Molecular cubes in the sunlight

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This press release is also available in German.

Satisfaction and regret after radical prostatectomy procedures studied

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Amsterdam, 26 August 2008 - Studies have shown that approximately 16% of patients with localised prostate cancer regret their treatment choice. European Urology (http://www.europeanurology.com), the official journal of the European Association of Urology, will be publishing an article by J.W. Moul et al. comparing differences in satisfaction and regret between patients who underwent open retropubic radical prostatectomy and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

OU researchers developing new tool to detect cancer

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Early cancer detection can significantly improve survival rates. Current diagnostic tests often fail to detect cancer in the earliest stages and at the same time expose a patient to the harmful effects of radiation. Led by Dr. Patrick McCann, a small group of internationally known researchers at the University of Oklahoma with expertise in the development of mid-infrared lasers is working to create a sensor to detect biomarker gases exhaled in the breath of a person with cancer.

Stick with simple antibiotics for pneumonia to avoid super bugs, says researcher

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Australian hospitals should avoid prescribing expensive broad-spectrum antibiotics for pneumonia to avoid the development of more drug-resistant super bugs, according to a University of Melbourne study.

The study, by PhD researcher and Austin Health Infectious Diseases consultant, Dr Patrick Charles, shows that only 5 per cent of people admitted to hospital with community-acquired pneumonia had infections caused by organisms that could not be successfully treated with penicillin combined with an "atypical" antibiotic such as doxycycline or erythromycin.

Uninsured patients receive unpredictable, rationed access to health care

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A case study of three health care institutions -- public, for-profit and not-for-profit -- within one metropolitan area found that self-pay patients must navigate a system that provides no guarantees medical centers will follow their own policies for providing uncompensated care.

The study is published in the August issue of the journal Medical Care.

Medication slows progression of myopia in children

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Philadelphia, PA, August 26, 2008 – Daily treatment with a medication called pirenzepine can slow the rate of progressive myopia, or nearsightedness, in children, reports a study in the August issue of the Journal of AAPOS (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus).

Caesarean babies more likely to develop diabetes

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Babies delivered by Caesarean section have a 20 per cent higher risk than normal deliveries of developing the most common type of diabetes in childhood, according to a study led by Queen's University Belfast.

The team, led by Dr Chris Cardwell and Dr Chris Patterson, examined 20 published studies from 16 countries including around 10,000 children with Type 1 diabetes and over a million control children.

Bones get mended with high tech glass-of-milk

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Scientists at the new Nuclear-Magnetic Resonance unit at the University of Warwick have discovered how a high tech glass of milk is helping bones mend.

Low temperature Bioglass is used to help fix broken bones, but until now no-one has been able to understand the process.

Using a strong magnetic field to 'see' into the bones researchers saw calcium rush into the bioglass in the first hour of implantation.

Cell removal technique could lead to cheaper drugs

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Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have pioneered a simple way to remove dead cells from cell cultures used to make protein-based drugs, which are increasingly prescribed to treat a range of illnesses.

Such medicines are expensive to make, with high costs resulting from the time-consuming and labour-intensive nature of developing them in cell culture

New findings explain genetic disorder's unique shift

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KNOXVILLE -- Findings reported in this month's issue of PLoS Biology give insight into the unique characteristics of the birth defect known as Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), and at the same time, may help explain the way that a certain type of gene is expressed in all humans.

The research by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, professor Francisco Ubeda finds that the amount of care a father gives to his child may cause a shift in the syndrome in which its symptoms, in essence, reverse themselves.