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Being an MRSA carrier increases risk of infection and death

Patients harboring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for long periods of time continue to be at increased risk of MRSA infection and death, according to a new study in the July 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online.

2 Jul 2008

Brain food - what we eat affects our intelligence

New research findings published online in The FASEB Journal provide more evidence that if we get smart about what we eat, our intelligence can improve. According to MIT scientists, dietary nutrients found in a wide range of foods from infant formula to eggs increase brain synapses and improve cognitive abilities.

2 Jul 2008

ActionAid challenges G8 on global food crisis response

Days ahead of the G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan, ActionAid launches a new report, "Cereal Offenders: How the G8 has Contributed to the Global Food Crisis and What They Can Do to Stop It."

2 Jul 2008

Seizures in newborns can be detected with bedside brain-activity monitors

Compact, bedside brain-activity monitors detected most seizures in at-risk infants, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis showed. That means the compact units could assist clinicians in monitoring for electrical seizures until confirmation with conventional EEG (electroencephalography), the researchers assert in an article published in the June issue of Pediatrics.

2 Jul 2008

Coronary arterial calcium scans help detect overall death risk in the elderly

Measuring calcium deposits in the heart's arteries can help predict overall death risk in American adults, even when they are elderly, according to a new study published in the July issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Jul 2008

Body's own 'marijuana' is good for the skin

Scientists from Hungary, Germany and the U.K. have discovered that our own body not only makes chemical compounds similar to the active ingredient in marijuana (THC), but these play an important part in maintaining healthy skin

2 Jul 2008

Major rise in Caesarean sections linked to impaired womb function with age

Delaying childbirth has substantially contributed to recent rises in caesarean section rates, according to a paper published this week by scientists at Cambridge University.

2 Jul 2008

ETH Zurich and IBM improve diagnosis of osteoporosis

With the goal of developing an accurate, powerful and fast method to automate the ana-lysis of bone strength, scientists of the ETH Zurich Departments of Mechanical and Pro-cess Engineering and Computer Science teamed up with supercomputing experts at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory. The breakthrough method developed by the team combines density measurements with a large-scale mechanical analysis of the inner-bone microstructure.

2 Jul 2008

New research shows that adrenal nodules not being adequately evaluated

A new study published in Endocrine Practice found that a substantial percentage of patients with nodules, or growths, in their adrenal glands were not being properly evaluated by physicians.

2 Jul 2008

Ethics summit to prioritize concerns for medical triage, treatment and safety during influenza pandemic

Public health professionals from across the country will convene July 14-15 in Indianapolis for a national summit on ethical and policy issues faced by public health officials and the medical community while preparing for a large-scale epidemic.

2 Jul 2008

Bacteriophages treat deadly bacterial infections in mice

By the time antibiotics made their clinical debut 70 years ago, bacteria had long evolved strategies to shield themselves. For billions of years, bacteria hurled toxic molecules at each other in the struggle to prosper, and those that withstood the chemical onslaught marched on.

2 Jul 2008

Brain trick offers treatment hope for Alzheimer's

Scientists in the UK and Canada have made a significant step forward in the search for new drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease.

2 Jul 2008

Artichoke leaf extract shown to lower cholesterol

Researchers at the University of Reading have found that an over-the-counter Artichoke Leaf Extract (ALE) from the globe artichoke plant can lower cholesterol in otherwise healthy individuals with moderately raised levels.

2 Jul 2008

Mediterranean diet cuts cancer risk

Adopting just two aspects of the Mediterranean diet can cut the risk of developing cancer by 12 per cent - research published in the British Journal of Cancer* today (Wednesday) reveals.

2 Jul 2008

Scientists predict three quarters of children with leukaemia will be cured

Around three-quarters of children diagnosed with leukaemia today will be cured of their disease, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday).

2 Jul 2008

FDA food protection plan shows improvements

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Protection Plan Progress Report, released today in conjunction with the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety Action Plan Update, shows significant areas of activity to further improve the safety of America's food supply since unveiling its Food Protection Plan in November 2007.

2 Jul 2008

Pharmacy Practice Research Trust calls for UK wide strategy for pharmacy practice research

A UK wide research strategy to support the development of robust evidence to inform commissioning and clinical decision making is needed if pharmacy services are to be integrated into care pathways says the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust (the Trust) in a response to the UK Government's white paper on the future of pharmacy.

2 Jul 2008

Erection problems less in men who have intercourse more often

Having intercourse more often may help prevent the development of erectile dysfunction (ED). A study published in the July 2008 issue of The American Journal of Medicine reports that researchers have found that men who had intercourse more often were less likely to develop ED.

2 Jul 2008

Brazilian organization files opposition to Gilead's antiretroviral patent application in India

The Brazilian group Interdisciplinary AIDS Association, or ABIA, has joined Indian patient advocacy groups to oppose a patent application for Gilead Science's antiretroviral drug Tenofovir, saying that the patent would have a direct impact on Brazil's ability to produce and access affordable generic versions of the drug, India's Business Standard reports. Opponents of the patent say that the drug consists of a previously known compound and, therefore, cannot be patented under India's Patents Act.

2 Jul 2008

Counseling heterosexual couples about HIV in Zambia, Rwanda could prevent 60% of HIV cases

Counseling heterosexual couples living in Zambia and Rwanda about HIV transmission could prevent up to 60% of new cases, according to a study published Saturday in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports (Fox, Reuters, 6/26).

2 Jul 2008