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Landmines are a deadly attraction for children

Saying that landmines are a deadly attraction for children, UNICEF has called for all countries that care about children to stop producing landmines.

3 Dec 2004

One embryo as good as two to maximize the chance of pregnancy

Nearly as many women who received only one embryo at a time gave birth as women who received two embryos. At the same time the risk of giving birth to twins is minimized. These are the findings of a major study from the Sahlgrenska Academy, at Göteborg University in Sweden.

3 Dec 2004

Disturbing new trend in cybersuicide is emerging

A disturbing new trend in suicide pacts involving strangers meeting over the internet (cybersuicide) is emerging, warns a consultant psychiatrist in this week's BMJ.

3 Dec 2004

Guidance about the use of chaperones for intimate examinations is difficult to implement fully in general practice

The conduct of intimate examinations in medical settings has been a subject of controversy for many years. As such, the medical royal colleges, the General Medical Council, and the defence organisations now recommend that these examinations are not done by unaccompanied doctors.

3 Dec 2004

Medication errors in sick children might be substantially higher than previously estimated

Medication errors are common in paediatric emergency departments, but the incidence of errors during paediatric resuscitation has not been fully investigated.

3 Dec 2004

Accident and emergency departments still lacking in essential services for children

Five years after accident and emergency departments were found to be lacking in essential services for children, many still fail to meet the minimum standards, says a study on bmj.com this week.

3 Dec 2004

Current system for determining medical negligence is secretive, unaccountable and unregulated

The current system for determining medical negligence is "secretive, unaccountable and unregulated", according to an opinion piece in this week's BMJ.

3 Dec 2004

Sleep is the remedy for a bad day at work

A good night's sleep may be the remedy for a bad day at work, suggests a new University of Florida study on the unexplored relationship between job satisfaction and the shifting moods of employees.

2 Dec 2004

Important step in understanding why some of us can eat fatty foods and not suffer from cardiac disease

Doctors and their patients have puzzled over why certain cholesterol-lowering drugs work better in some people than others. In research results published in the December issue of the journal Nature Genetics, the common minnow helps provide an answer.

2 Dec 2004

New method measures emotional quality of daily experience

For Marcel Proust, the taste of a madeleine conjured remembrance of the distant past. In today's multi-tasking, hyper-speed world, it can be a trick to remember what we did yesterday.

2 Dec 2004

Researchers develop method to better measure people's quality of life

A new research method that quantifies people's quality of life -- beyond how much money they make -- could lead to a national index of well-being, similar to key measures of economic health.

2 Dec 2004

Why our immune system worsens with age

Scientists at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at Oregon Health & Science University have made a discovery that helps explain why our immune system worsens with age. The work was led by Janko Nikolich-Zugich, M.D., Ph.D., a senior scientist at the VGTI.

2 Dec 2004

$3 million to research whether stress-management techniques can improve immune system responses in women with breast cancer

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing a $3 million grant to research whether stress-management techniques can improve immune system responses in women with breast cancer.

2 Dec 2004

Study gives U.S.a 'C' grade for reproductive health

In a comprehensive study released today by Population Action International (PAI) - an independent policy and research organization based in Washington, D.C. - the United States ranks 16th and receives a "C" on a list of 21 donor countries graded according to their financial and political support for international reproductive health and population programs.

2 Dec 2004

Obesity disproportionately burdens low-income, ethnic minority populations

Obesity is likely to affect individuals in low-income areas where fresh fruits and vegetables may not be as plentiful, according to a new University of Houston study.

2 Dec 2004

Red meat consumption is an independent risk factor in the development of inflammatory arthritis

A chronic inflammatory disease of the immune system, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been linked to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

2 Dec 2004

Benefits of weight loss may depend on alignment of affected leg, study suggests

A painful and sometimes crippling disease characterized by progressive cartilage loss, osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee affects an estimated 6 percent of adults over age 30.

2 Dec 2004

3D MDCT accurate for imaging liver arteries

3D MDCT angiography is a more efficient way to classify liver arterial anatomy before liver surgery, according to researchers from Duke University in Durham, NC.

2 Dec 2004

Tofu-based biomaterial that can help mend broken bones

A new Tofu-based biomaterial that can help mend broken bones and damaged tissues is being developed thanks to an investment of £149,000 from NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), the organization that champions UK creativity and innovation.

2 Dec 2004

New devices for people who suffer dry mouth or lack of saliva

For dry mouth sufferers Saliwell’s innovative patented devices brings welcome relief by restoring natural saliva production through electro-stimulation.

2 Dec 2004