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 Back to Eurekalert Medical and Health News Archives
Eurekalert Medical and Health News: 02-25-2005
Working in the subway several hours each day, subway workers and transit police breathe more subway air than the typical commuter. Subway air has been shown to contain more steel dust than outdoor or other indoor air in New York City. But do transit workers' bodies harbor elevated levels of these metals? And does this translate into a health concern for the workers?
The article describes 20 patents awarded in 2004 for: powering microprocessors (4), a robust, fast power grid switch, florescent light dimmer, control for microbial diseases of plants, biosensor, Brucella vaccine for animals and humans, potential treatment for anxiety and depression, a retinal detachment treatment, separation process for Kava root, supplement that improves livestock disease resistance, vibration and sound dampener, device to measure solid material volume or density, nano-scale lithography, NMR tube cleaner, compact wideband antenna, and a children's book bag.
New York University Sociologist Troy Duster concludes that a pharmaceutical to combat heart disease among blacks is based on faulty research and urges the Food and Drug Administration to obtain more reliable data before approving the drug. Duster, president of the American Sociological Association, writes that research on isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine (BiDil), produced by NitroMed, incorrectly links a biological idea of race to heart disease and that socioeconomic factors better explain susceptibility to heart disease. Duster's analysis appears in Science magazine.
Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered one reason why infants with low birth weight have a high potential of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
In a new study, researchers at the University of Michigan Health System found that patient-reported symptoms can be used as an effective and less expensive alternative to frequent lower endoscopies to monitor the progression of ulcerative colitis. The results from the study are published in the February 2005 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
A large review of data linked to over 175,000 older adults enrolled in HMOs indicates that potentially inappropriate medications are being prescribed in substantial numbers. The findings are published in the February Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
According to a recent study, older adults providing home care to their spouses may be more inclined to act in ways that could harm the impaired partner.
A new Standard Reference Material from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will help clinical genetics labs improve the accuracy of their diagnostic tests for the most common cause of hereditary mental retardation."Fragile X Syndrome" is a genetic mutation affecting approximately one in 3,600 males and one in 4,000 to 6,000 females. It has been linked to several physical abnormalities and to intellectual problems ranging from minor learning disabilities to severe mental retardation and autism.
NASA researchers announce a potential cause of rapid kidney stone formation in astronauts on space travels. The authors of a study published in Kidney International call for a "Major Initiative" to investigate nanobacteria.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Environmental Protection Agency's National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) have joined forces to cut the risk of contamination of drinking water through building piping or associated household appliances.
Injuries from adverse drug events in the long-term care setting are more common than previously documented, and largely preventable, according to the findings of a study published today in The American Journal of Medicine.
The Family System Genetic Illness (FSGI) model is biopsychosocial-- addressing the biological, psychological, and social issues of the genomic revolution.
SRCD will hold its biennial interdisciplinary meeting April 7-10 in Atlanta, Georgia. Peer-reviewed research will cover a range of topics in child development, health, education, and public policy. See Full Text for sample topics. Studies span infancy through adolescence, and include normal circumstances facing all families as well as a wide range of special populations. Press Releases to follow.
The Louisiana Board of Regents granted final approval Thursday for Louisiana Tech to offer a nanosystems engineering degree program, the nation's first such undergraduate degree. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative -- a federal coordinator of multi-agency efforts in nanoscale science, engineering and technology -- about 20,000 researchers are at work in nanotechnology today, and 2 million workers will be needed within 15 years to support nanotechnology industries worldwide.
A cellular "porthole" known best for its role in the digestive system apparently has a major role in helping the brain sense odors, Johns Hopkins scientists report in the Feb. 17 issue of Neuron. The porthole, which lets chloride into cells, is also critical in digestion, hearing, balance, and fertility.
A new study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that nearly half of injection drug users disposed of their used syringes safely, yet only 28 percent acquired their needles from safe sources.
New imaging technologies are enabling doctors to not only diagnose a variety of orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions with more accuracy, but also to determine with unprecedented precision whether clinical recovery from bone, joint or tendon damage is actually complete and not simply a "placebo effect."
Early Alzheimer's disease may be precipitated by a "traffic jam" within neurons that causes swelling and prevents proper transport of proteins and structures in the cells, according to new studies by Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers. In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and in human brain samples from people with the disease, researchers observed a characteristic breakdown in neurons that appears to prevent the normal movement of critical proteins to the communications centers of the nerve cells.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers demonstrated that a gel applied in the vagina provides protection from both the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the herpes simplex Virus. The study, presented at the 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, is the first to show that a gel can retain anti-viral activity within the human vagina.
"Safety Hazards Associated with Subways: A Review," provides a comprehensive look at health and safety hazards thatmight affect both riders and subway workers, and indicates that while subways in general, are relatively safe, subway systems are vulnerable to a range of health and safety hazards.
Women who need treatment for osteoporosis -- thinning of the bones -- may not be receiving it because their history of fractures is not being considered by physicians, according to a study done in part at the University of Alberta.
Journalists are encouraged to apply to attend a media fellowship, "Autism: Rates, Causes and Treatment," hosted by Vanderbilt University in conjunction with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education April 10-13 in Nashville, Tenn. At this fellowship, journalists will have an opportunity to meet with leading autism researchers and affected families to learn about the latest advances in understanding this complex disorder.
In a study published in Nature, Fox Chase Cancer Center scientists have identified a new immune-system mutation that changes T-cell development from helper to killer cells. The spontaneous mutation was discovered in a strain of Fox Chase laboratory mice -- a potentially useful new research tool for studying the development of immune response.
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) will host its 2005 Biodefense Research Meeting from March 20-23, 2005 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.
Technology and treatments have allowed a new wave of patients to survive until adulthood, further challenging the health-care system.
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