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HGNS increases airflow during sleep in patients with OSA

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) produced marked dose-related increases in airflow in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients without arousing them from sleep, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center.

25 Nov 2011

Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation donates $18M to UHN cardiac centre

Dr. Robert Bell, President and CEO of University Health Network (UHN), announced today that the Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation is donating $18 million to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at UHN. This new gift brings the total investment by Peter and Melanie Munk in UHN to $65 million.

24 Nov 2011

Researchers take a step toward neuronal replacement therapy

A new study has revealed that immature neurons taken from healthy mouse embryos can repair damaged brain circuitry and partially normalize metabolism when transplanted into adult mice that have grown morbidly obese due to a genetic deficiency.

24 Nov 2011

Sub-Saharan African countries lose billions of dollars due to migration of doctors

Sub-Saharan African countries that train and invest in their doctors end up losing billions of dollars as the clinicians leave to work in developed nations, finds research published on bmj.com today.

24 Nov 2011

Scientists decode how Machado-Joseph disease arises

Neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the greatest challenges of our aging society. However, investigation into these diseases is made particularly difficult due to the limited availability of human brain tissue. Scientists from the Life & Brain Research Center and Neurology Clinic of Bonn University have now taken a roundabout path: They reprogrammed skin cells from patients with a hereditary movement disorder into so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and obtained functional nerve cells from them.

24 Nov 2011

Malaria is almost under control in Suriname

Malaria is almost under control in Suriname. According to an impact study conducted by Hélène Hiwat - van Laar, who was awarded a PhD on the subject on 21 November at Wageningen University, a five-year control programme with new strategies has proved successful. The people most at risk nowadays are the mobile gold miner communities, especially those along the French Guianese border.

24 Nov 2011

Ribosomes spontaneously change their form during protein production

Ribosomes, the construction sites for proteins, are far more complex than previously assumed. During the production of proteins they constantly and spontaneously change their form. This performance of eukaryotic ribosomes has now been demonstrated for the first time by scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Genetik in Berlin, and Cornell University in New York, with the aid of special electron microscopic and biophysical methods.

24 Nov 2011

Dantrolene reduces severity of walking and balance problems linked with HD

Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by ongoing destruction of specific neurons within the brain. It affects a person's ability to walk, talk, and think - leading to involuntary movement and loss of muscle co-ordination. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration shows that the RyanR inhibitor Dantrolene is able to reduce the severity of walking and balance problems in a mouse model of HD.

24 Nov 2011

Women with low risk pregnancies should be able to choose where they give birth

Women with low risk pregnancies should be able to choose where they give birth, concludes a study published on bmj.com today. Although it shows that first-time mums who opt for a home birth are at a higher risk of adverse outcomes, the overall risk is low in all birth settings.

24 Nov 2011

B-type lamins are necessary for proper organ development

Scientists have long held theories about the importance of proteins called B-type lamins in the process of embryonic stem cells replicating and differentiating into different varieties of cells. New research from a team led by Carnegie's Yixian Zheng indicates that, counter to expectations, these B-type lamins are not necessary for stem cells to renew and develop, but are necessary for proper organ development.

24 Nov 2011

Carefully selected young, healthy neurons can repair brain circuitry

Neuron transplants have repaired brain circuitry and substantially normalized function in mice with a brain disorder, an advance indicating that key areas of the mammalian brain are more reparable than was widely believed.

24 Nov 2011

Einstein, Montefiore experts available to discuss effects of radiation dose and exposure

Experts from Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University are available for interviews on topics ranging from effects of radiation dose and exposure to MRI imaging to detect brain damage in soccer players due to "heading" and cancer post-treatment imaging during the annual Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly.

24 Nov 2011

Randox expand range of immunoturbidimetric proteins

With the recent launch of the Haptoglobin and Ceruloplasmin assays Randox now have one of the largest ranges of immunoturbidimetric proteins on the market. All reagents are liquid ready to use for added convenience; furthermore, automated applications are available for most chemistry systems eliminating the need for specialised protein analysers.

From Randox Laboratories Ltd. 24 Nov 2011

Just a few drugs responsible for majority of emergency hospitalizations

Latest research shows that just a few drugs are responsible for a majority of the emergency hospitalizations for bad events related to medication use in older U.S. adults.

24 Nov 2011

Healthy fetus aborted by mistake

The Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne has mounted an investigation into the accidental termination of a healthy 32-week-old fetus.

24 Nov 2011

Harmful BPA found in canned foods

According to a new study canned foods may contain harmful chemical Bisphenol A or BPA. BPA is a common chemical used in plastic products and in the lining of cans. BPA keeps them from corroding, but it may also be creeping into the food.

24 Nov 2011

Acetaminophen over-use can lead to serious liver damage

Common pain and fever Acetaminophen (best known by the brand name Tylenol) taken over a long time can cause liver failure and death, according to a new study.

24 Nov 2011

EC’s amended rulings on bottled water claims – it keeps one cool and healthy

Last week after Brussels bureaucrats announced that bottled water does not prevent dehydration and manufacturers cannot claim so in their labels and advertisements, they were met with ridicules and derision.

24 Nov 2011

ABCC9 gene also influences duration of sleep in humans

A collaborative European study led by LMU researchers has shown that ABCC9, a known genetic factor in heart disease and diabetes, also influences the duration of sleep in humans.

24 Nov 2011

Functional MRI can detect pathological foetal brain defects earlier in the womb

A team of researchers at the MedUni's Clinical Department of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology has demonstrated for the first time ever that there are foetal brain developments that can be measured using functional magnetic resonance tomography in the womb.

24 Nov 2011