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Prostate cancer survival rates are improving with conservative treatment

A comparison of outcomes of different eras of conservative treatment for localized prostate cancer indicates that survival rates are higher for men diagnosed from 1992 through 2002 compared to men diagnosed in the 1970s and 1980s, according to a study in JAMA.

Study finds increased risk of death for patients with celiac disease-related disorders

New research indicates that patients with lesser degrees of celiac disease-related symptoms, such as intestinal inflammation or latent celiac disease, have a modestly increased risk of death, according to a study in JAMA.

Diabetes researchers look to anti-inflammatory treatments for disease

In patients with recent onset type-2 diabetes, treatment with insulin or the diabetes drug metformin did not reduce inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, although the treatment did improve glucose control, according to a study in JAMA.

Kidney patients on dialysis more likely to need long term treatment

Patients who sustain injury to their kidneys and require in-hospital dialysis are three times more likely to need long-term dialysis later in life compared to those without a history of this condition, says a new study from St. Michael's Hospital. Patients with acute kidney disease are a high-risk group for whom early medical surveillance and intervention may prevent progression to irreversible end-stage kidney disease.

Post-heart attack patients have two treatment options

Supersaturated oxygen (SSO2) administered during catheter-based treatments for heart attack can significantly reduce heart muscle damage, according to a new study reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of the American Heart Association.

In another study, a different group of researchers found that manually removing a blood clot provided greater recovery of heart function after a heart attack.

Gut bacteria in transplant patients under investigation

Small-bowel transplant patients with an ileostomy -- an opening into their small bowel -- have a very different population of bacteria living in their gut than patients whose ileostomy has been closed, researchers from UC Davis and Georgetown University Medical Center have found. The results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers say MEIG1 could be genetic source of male infertility

RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 15, 2009) – Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered a gene involved with the production of sperm that may contribute to male infertility and lead to new approaches to male contraception.

One in six couples trying to conceive a baby is affected by infertility, according to the American Fertility Association – and in about half of these cases, a male factor is present. Sperm defects are often found to be the main cause or a contributing cause.

OPN protein linked to lung disease

In a development that could lead to a novel approach to the treatment of a devastating lung disease, biochemists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston report they are the first to link the osteopontin (OPN) protein to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Findings appear online and will be in the January 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the journal of The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Space-related radiation research could improve bone health of cancer patients

HOUSTON – (Sept. 15, 2009) – A research project looking for ways to reduce bone loss in astronauts may yield methods of improving the bone health of cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.

New DNA barcodes could help track illegal trading of wildlife products

Researchers from several institutions including the University of Colorado at Boulder have sequenced DNA "barcodes" for as many as 25 hunted wildlife species, providing information that can be used to better monitor the elusive trade of wildlife products, or bushmeat.

Dartmouth researchers get personal with genetics

HANOVER, NH – Two recent studies by Dartmouth researchers use individual genetic data to reveal the powers and limits of our current understanding of how the genome influences human health and what genes can reveal about the ancestry of the people of New Hampshire.

Comprehensive cardiac CT scan may give clearer picture of significant heart disease

A team of researchers led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) radiologists has developed a computed-tomography-based protocol that identifies both narrowing of coronary arteries and areas of myocardial ischemia – restricted blood flow to heart muscle tissue – giving a better indication of clinically significant coronary artery disease. Their report appears in the September 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

WCMC-Q researchers unlock genetic secrets of date palm

Doha, Sept. 15, 2009 – Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar have mapped a draft version of the date palm genome, unlocking many of its genetic secrets.

"We have generated a draft DNA sequence and initial assembly of the date palm using the most advanced technology," says Joel Malek, director of the Genomics Laboratory at WCMC-Q. Genetic information about the date palm is extremely valuable to researchers who are working to improve fruit yield and quality and to better understand susceptibility and resistance to disease.

Machine vision for hot surface automatic inspection

Technological Corporation is developing an innovative application for the automatic inspection of hot steel surfaces, based on Machine Vision technologies that enhance quality control in hot rolling mill processes.

Heart study shows many suffer poor quality of life

The world's largest quality of life study of chronic angina patients has revealed that almost one in three experience frequent chest pain, which affects their daily life.

The collaborative project between the University of Adelaide and Servier Australia surveyed more than 2000 chronic angina patients attending general practice clinics throughout Australia and has been published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.