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Structural variation in the human genome

A major new effort to uncover the medium- and large-scale genetic differences between humans may soon reveal DNA sequences that contribute to a wide range of diseases, according to a paper by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Evan Eichler and 17 colleagues published in the May 10, 2007, Nature.

10 May 2007

Caring for the sick now a public health priority for developing countries

Palliative care is commonly used in developed countries to improve the quality of life of patients with life-threatening illnesses, through strategies aimed mainly at pain relief.

10 May 2007

Assessment of state immunization requirements for healthcare workers and patients

A new study shows wide state-to-state variations in laws regulating vaccinations for health care workers and patients, setting the stage for future research to determine whether more laws could serve as effective tools to combat infectious diseases.

9 May 2007

Movies significantly influence teens to smoke

Two new studies by Dartmouth Medical School pediatrician researchers underscore the significant impact that movies have in influencing teens to smoke.

9 May 2007

VA should revise its methods for evaluating post-traumatic stress disorder

To ensure more consistent and appropriate disability compensation for veterans, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs to revise how it evaluates former military personnel for service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and determines the payment amounts they merit, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.

9 May 2007

Study implicates protein as a trigger of advanced prostate cancer recurrence

Scientists with the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have for the first time implicated a growth-promoting cellular protein as one trigger of the inevitable recurrence of advanced prostate cancer in men who are undergoing drug treatment to shut down their sex hormones, or androgens.

9 May 2007

Researchers identify immune dysfunction in melanoma patients

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have begun to shed light on why the human immune system isn't able to stop such cancers as melanoma, suggesting answers that could pave the way for better treatment of this often-fatal illness.

9 May 2007

Sigma-Aldrich acquires Molecular Medicine BioServices

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation has announced that it has acquired Molecular Medicine BioServices Inc. (MMB), a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization (CMO) located in Carlsbad, California, to further enhance the biologics capabilities within its SAFC Pharma business segment.

9 May 2007

Cancer screening in women: BMI and adherence to physician recommendations

While severe obesity can be accompanied by other health problems including cancer, severely obese women are likely to skip clinical breast exams, mammograms and Pap smears, according to a recent analysis.

9 May 2007

Researchers develop first antibody that detects gene mutations that cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Researchers at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine have developed the first antibody that detects the only known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease.

9 May 2007

Off-label and untested use of drug-coated stents is common in U.S. practice

The off-label and untested use of drug-coated stents in the treatment of coronary artery blockage is common in U.S. practice, and ischemic complication rates are higher among patients receiving drug-coated stents for off-label indications, according to two studies in the May 9 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.

9 May 2007

Attention training is worth examining for disorders with attentional components, like ADHD

Everyday experience and psychology research both indicate that paying close attention to one thing can keep you from noticing something else.

9 May 2007

Hepatitis C infection is associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Hepatitis C infection is associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (malignancy involving lymphatic tissue) of 20 percent to 30 percent, and a three-fold increase in the risk of another type of lymphoma, according to a study in the May 9 issue of JAMA.

9 May 2007

Low-dose MDCT of the abdomen and pelvis reduces hospital stay in patients with acute nonspecific abdominal pain

Extremely low-dose MDCT of the abdomen and pelvis is useful in providing needed diagnostic information and reducing hospital stay in patients with acute nonspecific abdominal pain, according to a new study by researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA.

9 May 2007

Baby aspirin better for your health

Nearly a quarter of a million Americans each year may be hospitalized with bleeding complications caused by needlessly taking a daily dose of an adult-sized aspirin rather than a baby aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke.

9 May 2007

Researchers create agent that protects cells from the lethal effects of radiation

No drugs exist to protect the public from the high levels of radiation that could be released by a "dirty" bomb or nuclear explosion.

9 May 2007

100 percent juice is not associated with young children being overweight

Using the same database that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses to confirm the rise in obesity rates, researchers have concluded that 100 percent juice is not associated with young children being overweight or at risk for becoming overweight

9 May 2007

VCU to develop new form of radiation therapy

The National Cancer Institute has awarded a five-year, $10.7 million grant to Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers to develop a new form of radiation therapy that will enable the safe administration of more aggressive cancer treatments.

9 May 2007

Fruit juice does not make children fat

Researchers in the United States say there is no link between a child's consumption of pure fruit juices and their chances of being overweight.

9 May 2007

Study provides clues about inability to imitate and empathize in autistic children

New imaging research at UCLA shows that impairments in autistic children's ability to imitate and empathize can be linked to dysfunction in the brain's mirror-neuron system.

8 May 2007