the results of a recent study, which found affected fathers were more likely than affected mothers to transmit the risk of developing MS to their children.

28 Jun 2007

Online nursing community expands its global outreach

An innovative and highly successful worldwide online community of practice - The Global Alliance for Nursing and Midwifery Electronic Community of Practice (GANM CoP) - has received funding that will broaden and enhance efforts to deliver connectivity and best practices to nurses and midwives worldwide.

28 Jun 2007

An active mind in old age reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease

How often old people read a newspaper, play chess, or engage in other mentally stimulating activities is related to risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published June 27, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Jun 2007

How will global warming affect human health?

Global warming will cause more deaths in summer because of higher temperatures but these will not be offset by fewer deaths in milder winters finds an analysis published online ahead of print in Occupational and Environment Medicine.

28 Jun 2007

Training autistic brains to recognize visual and vocal cues

To understand the meaning of a conversation, kids automatically do what adults do - besides processing the meaning of words, they unconsciously "read" the expression on a person's face and listen to their tone of voice, then integrate that information with the context at hand to discern meaning, be it humor, anger, irony or straightforwardness.

28 Jun 2007

Sexual fantasies and anxiety related to sexual desire

Scientists of the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment of the University of Granada have studied how some psychological variables such as erotophilia (positive attitude towards sexuality), sexual fantasies and anxiety are related to sexual desire in human beings.

28 Jun 2007

Family-based weight management program cuts diabetes risk, improves BMI in overweight children

Children who participated in a family-based weight management program designed for inner-city minority children had better outcomes regarding weight gain, body fat, body mass index (BMI) and insulin sensitivity compared to children who received traditional weight counseling in a clinic, according to a study in the June 27 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on chronic diseases of children.

27 Jun 2007

University of Cincinnati researchers create new system to reduce medical errors

Defining what constitutes quality care especially in a large, urban hospital isn't easy.

27 Jun 2007

Pain management is a fundamental human right

A growing international consensus urges change in several areas - including increased availability of controlled medications such as opioids - toward the goal of recognizing effective treatment for pain as a fundamental human right, according to a special article in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the official publication of the International Anesthesia Research Society and published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

27 Jun 2007

Canada enhances capacity to fight infectious disease

Today representatives of all three levels of government and the Canada Foundation for Innovation turned the sod to launch construction of the International Vaccine Centre (InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan, a $110.4-million project that will significantly enhance Canada's capacity to fight infectious disease in both animals and humans.

26 Jun 2007