Body

Unexplained liver hemorrhage after metastasis radiofrequency ablation

Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in the world. Approximately one in four of these patients have metastases at diagnosis, liver being the most common site involved. Although historically it was considered that liver metastases meant a very poor prognosis, today, due to improved systemic therapy, many patients will be candidates for local hepatic treatments such as surgery or less aggressive radiofrequency ablation. Both of these procedures have resulted in improvements in global and disease-free survival.

Vardenafil: A potential drug to protect gastric mucosa

Indomethacin has been proved by epidemiological and experimental studies to be closely associated with peptic ulcer development. Vardenafil is a potent phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor and its effects on the gastric mucosa havenot been reported.

Vitamin B niacin offers no extra benefit to statin therapy in seniors already diagnosed with CAD

The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing plaque buildup in seniors who already have coronary artery disease, a new vascular imaging study from Johns Hopkins experts shows.

Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging

If you're watching the complex processes in a living cell, it is easy to miss something important—especially if you are watching changes that take a long time to unfold and require high-spatial-resolution imaging. But new research* makes it possible to scrutinize activities that occur over hours or even days inside cells, potentially solving many of the mysteries associated with molecular-scale events occurring in these tiny living things.

Moa get fewer: Landmark study

The evolutionary history of New Zealand's many extinct flightless moa has been re-written in the first comprehensive study of more than 260 sub-fossil specimens to combine all known genetic, anatomical, geological and ecological information about the unique bird lineage.

That lineage ended only about 600 years ago after a journey through time that most likely began about 80 million years earlier on the prehistoric supercontinent of Gondwana, according to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by an international team of researchers.

Can EP4 agonist alleviate gastric lesions?

Over 300 million patients use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the world to treat pain, arthritis, fever and other diseases. Nearly 30% of the users suffer from gastric lesions and bleeding. To mitigate NSAIDs' adverse effects on the stomach, misoprostol, a non-selective prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) analogue, has been prescribed as the first choice for prevention of NSAID-induced injuries, but often induces severe adverse effects. There remain unmet medical needs for drugs with improved therapeutic profiles.

5 exercises can reduce neck, shoulder pain of women office workers

BETHESDA, Md. (Nov. 18, 2009) — Strength training exercises using dumbbells can reduce pain and improve function in the trapezius muscle, the large muscle which extends from the back of the head, down the neck and into the upper back. The exercises also improve the muscle's ability to respond quickly and forcefully among women suffering trapezius myalgia, a tenderness and tightness in the upper trapezius muscle. The results are the latest findings from an ongoing Danish study aimed at reducing repetitive strain injury caused by office work.

At-risk college students reduce HBP, anxiety, depression through Transcendental Meditation

The Transcendental Meditation® technique may be an effective method to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and anger among at-risk college students, according to a new study to be published in the American Journal of Hypertension, December 2009.

Women at risk from vitamin A deficiency

Almost half of UK women could be suffering from a lack of vitamin A due to a previously undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found.

The team, led by Dr Georg Lietz, has shown that almost 50 per cent of women have a genetic variation which reduces their ability to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin A from beta-carotene.

Vitamin A – also known as retinol – plays a vital role in strengthening our immune system, protecting us against common infections such as flu and winter vomiting.

Immediate, aggressive spending on HIV/AIDS could end epidemic

Money available to treat HIV/AIDS is sufficient to end the epidemic globally, but only if we act immediately to control the spread of the disease. That was the conclusion of a study just published in the open-access journal, BMC Public Health. This approach defies conventional thinking, which recommends gradual spending over 15-20 years. Canadian Researchers found that an aggressive program over five years is the only way to end the epidemic given our current resources.

Study finds link between preeclampsia and reduced thyroid function

Women who experience preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy, may have an increased risk for reduced thyroid functioning later in life, report a team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

The analysis combined two separate studies which each suggested a link between preeclampsia and reduced thyroid function. In the first study, women who developed preeclampsia were more likely to have slightly reduced thyroid functioning during the last weeks of their pregnancies.

GAVI's impact on vaccine market is bringing down prices

HANOI, 18 November 2009 – Following the increasing impact of the GAVI Alliance on the vaccine market, the price of one of the major combination vaccines, the pentavalent, is falling considerably, enabling GAVI's partners to vaccinate millions of more children in the developing world.

News of the unprecedented progress was announced in Hanoi, Vietnam just before the GAVI Partners' Forum, which unites some 400 participants from all over the world including ministers of health, donors, civil society and industry representatives, researchers and development experts.

Is 80-year-old mistake leading to first species to be fished to extinction?

A species of common skate is to become the first marine fish species to be driven to extinction by commercial fishing, due to an error of species classification 80 years ago, reveals research published today in the journal Aquatic Conservation.

Pre-eclampsia linked to thyroid problems

Women who develop pre-eclampsia during pregnancy are more likely than other women to have reduced thyroid function (hypothyroidism), finds a study published on bmj.com today. It may also put women at a greater risk of thyroid problems later in life.

Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition where abnormally high blood pressure and other disturbances develop in the second half of pregnancy. Hypothyroidism is caused by insufficient production of hormones by the thyroid gland.

Studies suggest males have more personality

Males have more pronounced personalities than females across a range of species – from humans to house sparrows – according to new research. Consistent personality traits, such as aggression and daring, are also more important to females when looking for a mate than they are to males. Research from the University of Exeter draws together a range of studies to reveal the role that sexual selection plays in this disparity between males and females.