Sensor technology has the potential to significantly improve the teaching of proper technique for clinical breast exams, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. … – Source
An ophthalmology research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison took part in a nationwide clinical trial comparing treatments for a form of diabetic eye disease. The study found that three commonly used drugs perform much the same for those with mild vision problems, but one medication performed better for those with more serious vision loss. … – Source
Research from the University of Alberta is shedding new light on primary biliary cirrhosis, a rare liver disease that affects up to one in 500 middle aged women. In a study published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Andrew Mason, a professor of medicine in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, proves that patients with the disease are infected with human betaretrovirus — a virus resembling a mouse mammary tumor virus. … – Source
A recent study involving Kansas State University researchers finds that in the coming decades at least one-quarter of the world’s wheat production will be lost to extreme weather from climate change if no adaptation measures are taken. … – Source
The first global survey of rabies reporting systems, published this week, has uncovered a shocking lack of preparedness against this deadly disease across Africa and Asia. Accurate reporting of rabies cases to authorities is a critical first step in controlling rabies and preventing further outbreaks, yet the study found that over 2.5 billion people live in countries without effective rabies reporting. … – Source
The use of statins may not be associated with lowering risk for Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The findings cast doubts on reports suggesting that the cholesterol-lowering medications may protect against this neurodegenerative brain disorder. … – Source
A team of Inserm researchers from the Cardio-Thoracic Research Centre of Bordeaux (Inserm/University of Bordeaux and Bordeaux University Hospital) has demonstrated the clinical efficacy of gallopamil in 31 patients with severe asthma. This chronic disease is characterized by remodeling of the bronchi, which exacerbates the obstruction of the airways already seen in ‘classic’ asthma. In contrast to the reference treatment, gallopamil has proved capable of reducing the bronchial smooth muscle mass. … – Source
Widely considered simply a malodorous toxic gas, hydrogen sulfide is now being studied for its probable role in regulating blood pressure, according to researchers. … – Source
Researchers have just released a ‘precision medicine’ approach to diabetes prevention that could keep more people from joining the ranks of the 29 million Americans with diabetes — using existing information like blood sugar levels and waist-to-hip ratios, and without needing new genetic tests. … – Source
Novel nanomaterials derived from cellulose have many promising industrial applications, are biobased and biodegradable, and can be produced at relatively low cost. Their potential toxicity — whether ingested, inhaled, on contact with the skin, or on exposure to cells within the body — is a topic of intense discussion, and the latest evidence and insights on cellulose nanocrystal toxicity are presented in a Review article in Industrial Biotechnology. … – Source
Although there is insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions about how the US illicit tobacco market would respond to any new regulations that modify cigarettes — for example, by lowering nicotine content — limited evidence suggests that demand for illicit versions of conventional cigarettes would be modest, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. … – Source
Smartphones and tablets may hold the key to getting more nurses to diagnose patients with chronic health issues like obesity, smoking, and depression — three of the leading causes of preventable death and disability. … – Source
A study finds that kochia has evolved to have multiple copies of a gene code that targets glyphosate, the most common herbicide. These copies enable the invasive weeds to survive the field rate of glyphosate applications. … – Source
