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Using the butterfly effect to predict heart disease: an interview with Dr George and Dr Parthimos, Cardiff University

The emergence of the butterfly effect in many physical events reveals two fundamental laws that underpin all nonlinear systems. The first principle is known as determinism, which means that the evolution of an event can be followed accurately in the future, as long as we know its precise starting point and the rules of how a situation can change with time.

23 Mar 2015

New targeted therapy promises to reduce frequency and intensity of breakouts

Acne, a scourge of adolescence, may be about to meet its ultra high-tech match. By using a combination of ultrasound, gold-covered particles and lasers, researchers from UC Santa Barbara and the private medical device company Sebacia have developed a targeted therapy that could potentially lessen the frequency and intensity of breakouts, relieving acne sufferers the discomfort and stress of dealing with severe and recurring pimples.

23 Mar 2015

Insect-borne diseases increase with warmer climate

Insects, such as mosquitoes and ticks, are responsible for transmitting a range of diseases, such as malaria, chikungunya, dengue fever, and West Nile virus. The risk of contracting such illnesses is generally only considered when booking an exotic holiday. However, experts from the Emergency Response Department at Public Health England have warned that climate change could allow such vector-borne diseases to emerge closer to home.

23 Mar 2015

Globavir, BioManguinhos partner to jointly evaluate PanGlob RT-PCR Dengue diagnostic assay

Globavir Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to treat infectious diseases, has announced a partnership with BioManguinhos, a division of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, for a joint evaluation of Globavir's PanGlob RT-PCR Dengue diagnostic assay.

23 Mar 2015

Researchers examine why joint infections persist despite standards of care

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and the National Institutes of Health are building on their research which seeks to understand why joint infections persist despite standards of care designed to stop them.

23 Mar 2015

New analysis of medieval cesspit in Jerusalem provides window into spread of infectious diseases

A new analysis of a medieval cesspit in the Christian quarter of the old city of Jerusalem has revealed the presence of a number of ancient parasite eggs, providing a window into the nature and spread of infectious diseases in the Middle East during the 15th century.

23 Mar 2015

Pathogen may cause high levels of virulence in closely-related hosts

When viruses such as influenza and Ebola jump from one species to another, their ability to cause harm can change dramatically, but research from the University of Cambridge shows that it may be possible to predict the virus's virulence by looking at how deadly it is in closely-related species.

23 Mar 2015

Climate change could accelerate emergence of vector-borne diseases in UK

Climate change could accelerate the emergence of vector-borne diseases such as chikungunya, dengue fever, and West Nile virus in the UK, warn leading public health experts Dr Jolyon Medlock and Professor Steve Leach from the Emergency Response Department at Public Health England, writing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

23 Mar 2015

WHO calls for intensification of routine immunization services in all Ebola-affected areas

A growing risk of outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and other vaccine-preventable diseases in countries affected by Ebola must be countered by urgent scaling up of routine immunization activities, according to the World Health Organization.

21 Mar 2015

Case Western Reserve professor urges action to eliminate yaws

Half a century ago, a concentrated global effort nearly wiped a disfiguring tropical disease from the face of the earth. Now, says Case Western Reserve's James W. Kazura, MD, it's time to complete the work.

20 Mar 2015

New technology developed to determine resistance to rabies virus

Researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research have developed a new technology to determine sensitivity or resistance to rabies virus.

20 Mar 2015

Two common antibiotic treatments equally effective against MRSA skin infections

Researchers funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, have found that two common antibiotic treatments work equally well against bacterial skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) acquired outside of hospital settings.

20 Mar 2015

MSU researchers discover cause of death in children who get malaria

Researchers from Michigan State University have uncovered the cause of death in children who die from cerebral malaria.

19 Mar 2015

IU researchers reveal how Toxoplasma parasites modify brain cells

Rodents infected with a common parasite lose their fear of cats, resulting in easy meals for the felines. Now IU School of Medicine researchers have identified a new way the parasite may modify brain cells, possibly helping explain changes in the behavior of mice -- and humans.

19 Mar 2015

PaMZ drug regimen shows potential to improve treatment for MDR-TB

A new tuberculosis (TB) drug regimen designed to improve options for TB therapy eliminated more bacteria from sputum than standard therapy and did so at a faster rate, according to data from a phase 2b clinical trial published today in The Lancet. These results are published just as the global phase 3 clinical trial, designed to bring this regimen through the last stage of testing, has begun.

19 Mar 2015

New method of testing deadly pathogen could help combat cystic fibrosis

A new method of testing the most common cause of life-threatening infection in people with cystic fibrosis could improve efforts to study and combat the illness.

18 Mar 2015

Finding could improve global efforts to prevent HIV transmission, save lives

People who recently have been infected with HIV may not be as highly infectious as previously believed, a finding that could improve global efforts to prevent HIV transmission and save lives. In particular, the finding bolsters the strategy of treating patients with antiretroviral drugs before the onset of AIDS to prevent transmission.

18 Mar 2015

Virginia Tech researchers use genome-editing method to study lethal disease-carrying animal

Life science researchers at Virginia Tech have accelerated a game-changing technology that's being used to study one of the planet's most lethal disease-carrying animals.

18 Mar 2015

First clinical trial of new malaria vaccine held in Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea has held the first clinical trial of a new malaria vaccine known as PfSPZ. Three volunteers participated this month in the trial of the vaccine, which was developed by the American biotechnology company Sanaria. The trial took place at the La Paz Medical Center, the country's premier medical facility, located in Sipopo, just outside the capital.

18 Mar 2015

New UNICEF report highlights urgency of reducing Ebola cases

Ebola has had a devastating impact on children, who make up about 20 per cent of infections in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. To protect them and their communities, it is critical to defeat this scourge, while working to restore basic services, UNICEF said in a report released today.

17 Mar 2015