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It took less than a decade for native rats to become extinct on the Indian Ocean's previously uninhabited Christmas Island once Eurasian black rats jumped ship onto the island at the turn of the 20th century. But this story is more than the typical tale of direct competition: according to new genetic research published in PLoS One on November 5, black rats carried a pathogen that exterminated two endemic species, Rattus macleari and R. nativitatis.

This discussion derives from the ongoing debate on the directive proposal for the application of cross-border healthcare patients' rights presented by the European Commission (EC) in July this year.

The directive aims at helping European patients to better understand their rights to access proper healthcare, regardless of their place of residence, while respecting the legal framework of each Member State.

In a paper published in Genome Research on Nov. 4, scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) report that what was previously believed to be "junk" DNA is one of the important ingredients distinguishing humans from other species.

More than 50 percent of human DNA has been referred to as "junk" because it consists of copies of nearly identical sequences. A major source of these repeats is internal viruses that have inserted themselves throughout the genome at various times during mammalian evolution.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Using an insulin pump to manage diabetes is more convenient than managing the disease with daily insulin injections. That much, physicians already know.

But the pump's impact on the lives of diabetics and their primary caregivers is an important question that hasn't been answered yet, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

ROCHESTER, Minn. - People who survive a heart attack face the greatest risk of dying from sudden cardiac death (SCD) during the first month after leaving the hospital, according to a long-term community study by Mayo Clinic researchers of nearly 3,000 heart attack survivors.

Sudden cardiac death can happen when the heart's electrical system malfunctions; if treatment - cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation - does not happen fast, a person dies.

Adolescents addicted to opioids who received continuing treatment with the combination medication buprenorphine-naloxone had lower rates of testing positive or reporting use of opioids compared to youths who went through a short-term detoxification program using the same medication, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA.

A daily supplementation combination that included folic acid and vitamin B6 and B12 had no significant effect on the overall risk of cancer, including breast cancer, among women at high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA.

The risk of sudden cardiac death following a heart attack has declined significantly in the past 30 years, although patients appear to be at elevated risk for sudden cardiac death for the first month after having a heart attack, after which time their risk decreases unless they develop heart failure, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA.

PASADENA,Calif. November 4, 2008 – Proactive measures can reduce hip fracture rates by an average of 37.2 percent -- and as much as 50 percent -- among those at risk, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The study was published online on November 3 by The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, a peer-reviewed journal.

PHILADELPHIA - A research team led by Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has used state-of-the-art genetic technology to map thousands of positions where a molecular "master regulator" of fat-cell biology is nestled in DNA to control genes in these cells. The findings appear online this week in Genes & Development.

Troy, N.Y. – Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a measurement technique that will help scientists and companies map nanomaterials as they grow. The discovery could help create superior nanotechnologies and lead to the development of more efficient solar panels and increased magnetic data storage.

The goal in treating patients with gout is to reduce acute attacks by lowering serum urate levels, which are usually high in this disease. At the same time, high serum urate levels have been shown to lower the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). A new study compared the safety and efficacy of febuxostat, a new drug being developed for gout that was recently approved for use in Europe, and a commonly used drug that has been around for years. Another study examined the link between gout and PD in individuals 65 years and older.

Patients with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis now have many more treatment options than in the past, including biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These drugs, derived by modifying substances found in humans or animals, slow progression of the disease rather than simply treating the symptoms. The cost of biologic DMARDs is a major concern because a one month's supply may cost 100 times more than a year's supply of older, non-biologic DMARDs.

Methotrexate (MTX) is commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is suggested as the "anchor" drug in treating the disease. Despite its widespread use, the understanding of its mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics is limited. Since joint damage occurs early in the course of RA and is largely irreversible, understanding the time it takes for stable levels of MTX to be reached could be useful in effectively controlling RA and preventing long-term damage.

Pycnodysostosis, a condition from which the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec suffered, is a genetic disease characterized by short stature. This rare disease, surprisingly, provides a window into how joints are destroyed by arthritis. It is caused by deficiency of an enzyme known as cathepsin K which hampers osteoclasts (the cells that break down bone in bone modeling and repair), leading to poor bone resorption and dense, brittle bones.