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A boring life -- the Asiatic wild ass in the Mongolian Gobi

Wild asses are descendants of the original ancestors of the horse and the donkey. Unfortunately most species of wild ass are now in danger of extinction, largely as a direct result of human activities such as hunting and habitat destruction. Walzer's group has been working together with colleagues in Germany, China and Mongolia on the Asiatic wild ass, which is currently restricted to areas in Mongolia, China, India, Iran and Turkmenistan although it was formerly much more widespread.

Employees should build reputation before using work-family programs

Employees often suspect that participating in work-family programs could harm their careers, and prior research studies have shown they are right to be worried. Employees who use the programs are at risk of fewer promotions and lower wages than those who do not.

But now, two researchers have shown how employees could gain the intended benefits of work-family programs -- such as flexible schedules with prorated pay -- without harming their careers.

Study finds infection control violations at 15 percent of US nursing homes

Washington, DC, May 3, 2011 – Fifteen percent of U.S. nursing homes receive deficiency citations for infection control per year, according to a new study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Grazing as a conservation tool

NEW YORK (May 3, 2011) – Rotational grazing of cattle in native pasturelands in Brazil's Pantanal and Cerrado regions can benefit both cattle and wildlife, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Scientists track evolution and spread of deadly fungus, one of the world's major killers

New research has shed light on the origins of a fungal infection which is one of the major causes of death from AIDS-related illnesses. The study, published today in the journal PLoS Pathogens, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the BBSRC, shows how the more virulent forms of Cryptococcus neoformans evolved and spread out of Africa and into Asia.

HIV drug could prevent cervical cancer

A widely used HIV drug could be used to prevent cervical cancer caused by infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV), say scientists.

University of Manchester researchers, working with colleagues in Canada, have discovered how the antiviral drug lopinavir attacks HPV by switching on a natural viral defence system in infected cells.

The study, published in the journal Antiviral Therapy, builds on the team's previous work in 2006 that first identified lopinavir as a potential therapeutic for HPV-related cervical cancer following laboratory tests on cell cultures.

Early history of genetics revised

The early history of genetics has to be re-written in the light of new findings. Scientists from the University Jena (Germany) in co-operation with colleagues from Prague found out that the traditional history of the 'rediscovery' of Gregor Johann Mendel's laws of heredity in 1900 has to be adjusted and some facets have to be added.

Novel program is saving newborns’ lives in developing countries

DENVER – A program that teaches health care workers in developing countries basic techniques to resuscitate babies immediately after birth is saving lives, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 3, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Denver.

MRI identifies primary endometrial and cervical cancer

MRI can determine if a patient has endometrial versus cervical cancer even when a biopsy can't make that distinction, according to a new study. Determining the primary site of a tumor helps determine appropriate cancer treatment.

The study, which is being presented during the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting on May 3 in Chicago, found that radiologists using MRI could correctly identify the primary site of cancer in 79% of cases (38/48 patients) when biopsy results are inconclusive.

Antioxidant may prevent alcohol-induced liver disease

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An antioxidant may prevent damage to the liver caused by excessive alcohol, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The findings, published online April 21, 2011, in the journal Hepatology, may point the way to treatments to reverse steatosis, or fatty deposits in the liver that can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.

Packing on the pounds in middle age linked to dementia

ST. PAUL, Minn. – According to a new study, being overweight or obese during middle age may increase the risk of certain dementias. The research is published in the May 3, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

A little belly fat can double the risk of death in coronary artery disease patients

ROCHESTER, Minn. - One of the largest studies of its kind has found that people with coronary artery disease who have even a modest beer belly or muffin top are at higher risk for death than people whose fat collects elsewhere. The effect was observed even in patients with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). The findings of this Mayo Clinic analysis are published in the May 10 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Catheterization recommended for treating pediatric heart conditions

Doctors should consider using catheterization as a treatment tool in addition to its established role in diagnosing children with heart defects, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement.

A catheter is a thin flexible tube inserted into a blood vessel and used in procedures such as angiography, in which physicians use the catheter to inject dye into the arteries near the heart to illuminate the vessels via X-ray technology. It can also open a valve, enlarge a narrow blood vessel, close a hole in the heart or close off a blood vessel.

In-hospital deaths declined over time at children's hospital without pediatric medical emergency team

A study documents reduction in hospital mortality over ten years in a children's hospital without a Pediatric Emergency Medical Team (PMET), according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Limited English proficiency among parents associated with increased length of hospital stay

Among children whose parents and other primary caregivers have limited English proficiency, there is an associated increased length of hospital stay and decreased number of home health care referrals for pediatric inpatients with infections requiring long-term antibiotics, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.