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Anorexia may be caused by change in brain chemical

A new study has found that women who have had a certain type of anorexia nervosa show a change in the activity of a chemical in their brain that is widely associated with anxiety and other affective disorders, for as long as one year after recovery.

7 Sep 2005

Animal model of Parkinson's disease reveals striking sensitivity to common environmental toxins

In findings that support a relationship between agricultural chemicals and Parkinson's disease, two groups of researchers have found new evidence that loss of DJ-1, a gene known to be linked to inherited Parkinson's disease, leads to striking sensitivity to the herbicide paraquat and the insecticide rotenone.

7 Sep 2005

Contaminated water presents bigger crisis in the Gaza Strip

A group of Israeli, Palestinian and French scientists have proposed a possible management solution to ameliorate the water quality crisis depriving residents of drinkable water in the Gaza Strip. The study is published in the September-October 2005 issue of the journal Ground Water . This special theme issue contains 14 papers on transboundary ground water.

7 Sep 2005

A quirky or socially awkward approach to life might be the key to becoming a great artist, composer or inventor

New research in individuals with schizotypal personalities - people characterized by odd behavior and language but who are not psychotic or schizophrenic - offers the first neurological evidence that these individuals are more creative than normal or fully schizophrenic people, and rely more heavily on the right sides of their brains than the general population to access their creativity.

7 Sep 2005

Third-year medical students receive on average one gift or attend one activity sponsored by a pharmaceutical company per week

...and most believe that sponsored educational events are likely to be biased, according to an article in the September 7 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.

7 Sep 2005

United States is expected to face a shortage of millions of workers within the coming decade

The newly established Boston College Center on Aging & Work has received a $3-million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study how the American workplace will evolve to accommodate its aging workforce.

7 Sep 2005

Batch reading mammograms can significantly reduce the number of patients who have to return for additional mammograms

Batch reading, the process of interpreting screening mammograms during a set-aside block of time in a quiet environment that prevents interruption or distraction, can significantly reduce the number of patients who have to return for additional mammograms - although few hospitals use it, say researchers from the University of Wisconsin.

7 Sep 2005

Enrollment at U.S. medical schools has changed very little over the last 10 years

The authors found that the number of medical students in 1994-1995 and in 2004-2005 remained constant, at about 67,000. The number of full-time faculty members increased from 90,016 in 1994-1995 to 119,025 in 2004-2005 (a 32 percent increase).

7 Sep 2005

Study indicates that patients with a cervical spinal injury may harbor additional spinal damage not visible on regular x-rays

In fact, more than a third of patients who were thought to have low-risk injuries actually have additional damage that may include significant fractures with the potential to produce serious spinal problems if not detected and treated properly.

7 Sep 2005

Letrozole following tamoxifen may benefit women with breast cancer

Switching to the drug letrozole following 5 years of treatment with tamoxifen reduces the risk of hormone-dependent breast cancer recurrence, but not overall survival, among postmenopausal women, according to a new study in the September 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

7 Sep 2005

Education is the most effective way to empower the rural poor in Africa

"Education is the most effective way to empower the rural poor to get out of poverty and to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are met in sub-Saharan Africa," according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

7 Sep 2005

Researchers recommend multidisciplinary approach of low back pain

Researchers calculated the costs of management of low back pain and found that an integrated and step-wise approach within a multidisciplinary setting forms a better use of the available resources. The study is published in the September issue of Pain Practice.

7 Sep 2005

WHO urges responsible use of antimalarial medicines

In a new report published today, ''Susceptibility of Plasmodium Falciparum to Antimalarial Drugs,'' the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that as more and more people gain access to these life-saving malaria medicines, which combine a drug derived from the plant Artemisia annua with a second, synthetic drug, it is vital that countries closely monitor their effectiveness.

7 Sep 2005

Adlyfe receives award from the development of blood test for animal prion diseases

Adlyfe, Inc., a privately held biotech company headquartered in Rockville, MD, focused on early diagnostics for animal and human brain diseases announced the award today of a $650,000 two year grant from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the UK for continued development of a sensitive early blood test for animal prion diseases.

7 Sep 2005

Testing for specific breast cancer genes unadvisable if no family history of disease exists

According to the Preventive Services Task Force in the U.S., routine testing for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which have been linked to breast and ovarian cancer, are not advised unless women have a family history of the disease.

7 Sep 2005

Spray-on skin to be trialed on burns victims after great results

British doctors are about to conduct the first major trial of "spray-on" skin after the technique saved the life of a man with 90 per cent burns.

7 Sep 2005

New study dispels role of B vitamins in preventing heart attacks

According to the findings of a new study, by giving B vitamins to heart attack survivors their risk of having another attack is not reduced, and it may in fact do more harm than good.

6 Sep 2005

Folic acid levels should be double to provide maximum protection during pregnancy

Reports say that the U.S. government decision to add folic acid to enriched grain products has reduced the incidence of two devastating birth defects. but more needs to be done.

6 Sep 2005

3D gradient-echo MRI examinations useful in detecting most lethal of all major cancers

The study included 57 patients who had clinical symptoms of pancreatic cancer. All had contrast enhanced 3D gradient-echo MRI examinations.

6 Sep 2005

Researchers uncover how the inhaled form of anthrax disarms bacteria-fighting white blood cells before they can fend off the disease

The lethal toxin in anthrax paralyzes neutrophils, the white blood cells that act as the body's first defense against infection, by impairing how they build tiny filaments that allow them to crawl throughout the body and eat invading bacteria.

6 Sep 2005

Medical News

Anorexia may be caused by change in brain chemical

Animal model of Parkinson's disease reveals striking sensitivity to common environmental toxins

Contaminated water presents bigger crisis in the Gaza Strip

A quirky or socially awkward approach to life might be the key to becoming a great artist, composer or inventor

Third-year medical students receive on average one gift or attend one activity sponsored by a pharmaceutical company per week

United States is expected to face a shortage of millions of workers within the coming decade

Batch reading mammograms can significantly reduce the number of patients who have to return for additional mammograms

Enrollment at U.S. medical schools has changed very little over the last 10 years

Study indicates that patients with a cervical spinal injury may harbor additional spinal damage not visible on regular x-rays

Letrozole following tamoxifen may benefit women with breast cancer

Education is the most effective way to empower the rural poor in Africa

Researchers recommend multidisciplinary approach of low back pain

WHO urges responsible use of antimalarial medicines

Adlyfe receives award from the development of blood test for animal prion diseases

Testing for specific breast cancer genes unadvisable if no family history of disease exists

Spray-on skin to be trialed on burns victims after great results

New study dispels role of B vitamins in preventing heart attacks

Folic acid levels should be double to provide maximum protection during pregnancy

3D gradient-echo MRI examinations useful in detecting most lethal of all major cancers

Researchers uncover how the inhaled form of anthrax disarms bacteria-fighting white blood cells before they can fend off the disease

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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