The human fossil evidence from the Mladec Caves in Moravia, Czech Republic, excavated more than 100 years ago, has been proven for the first time, through modern radiocarbon dating, to be the oldest cranial, dental and postcranial assemblage of early modern humans in Europe.

A team of researchers from the Natural History Museum in Vienna, from the University of Vienna in Austria and from the Washington University in St. Louis, USA recently conducted the first successful direct da

Amid the debate over which combination of immunosuppressive agents works best in helping patients fight off rejection of their new heart after transplant surgery, a new study led by researchers at the UCLA Heart Transplant Program showed that one particular combination using tacrolimus (TAC or PrografÒ) had significant anti-rejection benefits for heart transplant patients over other combinations.

A mix of immunosuppressive therapies is typically used to prevent a recipient&#146

The social support provided by having a partner significantly improves the quality of life of prostate cancer patients, according to a study published in the July 1, 2005 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Researchers say men with prostate cancer who are in a relationship report significantly better psychosocial and spiritual well-being and fewer disease-specific and general cancer-related adverse effects. In fact, partnered men were better able to tolerate

Nurse practitioners detect health problems not addressed by caregivers

Some 4.5 million Americans have a developmental disability. As people live longer, adults with developmental disabilities are no exception, yet their conditions also bring aging-related challenges. A new study by UCLA and Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation reports that a geriatric evaluation and follow-up visits by a nurse practitioner can detect and reduce health problems in this population that often go

Online learning resources and mentoring programmes could boost the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education, according to a pioneering Kingston University study. Measures like these could also improve undergraduates’ chances of getting a good degree. The Widening Access and Success research project has investigated how e-learning can encourage students from a more diverse range of backgrounds to apply for university as well as improving overall student success

Informationsveranstaltung zum berufsbegleitenden Fernstudiengang Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen am RheinAhrCampus in Remagen

Am Samstag, den 04. Juni 2005 lädt der RheinAhrCampus, ein Standort der Fachhochschule Koblenz, alle Interessierten zu einer ausführlichen Informationsveranstaltung zum berufsbegleitenden Fernstudiengang Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen ein. Studiengangsleiter Prof. Dr. Hugo Grote wird Inhalte, Aufbau und Organisation des Fernstudiengangs, der in Kooperation mit de

Successful treatment of heroin abusers

The Kurage Program in Karlstad, Sweden, is a successful program for treating heroin abusers. This is shown in an assessment carried out by the Institute for Quality and Developmental Work, IKU, at Karlstad University.

The Kurage Program is a method of treatment in which heroin abusers receive help in gradually creating a new existence without drugs. The program includes the use of the drug Subutex in combination with well-developed s

At the same time as many urban economies are developing into 24-hour societies, it is becoming increasingly popular amongst shift workers to compress their working hours. This is done by working longer shifts and/or restricting free time in-between shifts. The advantage is longer consecutive periods of days off. The disadvantage is lack of recovery during work periods.

John Axelsson has in his thesis at the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University and at the Institute of

Dextromethorphan, an over-the-counter medication that silences coughs, may help fibromyalgia patients quiet over-reacting nerves that amplify ordinary touches into agony.

A University of Florida study documents, for the first time, that dextromethorphan temporarily reduces the intensity of fibromyalgia “wind-up,” a snowballing pain response to minor, repetitive physical contact. The discovery, described in the May issue of The Journal of Pain, also enables researchers to rul

New report details public opinion and fast-changing science landscape

The confusing welter of state laws regarding human cloning for reproductive purposes and for research uses reflects a national political impasse on regulating cloning, according to a new report by The Genetics & Public Policy Center, a project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and Johns Hopkins University. This lack of a national consensus comes at a time when rapid advances in cloning technology make crafting br

Epidemiological modelling of routine use of low dose aspirin for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke in those aged 70 BMJ Online First

The benefits of giving low dose aspirin to healthy people from the age of 70 to prevent heart disease are offset by increased cases of serious bleeding, argue researchers in a study published online by the BMJ this week.

Using a model, the team simulated the broad implications of routine use of aspirin in a popul

Test for protein cystatin is a more accurate predictor than standard test for creatinine, especially for cardiac risk

A study at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) has found that a test of kidney function that measures blood levels of cystatin C — a protein produced by most cells in the body — is a far more accurate predictor of mortality risk in elderly people than the current standard kidney function test, which measures levels of the protein creatinine.

Patients with type 2 diabetes who participate in group education programs to manage their disease show measurable improvement and require less medication, according to a systematic review of current evidence.

Group-based education resulted in improved diabetes control as reflected by blood glucose levels and patients’ knowledge of diabetes. Evidence also suggested that participants in diabetes group education programs may reduce their blood pressure and body weight and increase se

University of Toronto researchers have designed a chemical screening tool that will light up when dangerous pathogens and diseases in air, water and bodily fluids are present.

“This detection technique, which uses DNA to seek out target DNA, could one day be used in clinical care situations to quickly detect diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis,” says Professor Ulrich Krull, the AstraZeneca Chair in biotechnology and vice-principal (research) at the University of Toronto at

A novel way of administering an anti-cancer drug to bone-marrow transplant patients using continuous infusion may be more effective and safer than the method currently used, new study findings indicate.

The new method achieves more predictable, stable drug levels in patients than the current method and could eventually allow doctors to more accurately adjust doses to accommodate individual differences in metabolism, thus increasing treatment effectiveness while avoiding side effec

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsies are a safe and effective alternative to endoscopic biopsies for obtaining samples in the pancreas, a new study shows.

The study included 23 pancreatic biopsies in 22 patients. “We were able to obtain adequate samples in 22 of the 23 cases,” said Kedar Chintapalli, MD, professor of radiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and lead author of the study. The ultrasound-guided biopsies can be performed with smal