Tech

Rome, Italy: Embryos derived from oocytes (eggs) cryopreserved by the vitrification method are just as likely to produce an on-going pregnancy as those involving fresh oocytes, the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard today. Dr. Ana Cobo, Cryobiology Unit director at Institut Universitari – IVI Valencia, Valencia, Spain, told delegates that the results of her team's research would make egg donation both easier and safer in the future.

Rome, Italy: A new, effective, non-surgical treatment for uterine fibroids can help women with this condition maintain their fertility, an American scientist told the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Rome today (Wednesday). Dr.

Professor Chris Isles from the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in Scotland recounts his frustrating hunt to fill his medical staff rota using locums, leading him to some critical conclusions about the poorly regulated locum sector in the UK.

He was dismayed to be offered locum doctors who were inappropriate in terms of experience, qualifications, and fatigue, and his account raises some serious questions for the NHS.

Athens, Ga. – The heat of summer brings trips to the lake, afternoons at the beach and vacations in the mountains. It also arrives with the threat of dangerous conditions in closed cars, where children left alone for even a few minutes can lead to tragedy.

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Georgia has developed an easy-to-use table of vehicle temperature changes that may help public officials and media remind the public about the deadly consequences of vehicle-related hyperthermia in children.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories researchers have taken the first steps toward reducing the size and enhancing the functionality of devices in the terahertz (THz) frequency spectrum.

By combining a detector and laser on the same chip to make a compact receiver, the researchers rendered unnecessary the precision alignment of optical components formerly needed to couple the laser to the detector.

Bethesda, Md. (June 29, 2010) – It's no secret that UVB radiation from the sun causes wrinkles. However, a Japanese study published in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (http://ajpregu.physiology.org/)indicates that oxygen may help combat the formation of wrinkles by lessening tissue damage done by UVB rays.

Philadelphia, PA, June 29, 2010 – The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Medicare Part D) added prescription drug coverage to Medicare beginning in January 2006. This has dramatically reshaped the prescription drug insurance market and has had significant effects on insurers, beneficiaries, and providers. For researchers, it has provided a rich source of research questions to examine.

Rome, Italy: Scientists have discovered that when they transplant ovaries from young mice into aging female mice, not only does the procedure make the mice fertile again, but also it rejuvenates their behaviour and increases their lifespan. The question now is: could ovarian transplants in women have the same effect?

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Arthroscopic surgical repair of torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) or meniscal cartilage injuries in the knee does not decrease the chances of developing osteoarthritis, according to a new study published in the online edition and August print issue of the journal Radiology.

A decade after the initial injuries were diagnosed using MRI, localized knee osteoarthritis was evident in patients, regardless of whether or not the injuries had been surgically repaired.

Health conscious consumers have long known that virgin olive oil is a good choice when it comes to preparing meals and dipping breads. Now, a team of researchers, including one with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), has found that phenolic components in olive oil actually modify genes that are involved in the inflammatory response.

Even at a hospital recognized for managing seriously ill patients, a systematic assessment of clinical measures associated with end-of-life care identified opportunities to improve treatment for those dying in the hospital, according to a report in the June 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Patients admitted to a teaching hospital for an end-of-life illness generally receive high-quality medical care, but there is a need for better communication about family expectations and for timely efforts to keep patients comfortable, according to a new study.

The project examined the care provided to patients who died over a one-year period at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, a large teaching hospital known for providing aggressive care to patients who are critically ill.

ORLANDO, Fla., June 28 – Advances in treatment and care have reduced overall death rates from type 1 diabetes, with women and African-Americans having higher risks of mortality, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study being presented at the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.