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Pesticide bans can be effective way to reduce suicides than secure storage

Global policies on access to highly hazardous pesticides – commonly ingested in acts of self-poisoning and suicide in rural Asia – should focus on national bans, rather than safe storage, according to two studies in The Lancet and The Lancet Global Health journals.

16 Aug 2017

Secure storage has no impact on incidence of pesticide self-poisoning, study finds

The first study, by lead author Professor David Gunnell at the University of Bristol, is a randomized trial in 180 villages in Sri Lanka which found that secure storage had no impact on rates of self-poisoning or suicide, and the second is a review of global policies on highly hazardous pesticides which conclude that bans are the most effective way of reducing suicides.

11 Aug 2017

Study develops correction methods to provide more accurate estimates of opioid, heroin deaths

Although opioid and heroin deaths have been rising dramatically in the U.S., the magnitude of the epidemic varies from state to state, as does the relative proportion of opioid vs heroin poisonings.

7 Aug 2017

Researchers examine cheap, simple method for neurotoxin detection

There is a limited amount of data on the global health impacts of pesticides, but many injuries and deaths worldwide can be attributed to their misuse.

1 Aug 2017

Scientists uncover link between backup pathogen-fighting system and mutations in Crohn's patients

Genes that regulate a cellular recycling system called autophagy are commonly mutated in Crohn's disease patients, though the link between biological housekeeping and inflammatory bowel disease remained a mystery. Now, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered an intriguing clue.

28 Jul 2017

New approach may improve translation of immunological research findings

Mouse models have advanced our understanding of immune function and disease in many ways but they have failed to account for the natural diversity in human immune responses.

27 Jul 2017

Scientists build DNA from scratch using yeast

Researchers are rewriting the yeast genome from scratch as part of a controversial project aiming to create custom-made chunks of DNA codes. One goal of the project is to create codes that can be inserted into cells to alter their function or even improve drug development.

26 Jul 2017

Hydrogel-based capsules may help patients adhere to medications

Around half of all medications for chronic diseases are not taken as prescribed, costing the U.S. health care system more than $100 billion in avoidable hospital stays each year.

25 Jul 2017

New non-toxic elements can replace harmful lead-containing materials in electronic products

Most smartphones and other electrical or electronic products contain small amounts of lead, which doesn't sound like a big problem on its own. But when there are many billions of such products, either in daily use or gone astray, the total sums up to very large amounts of lead - which is a toxic heavy metal.

12 Jul 2017

Brazilian researchers reveal nanoparticle-based strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A new strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been described by Brazilian researchers in Scientific Reports, an online journal owned by Springer Nature.

11 Jul 2017

Combination treatment could be more effective against common infection

The common and highly resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium is a fatal threat to weakened and ill patients.

4 Jul 2017

Inconsiderate supplementation of iron may impair ability to fight against Salmonella

One would think that too much iron is too much iron - whether it is ingested from particular foods or stored in the body genetically - and that pathogens such as Salmonella would grow identically in either case.

27 Jun 2017

Pathogen linked to seafood poisoning disarms key host defense system by paralyzing cell's skeleton

The leading cause of acute gastroenteritis linked to eating raw seafood disarms a key host defense system in a novel way: It paralyzes a cell's skeleton, or cytoskeleton.

23 Jun 2017

Study highlights need for more research in primary care and family medicine

As medicine continues to shift toward evidence-based practice, some primary care providers may have a difficult time finding quality evidence to support their clinical decisions, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

20 Jun 2017

AMA votes to adopt new policies for improving health of the nation

The American Medical Association, the premier national physician organization in the country, voted this week to adopt new policies aimed at improving the health of the nation. The new policies were approved during the voting session of the AMA’s Annual Meeting.

19 Jun 2017

Detectable heavy metal lead, found in 20% baby food samples sparking alarm

According to a new report, there were significant levels of lead found in 20 percent of baby food samples raising concerns. There have been reports in the past of paint chips or paints containing lead as well as contaminated water that can lead to lead poisoning.

19 Jun 2017

Lead detected in 20% of baby food samples, surprising even researchers

Pediatricians and public health researchers know they have to be on the lookout for lead exposure from paint chips and contaminated drinking water. A new report suggests food — particularly baby food — could be a problem, too.

16 Jun 2017

Griffith scientists discover new and improved tool to detect cancer

Studying the food poisoning bacteria E. coli may have led scientists to discover a new and improved tool to detect cancer.

8 Jun 2017

Dutch scientists design self-destroying nanomotors to deliver and release drugs

Autonomous targeting and release of drugs at their site of action are desired features of nanomedical systems. Now, a team of Dutch scientists has designed a nanomotor that has these functions: An antitumor drug encapsulated in self-propelled, self-assembled stomatocytes is carried across the cellular membrane and released inside the cell upon a chemical redox signal that disassembles the vesicle membrane.

31 May 2017

TSRI scientists discover potential new therapy to stop deadly botulinum neurotoxin

Botulinum neurotoxin is probably best known to Americans as BOTOX, a cosmetic medicine, rather than as a cause of potentially dangerous foodborne illnesses.

26 May 2017