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Study finds increased carbapenem use in VA acute care health facilities over the last 5 years

A large, multi-year study of antibiotic use in Veterans Health Administration's acute care facilities demonstrates dramatically increased use of carbapenems, a powerful class of antibiotics, over the last five years.

4 Apr 2011

New ‘nanotech’ weapon against drug-resistant superbugs

Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) and IBM Research – Almaden have developed the first biodegradable polymer nanoparticles to combat drug-resistant superbugs, such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These nanoparticles can selectively kill the bacteria without destroying healthy red blood cells, and being biodegradable, have great potential to treat infectious diseases in the body. This was reported today in the leading scientific journal, Nature Chemistry [(2011) DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1012].

3 Apr 2011

Entry inhibitors can provide first new hepatitis B & D treatments for many years

Promising new viral hepatitis data presented today at the International Liver CongressTM show that entry inhibitors --a new mechanism of action for drugs to treat viral hepatitis -- could provide the first new hepatitis B and hepatitis D treatments for many years.

2 Apr 2011

AmeriCares airlifts medical aid to help Japanese earthquake survivors

AmeriCares is airlifting medical aid to help survivors still suffering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

2 Apr 2011

Study: Electronic faucets more likely to become contaminated with bacteria

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have determined that electronic faucets are more likely to become contaminated with unacceptably high levels of bacteria, including Legionella spp., compared with traditional manually operated faucets.

1 Apr 2011

Hands-free electronic water faucets more likely to be contaminated with hazardous bacteria

A study of newly installed, hands-free faucets at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, all equipped with the latest electronic-eye sensors to automatically detect hands and dispense preset amounts of water, shows they were more likely to be contaminated with one of the most common and hazardous bacteria in hospitals compared to old-style fixtures with separate handles for hot and cold water.

1 Apr 2011

Sinovac reports fourth quarter net sales of $9.1 million

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today its fourth quarter and full year financial results periods ended December 31, 2010.

31 Mar 2011

Towards accurate simulation of whole working cells

Researchers have built a computer model of the crowded interior of a bacterial cell that - in a test of its response to sugar in its environment - accurately simulates the behavior of living cells.

31 Mar 2011

Thirty four new beneficial compounds found in pure maple syrup

University of Rhode Island researcher Navindra Seeram has discovered 34 new beneficial compounds in pure maple syrup and confirmed that 20 compounds discovered last year in preliminary research play a key role in human health.

31 Mar 2011

Mucus may play a key role in penetration of hydrophobic substances into cells

Are our bodies vulnerable to some pollutants whose lack of solubility in water, or "hydrophobicity," has always been thought to protect us from them? New Tel Aviv University research has discovered that this is indeed the case.

31 Mar 2011

Prompt treatment with correct antibiotic may prevent longer hospital stay in children with severe pneumonia

In critically ill children with pneumonia, delays of even a few hours to treatment with the correct antibiotic can mean more days in the hospital, reports a study in the April issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

30 Mar 2011

GCRI, Max Planck Florida Institute to host discussion on TB at German House New York

The German Center for Research and Innovation, in cooperation with the Max Planck Florida Institute, will host a discussion on the treatments and challenges of tuberculosis on Thursday, March 31, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event will take place at the German House New York.

28 Mar 2011

Antibiotic treatment does not benefit patients with discoloured phlegm

Prescribing antibiotics for patients with discoloured phlegm caused by acute cough has little or no effect on alleviating symptoms and recovery, a Cardiff University study has found.

25 Mar 2011

Aradigm fourth quarter revenue is $144,000 for 2010

Aradigm Corporation today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2010.

24 Mar 2011

Little evidence supporting effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing pain

Although acupuncture is commonly used for pain control, doubts about its effectiveness and safety remain. Investigators from the Universities of Exeter & Plymouth (Exeter, UK) and the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (Daejeon, South Korea) critically evaluated systematic reviews of acupuncture as a treatment of pain in order to explore this question.

24 Mar 2011

Modified Atmosphere Packaging can retain polyacetylenes levels in carrots

Polyacetylenes are natural products found in certain plants that have been related to a reduction in the risks of developing diseases such as certain types of cancers and other important diseases.

24 Mar 2011

Collaborative study may lead to strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance

In a study that literally analyzed competing bacteria fighting it out to the death, a University of Houston (UH) researcher and his colleagues identified evolutionary 'winners' and 'losers.' Continuing research to understand the basis of these fates may become a useful tool is designing roadblocks to antibiotic resistance.

24 Mar 2011

Tick-borne disease identified as emerging threat

Five years ago, large numbers of farmers in central China began falling victim to an mysterious disease marked by high fever, gastrointestinal disorder and an appalling mortality rate - as high as 30 percent in initial reports. Investigators from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention hurried to the scene of the outbreak. On the basis of DNA evidence, they quickly concluded that it had been caused by human granulocytic anaplasmosis, a bacteria transmitted by tick bites.

24 Mar 2011

Australia’s first transplanted hand starts moving

Peter Walsh, 65, a grandfather, with no hands or feet has been wriggling his new fingers after becoming the first Australian recipient of a hand transplant. He underwent a landmark nine-hour operation at St Vincent's Hospital this week after years of painstaking planning by Melbourne specialists.

23 Mar 2011

Researchers create nanosurfaces to seal leg prosthetics against bacteria entry

In recent years, researchers have worked to develop more flexible, functional prosthetics for soldiers returning home from battlefields in Afghanistan or Iraq with missing arms or legs. But even new prosthetics have trouble keeping bacteria from entering the body through the space where the device has been implanted.

23 Mar 2011