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Genetically modified bacteria filters out toxic pesticide vapors

Genetically modified bacteria could be used in air filters to extract pesticide vapors from polluted air thanks to work by researchers in China published this month in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution.

15 Apr 2011

Orthopaedic surgeon: Broken bones and itching more common during spring weather

Spring weather signals the start of many outdoor activities as people of all ages eagerly embrace the change in weather. Paul Prinz, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System says, "Broken bones and fractures occur year 'round but the change in seasons always creates an increase of patients in our offices."

8 Apr 2011

Hunters' lead ammunition finds way into scavenger birds leading to blindness, seizures and death

Two new UC Davis studies add scientific evidence that hunters' lead ammunition often finds its way into carrion-eating birds, such as eagles and turkey vultures.

7 Apr 2011

Artemisinin or high-pressure oxygen can boost natural cancer remedy

A technique Michael Jackson reportedly used to prolong his youth is showing promise as a way to boost the effectiveness of a natural cancer remedy.

5 Apr 2011

New research links regular breakfast to low blood lead levels in children

It is known that fasting increases lead absorption in adults and consequently regular meals and snacks are recommended for children to prevent lead poisoning. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health demonstrates that having a regular breakfast is associated with lower blood lead levels in children.

1 Apr 2011

CAPCC, Health Canada, Safe Kids Canada remind parents about dangers of unintentional poisoning

Kathleen Wong was frantic when her three-year-old daughter Kiana took a nibble from one of her grandfather's diabetes tablets. "We were visiting my father and he had put his medication out on the counter to take later," recalls Kathleen. "My daughter got up on a chair near the counter and took a bite of one of the pills."

19 Mar 2011

MPC urges everyone to program poison center phone number into mobiles

The Maryland Poison Center urges everyone to program the poison center phone number, 1-800-222-1222, into their mobile phones. The number automatically connects callers to a local poison center when it is dialed anywhere in the U.S.

19 Mar 2011

ACEP, Poison Control Centers raise awareness about drug poisoning dangers

New visits for drug-related poisoning in the United States continue to rise; therefore, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Association of Poison Control Centers are raising awareness about the dangers of drug poisoning as part of Poison Prevention Week.

17 Mar 2011

Nuclear fallout-related health fears rise in Japan

Concerns regarding health risks "rose dramatically in Japan Tuesday" after officials said more radiation was released at a nuclear power plant that was damaged in the tsunami, the Associated Press reports. In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said radiation had been emitted from four reactors. "The level seems very high, and there is still a very high risk of more radiation coming out," he said.

16 Mar 2011

Researchers concerned about use of mercury-based compound in inactivated flu vaccines

As the United Nations, the European Commission, and the United States Food and Drug Administration evaluate the health and environmental risks associated with mercury, a known neurotoxin, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, and immune-system disruptor, new research continues to fuel concerns about Thimerosal, a mercury-based compound used as a preservative in inactivated flu vaccines.

11 Mar 2011

Scientists sequence Clostridium botulinum genome that produces neurotoxin

Scientists on the Norwich Research Park have sequenced the genome of a novel strain of Clostridium botulinum, one of the most dangerous pathogens known to man. The strain produces an unusual botulinum neurotoxin, known as type A5 neurotoxin, which was isolated by the Health Protection Agency, following a case of wound botulism.

8 Mar 2011

Study: 700,000 drug-related ED visits cost nearly $1.4 billion in 2007

Over the past decade, drug-related poisonings have been on the rise in the United States. In fact, in many states drug-related poisoning deaths have now surpassed motor vehicle crash fatalities to become the leading cause of injury death. While the fatalities from this epidemic have been well reported, they are only the tip of the iceberg.

2 Mar 2011

Scientists discover lead contamination in ceramic cookware sold in Philadelphia's Chinatown

Recently, a research team from the Department of Emergency Medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University discovered an alarming amount of lead contamination in ceramic cooking and eating utensils sold in Philadelphia's Chinatown.

1 Mar 2011

Cummings School granted U.S. Patent for antibody-based treatment against Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine have received U.S. patent approval for an antibody-based treatment for Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a potentially fatal outcome of E. coli poisoning and the leading cause of kidney failure in children.

1 Mar 2011

Researchers discover new mechanism of beta cell destruction not previously known

The death of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas is a core defect in diabetes. Scientists in Italy and Texas now have discovered a new way that these cells die - by toxic imbalance of a molecule secreted by other pancreatic cells.

28 Feb 2011

Silver nanoparticle coated 'killer paper' for food packaging

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests of "killer paper," a material intended for use as a new food packaging material that helps preserve foods by fighting the bacteria that cause spoilage. The paper, described in ACS's journal, Langmuir, contains a coating of silver nanoparticles, which are powerful anti-bacterial agents.

17 Feb 2011

Majority of parents continue to give OTC cough and cold medicines to children under 2

Research has linked over-the-counter cough and cold products to poisoning or death in hundreds of children, ages 2 and younger. Studies have also shown that these medicines do little to control symptoms. As a result, in 2008, the United States Food and Drug Administration formally recommended that OTC cough and cold products not be given to children under age 2.

16 Feb 2011

Americans willing to pay more, but up to a limit, for safer food

Government regulators could more realistically assess the value of improving food safety if they considered the fact that consumers typically want to avoid getting sick - even if it means they have to pay a little extra for safer food, researchers say.

10 Feb 2011

Scientists discover how stressed cells boost thrombin production

In our not-so-distant evolutionary past, stress often meant imminent danger, and the risk of blood loss, so part of our body's stress response is to stock-pile blood-clotting factors. Scientists in the Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, a collaboration between the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, and the University of Heidelberg Medical Centre, have discovered how stressed cells boost the production of the key blood-clotting factor, thrombin.

4 Feb 2011

Scientists discover how stressed cells boost production of key blood-clotting factor, thrombin

Scientists in a collaboration between EMBL Heidelberg and the University of Heidelberg Medical Centre have discovered how stressed cells boost the production of the key blood-clotting factor, thrombin. Their work, published today in Molecular Cell, shows how cancer cells may be taking advantage of this process, and opens new possibilities for fighting back against cancer and septicaemia.