Researchers delving into today’s complicated range of family set-ups must recognise that ‘brother and sister’ relationships are now about far more than blood ties and living in the same home, warns a new study sponsored by the ESRC.

As 21st Century children and young people create their own, complex understandings of who and what is a sibling, the important social implications need to be taken on board, says a working paper from a team led by Professor Rosalind Edwards of th

Researchers have gathered evidence which shows that combined chronic exposure to noise and carbon monoxide in the workplace induces hearing loss. Adriana Lacerda, researcher at the École d’orthophonie et d’audiologie of the Université de Montréal, presents her findings at the annual meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Vancouver on Wednesday. Those findings are the result of a study conducted with over 8,600 workers exposed to both noise and carbon monoxide in the workplace

A study published in the latest issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly reports that mind-body exercise, such as yoga, is associated with greater body satisfaction and fewer symptoms of eating disorders than traditional aerobic exercise like jogging or using cardio machines. Yoga practitioners reported less self-objectification, greater satisfaction with physical appearance, and fewer disordered eating attitudes compared to non-yoga practitioners. In yoga class, a woman develops sensitivity to bodi

Chest X-rays may miss 40% of clinically significant thoracic injuries in multiple trauma patients that can be caught by chest CT, say researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

For the study, the researchers analyzed the findings of 563 multiple trauma patients who had both chest CT and plain film X-rays performed. They found that the X-rays missed 40% of clinically significant thoracic injuries, including lung contusions, lung lacerations, rib and spine fractures a

The U.S. ranks highest in utilization of high-tech imaging compared to other countries worldwide, while Germany and Singapore ranks high in utilization of both high and low tech imaging, a new study shows.

The study compared utilization of radiography (low-tech imaging) to CT and MR (high tech imaging) in 15 countries (U.S., Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, South Korea, China, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico) to determine how the wo

Over-the-phone transmission of diagnostic-quality ultrasound images is possible, potentially paving the way for ultrasound examinations to be performed in poorer areas of the world, inexpensively transmitted via the Internet, and read by experienced radiologists elsewhere, a new Dartmouth Medical School study shows.

The study was prompted in part by Veljko Popov, an MD/PhD student at Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) who wanted to help the people in his homeland of Yugoslavia. Using

Maku is a family of languages spoken by Indians in the Amazon rainforest. Dutch-funded researcher Valteir Martins has reconstructed the sound structure of an ancestral Maku language and has demonstrated that the Maku languages are genetically related to the Arawak languages.

Martins compared the results of existing studies into the Maku languages and for many years he also worked with speakers of these various languages. The Brazilian researcher established that the modern M

A fresh report that assessed the treatment at three youth homes run by the National Board of Institutional Care, abbreviated SiS in Swedish, shows that two thirds of the boys do fairly well. On the other hand, the choice of methods used does not appear to be crucial. The key factor is the competence and commitment of the staff and the boys’ relationship with their contact persons.

SiS has 35 specialized youth homes. The adolescents who are placed there often have serious pr

Six out of ten first-time mothers who had a prolonged labour say that the experience will affect them for life, but more than eight out of ten still found giving birth exciting.

Those are two of the key findings of a survey of over 250 women published in the May issue of Journal of Clinical Nursing. A team of Swedish researchers, led by Astrid Nystedt from Umea University, studied 84 women who had experienced prolonged labour with assisted vaginal or caesarean delivery. They

NCCTG investigations yield additional significant data

A study led by a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist and conducted by the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) provides important new data about the effectiveness and safety of a breast cancer treatment combining chemotherapy and a drug called trastuzumab (Herceptin).

According to Mayo Clinic medical oncologist and NCCTG study chair Edith Perez, M.D., these results could change the standard of care for thousands

Antibiotic is effective, lacks side effects and doesn’t provoke resistance in bacteria

An antibiotic can be safely used to prevent attacks of diarrhea that plague millions of globe-trotting vacationers and business travelers, a Houston research team reports this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Our findings show that rifaximin is an ideal drug for prevention of travelers’ diarrhea, an illness that affects an estimated 20 million international travelers each year,

Study shows illusive ’hemifusion’ state can precede membrane merger

Every living cell is surrounded by a membrane, a thin barrier that separates the genetic machinery of life from the non-living world outside. Though barriers, membranes are not impervious. Cells use a complex hierarchy of proteins that work in concert to allow cell membranes to fuse – with other cells or with membrane-encased packages of proteins and other chemicals that the cell needs to take in or

Unexpected cell shape change raises possibility of novel therapeutic approach; Further animal study urged before human testing

Not only is low thyroid function very common in congestive heart failure, it also indicates a reduced likelihood of recovery, and an increased chance of death.
But based on earlier work showing that whatever leads to heart failure it is always preceded by changes in the heart cells, a new study demonstrates that a moderate dose of thyroid hormones

Receptor Can, When Overly Abundant, Adjust for the Consequences of a High-Fat Diet

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that a molecule found in liver cells is an important link in explaining the relationship among diet, lipid levels in blood, and atherosclerosis. The research team surmises that drugs targeted at the liver may one day help lower elevated lipids and battle cardiovascular disease. Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Director of th

Hypothenar hammer syndrome, known for affecting laborers, gets relief from bypass grafting

The hand pain, tingling, numbness and cold sensitivity of hypothenar hammer syndrome, also known as hammer hand, are best alleviated by bypass grafting surgery, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic plastic surgeons.

“In the past, treatment of hypothenar hammer syndrome has been controversial, and physicians have been searching for some way to treat it,” says Craig Johnson, M.D.

Saint Louis University research is published in ’diabetes care’

Diabetics are more likely to exercise if their doctors help them create and stick to a formalized exercise plan, according to new Saint Louis University research in the May issue of “Diabetes Care.”

“Physician advice alone was not associated with regular physical activity. However, when a physician helped to make a plan for physical activity or followed up on the plan, we saw more physical activity,” says A