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Tuberculosis research

It is estimated that two billion people--or one-third of the world's population--are chronically infected without active symptoms. Nine million new cases of active disease are diagnosed annually, resulting in two million deaths.

26 Nov 2005

Cranberry juice protects teeth against cavities

Families gathered around the Thanksgiving dinner table might consider giving thanks for the bacteria-busting ability of cranberry juice, say dental researchers who have discovered that the beverage holds important clues for preventing cavities.

26 Nov 2005

Ecotherapy: restoring health through contact with nature

Connecting with nature can improve your health and wellbeing, say researchers in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ). The theory is known as ecotherapy: restoring health through contact with nature.

26 Nov 2005

Researchers identify genes affected by Methotrexate (MTX)

A Queen's University study of fruit flies that may revolutionize the way birth defects are studied has identified the genes affected by a widely-prescribed drug known to cause birth defects.

26 Nov 2005

High blood pressure research advances efforts to tailor drugs to individual patients

Having high blood pressure and a particular genetic alteration dramatically increases the risk of heart attack, stroke or death, and may explain why some hypertensive patients fare worse than others - even if they take the same medication, University of Florida researchers announced.

26 Nov 2005

Fear gene discovered

In the Nov. 18 issue of Cell, researchers report the discovery of a gene that controls the ability to react with appropriate fear to impending danger.

26 Nov 2005

"Get With The Guidelines" programs improve care

After one year - Get With The GuidelinesSM programs used in hospitals significantly improved care for almost 30,000 coronary artery disease patients of all ages and sexes, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2005.

26 Nov 2005

Chinese research often fails to reach world scientific community

Important genetic research done in China often fails to reach the international scientific community, according to a study published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine.

26 Nov 2005

Stress shown to raise bad cholesterol levels

British scientists have found that cholesterol levels in healthy adults can be raised by stress.

24 Nov 2005

Unless it's useful, ignore it and your memory will benefit

According to researchers, being able to filter out useless information can help people increase their capacity to remember what is really important.

24 Nov 2005

Highly educated more at risk of Parkinson's disease

New research has suggested that people with high levels of education and demanding careers also have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

22 Nov 2005

Changes in our early sensory experiences resulting from disease or environmental factors may shape our sensory perceptions

Our brain's ability to combine sensory information from a single event - such as seeing an ambulance and hearing its siren - has been shown to speed our reactions, help us identify objects and heighten our awareness.

21 Nov 2005

Carbonic anhydrase and CO2 sensing during Cryptococcus neoformans growth, differentiation, and virulence

By using pathogenic fungi as model systems for understanding fungal diseases, two groups of researchers are reporting new work that offers insight into how carbon dioxide (CO2) governs the morphogenic changes that allow pathogenic fungi to survive in different environments and invade the human body

21 Nov 2005

Accurate and rapid method of diagnosing bacterial meningitis

Several hundred serious cases of bacterial meningitis are diagnosed in Australians every year. Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment, however doctors have always faced difficulty in diagnosis, both in children and adults.

21 Nov 2005

Heart patients, do you tell your doctor you're using alternative medicines?

Doctors, do you ask your patients if they're using alternative medicines?

21 Nov 2005

Critical role of p53 gene

Fruit flies can live significantly longer, and remain healthy, when activity of the fly version of the tumor-suppressing protein p53 is reduced in nerve cells.

21 Nov 2005

Significant association between gingivitis and preterm birth

Pregnant women will want to include a periodontal evaluation as part of their prenatal care. That's because researchers found that periodontal treatment significantly reduced the risk of having a preterm birth or a low birthweight infant, according to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology.

21 Nov 2005

Newly identified protein may help improve treatment for lung cancer

Researchers hope that a newly identified protein can one day help improve treatment for lung cancer. The findings are reported by researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

21 Nov 2005

Acoustics experts say medical sound pollution is widely recognized, rarely addressed

Announcements blare from overhead speakers. Electronic devices beep. Heating and cooling systems rumble. Employees and visitors speak loudly.

21 Nov 2005

Music training may change the brain

New research shows that the special training of music conductors seems to enhance the way their senses work together - enabling them to quickly tell who played a wrong note, for example. Scientists hope the research will lead to new discoveries about how music training may change the brain.

21 Nov 2005