A study that appears in the May edition of Ophthalmology, the clinical journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, shows that as many as 47 percent of patients receiving glaucoma therapy do not comply with their doctor’s prescribed medicine regimen. This is in startling contrast to the 90 percent of doctors who believe that their patients are following the prescribed treatment.
“Non-adherence to the glaucoma therapy is probably what causes patients to go blind,” said Alan L. Robin,
A new era for ocean and earth science research began this week as the Southampton Oceanography Centre changed its name to the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. The name change coincides with the arrival of the Centre’s new Director, Professor Ed Hill, who took up the post on 1 May.
Said Professor Hill, “The formal designation as a National Centre, with the accompanying change of name, is a natural progression for the Centre. It reinforces its position and reflects the expectatio
The Internet may be used to power elections in towns, cities, countries, and even across Europe thanks to the work of a recently completed project. It would mean voters could cast their ballots at home, in the street via mobile phones, or even when in another country.
That’s the promise of e-Vote, an IST programme-funded project that drew together experts in systems design and analysis, computer programming and high-grade security.
The project successfully developed
The research group of professor Manfred Kilimann at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology has elucidated the genetic cause of a severe heart disease in newborn children. This result will be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics this week.
Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle tissue and often lead to heart failure. Most of them are inborn and can be caused by gene defects (mutations) affecting various proteins needed either for the
Scientists at Jefferson Medical College are using tobacco plants to produce monoclonal antibodies – tiny guided protein missiles – that can target and hunt down cancer cells. The plants promise to provide a cheaper, faster method of producing anticancer antibodies, raising hopes that the technology can one day be used in humans.
Scientists, led by Hilary Koprowski, M.D., professor of microbiology and immunology and director of the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories and th
Getting resistance to the latest biotype of greenbug or rust in wheat may require some bridge building.
Dr. Jackie Rudd, associate professor at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Extension Center and state wheat breeder, is looking at wild grass species and synthetic wheats for possible solutions.
“We’re looking for new unique sources of resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses,” Rudd said. “I’m being forced to find broader gen
Major aspects of root and shoot development controlled by the plant hormone auxin are linked to regulation of gene expression by microRNAs
The plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), commonly referred to as auxin, plays a major role in regulating plant growth and development. Auxin influences development by affecting the expression of numerous genes that control the processes of cell division and cell expansion in specific plant tissues at specific stages during the plant life
Coyotes tend to avoid human contact. But recently, coyotes have been getting increasingly aggressive in the eastern United States, including southeastern New York state, attacking neighborhood pets on the fringe of urban and suburban areas.
“This kind of aggressive behavior is usually the last stage before coyotes actually start attacking humans — such as small children that are perceived by the coyotes as a potential food source,” says Paul Curtis, associate professor of natura
In patients with no or moderate coronary calcification, 16-slice MDCT allows the reliable detection of coronary artery stenosis with high diagnostic accuracy, say researchers from Tuebingen University Hospital in Germany. Coronary artery stenosis is the narrowing of coronary arteries due to the build-up of calcified plaques.
The study included 37 patients, 28 of whom had a calcium score of less than 1,000 (no calcification to moderate calcification). The researchers found that 16-MD
Two-photon imaging gives real-time video of cells in living tissue
Biologists have a new tool to track and videotape cells moving about inside living tissue. Called two-photon laser-scanning microscopy, it has revealed, for example, the dramatic difference between the random wanderings of immature T cells and the goal-oriented, beeline movement of activated T cells.
“This is the first time anybody has quantitated four-dimensional data – spatial and time data – to get a p
Low-dose MDCT of the sinuses in children is effective in diagnosing conditions such as sinusitis and middle ear fluid with a radiation dose comparable to standard x-rays. It also has more benefits, such as better accuracy, speed and a broader diagnosis potential, say researchers from Heilig Hart Hospital in Belgium.
For the study, the researchers compared the imaging results of 69 children who had undergone x-rays and 125 children who had undergone low-dose MDCT. They found that
“CSI-like” techniques, used on minerals, are revealing the steps that led to evolution of the atmosphere on Earth. President of the Mineralogical Society of America, Douglas Rumble, III, of the Carnegie Institution’s Geophysical Laboratory, describes the suite of techniques and studies over the last five years that have led to a growing consensus by the scientific community of what happened to produce the protective ozone layer and atmosphere on our planet. His landmark paper on the subject
New technique can replace handheld blades and speed recovery time
A UC Irvine ophthalmologist and his team have invented a new laser-surgery technique to perform cornea-transplant surgery that can replace the use of traditional handheld surgical blades and potentially improve recovery time for patients.
The technique was developed by Dr. Roger F. Steinert, director of cornea, refractive and cataract surgery in UCI Health Sciences. Cornea transplants are performed on the “
A monitoring program developed by a Northwestern University researcher has successfully identified a large number of previously unknown, serious and often-fatal drug reactions associated with 15 commonly used drugs, including Plavix®, thalidomide and drug-coated cardiac stents.
As described in an article in the May 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Research on Adverse Drug Events and Reports (RADAR) Project compiles information from reports submitte
Migraine patients who received true acupuncture had no decrease in headaches as compared with those who received sham acupuncture treatment, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.
Migraine is a common and disabling condition that typically includes attacks of severe, pulsating, 1-sided headaches, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to sound and light, according to background information in the article. Population-based studies suggest that 6 percent to 7 perce
A study that includes 20 years of follow-up does not support aggressive treatment for localized, low-grade prostate cancer, with data indicating a small risk of progression of this grade of cancer, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.
To determine the need for treatment of localized prostate cancer, patients and physicians must understand the natural history of this disease, according to background information in the article. A recent study suggested an increasing pros
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