Repeat bypass operations might soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new research by a team at St George`s Hospital Medical School in Tooting, London. The origins of diseased cells in vein grafts that form following heart bypass operations have been found for the first time using a new model. The discovery by Professor Xu and colleagues is published today in the journal, Circulation Research.
Every week around 15 people have heart bypass operations in St George`s Hospital alone. In each c
Genital herpes due to HSV-1 – the herpes simplex virus primarily associated with cold sores on the mouth – is strongly associated with an early start to sex, suggests research in Sexually Transmitted Infections. And its prevalence is increasing, say the authors.
The findings are based on blood samples and details of sexual behaviour from 869 people attending a central London sexual health clinic and from 1494 blood donors.
Analysis of the samples showed that evidence of previous or
Space is the usual business of a space agency, so it may come as a surprise that the European Space Agency (ESA) is giving some attention to road transport.
The agency is designing and building the satellites that will make up the space segment of Galileo, Europe`s own global satellite navigation system. When Galileo becomes fully operational in 2008, road vehicles fitted with special receivers will be able to use signals broadcast by the satellites to determine their positions with u
‘Chronic pain causes permanent alterations in the human primary somatosensory (SI) and motor (M1) cortices,’ says docent Nina Forss. ‘These alterations can be used as objective indicators of pain that shapes the human brain,’ she continues. Nina Forss works at the Helsinki University of Technology Low Temperature Laboratory: the laboratory’s Brain Research Unit was appointed a Centre of Excellence in Research in 1995.
Each body part has its representation area in the somatosensory cortex
Research conducted by University of Ulster financial services researcher Mark Durkin into the uptake of Internet-based banking has found that banks are embracing the innovation in order not to be put at a competitive disadvantage – rather than for any sustainable competitive advantage Internet banking might provide in its own right.
The research study conducted with banks in Ireland, Sweden, the UK and the United States, found that managing customer relationships vai the internet is the grea
The technology centre GAIKER of the Basque Country is working on a project whose aim is to develop intelligent polymers and discover their opportunities. Similarly, it will study the possibilities to introduce those polymers in the existing structures in order to promote their applicability and to create new enterprise initiatives.
GAIKER researches in polymers the elaboration and transformation of intelligent materials. For that aim, it develops its own technologies and then adjust them to
Integral is the International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory of the European Space Agency. It is a cooperative mission with Russia and is scheduled for launch on 17 October 2002 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on a Russian Proton rocket, the Russian contribution to the programme.
It is the world`s most advanced gamma-ray telescope and will provide first-hand observations of the celestial objects that release some of the most energetic radiation of the Universe. In particular, sc
Chinese herbal medicine combined with standard therapy may be more effective than standard therapy alone for treatment of chronic hepatitis B, according to an analysis of randomized, controlled trials led by University of California, Berkeley, researchers.
Researchers analyzed 27 clinical trials in which chronic hepatitis B patients using Chinese herbal medicine alone, or with interferon alfa, were compared with a control group of patients that were taking only interferon alfa. The protein
Lasker recipient James E. Darnell contends drug developers should focus more on ’transcription factor’ proteins
Researchers may be looking for novel cancer drugs in the wrong places, says Rockefeller University Professor James E. Darnell, Jr., M.D., in an article in this month’s Nature Reviews Cancer.
Darnell, who received the 2002 Albert Lasker Award for Special Achievement in Medical Science, argues that drug development research should focus more on a speci
Whether 240 miles above in the International Space Station or firmly grounded on Earth, medical testing without needles wins everyone’s vote.
Refinements under way to current near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic techniques will expand the range of non-invasive blood and tissue chemistry measurements. These changes also will provide accurate readings unaffected by skin color or body fat.
“Once complete, this device will allow chemical analysis and diagnosis without removing samples f
Applications include nanotechnology, more
Defects such as cracks in a material are responsible for everything from malfunctioning microchips to earthquakes. Now MIT engineers have developed a model to predict a defect’s birthplace, its initial features and how it begins to advance through the material.
The model could be especially useful in nanotechnology. “As devices get smaller and smaller, understanding the phenomena of defect nucleation and growth becomes more and more
Transplants in animal models could translate into therapy for humans
Neural stem cells, transplanted into injured brains, survive, proliferate, and improve brain function in laboratory models according to research based at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. The findings, published in the October edition of the journal Neurosurgery, suggest that stem cells could provide the first clinical therapy to treat traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries occur in two
Duke anesthesiologists have found that a “Doppler” technique of using reflected sound waves to measure the heart?s pumping action can better guide the administration of fluids and plasma during major surgery. They have found that the use of Doppler technology appears to reduce hospital stays and to speed patient recovery.
Additionally, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers, these patients experience less postoperative nausea and vomiting and are able to eat solid foods muc
Suggests new route to treat anxiety without sedating or addicting side effects
The trouble with most anti-anxiety drugs is that they tend to sedate, not just relax. A research team led by scientists at UCSF’s Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center has shown that de-activating a common enzyme in neurons reduces anxiety without inducing sedation. The study in mice suggests a new route to treat anxiety while avoiding sedating and possibly addicting effects.
The research, p
Folic acid is not only a safeguard against spina bifida and other birth defects in babies – it may also prevent heart disease and strokes, two of Northern Ireland’s biggest killers.
Research at the University of Ulster has shown that folic acid and three other related B-vitamins can prevent the accumulation of a high blood level of homocysteine, a new risk factor for heart disease and strokes.
The risk of high homocysteine is similar to the risk of high cholesterol – but the good
Penn State engineers have developed an economical way to more efficiently manage radio spectrum use and prevent interference on wireless broadband systems for high-speed Internet access – potentially bringing down costs for consumers. Dr. Mohsen Kavehrad, director of Penn State’s Center for Information and Communications Technology Research (CICTR), says, “With this technique, service providers could offer quality service to more homes using only a limited span of the radio spectrum. And, if pro
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