Organic farming has long been touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional agriculture. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) provides strong evidence to support that claim.
Writing in the March 6 online edition of PNAS, Stanford University graduate student Sasha B. Kramer and her colleagues found that fertilizing apple trees with synthetic chemicals produced more adverse environmental effects than feeding them with organi
Two new studies in the March Cell Metabolism reveal a survival mechanism by which cells adapt to oxygen starvation by ratcheting down their demand. The mechanism serves to protect against the potentially fatal production of free radicals when oxygen is scarce, one group reported. The findings may also have important implications for understanding the physiology of cancerous tumors, the researchers said, suggesting new combination treatment strategies for fighting the disease.
When the sup
A Loughborough University research project has highlighted a lack of ‘joined-up thinking’ in emergency planning for the protection of the UK built environment.
The ongoing study is being led by a team of academics from the University’s Innovative Manufacturing and Construction Research Centre (IMCRC). Its aim is to assess how a safe, secure and sustainable built environment can be achieved by reducing the frequency and impact of natural and manmade disasters that result in damage
Significant advance for understanding leading cause of blindness in elderly
A new study, led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, pinpoints the role that two genes – Factor H and Factor B – play in the development of nearly three out of four cases of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a devastating eye disease that affects more than 10 million people in the United States.
Findings indicate that 74 percent of AMD patients carry certain variants in o
A new study shows that tropical and subtropical countries suffer far more illness and death during flu outbreaks than previously imagined, with both hospital admissions and deaths rising considerably during a flu outbreak.
Most strains of influenza are successfully fought off by the vast majority of people, who are back to normal within a week or two. Nevertheless, flu can cause serious illness, and sometimes death, in the elderly and other vulnerable people. A flu outbreak al
U-M and Yale analysis shows that within 60 minutes, 80 percent of Americans could reach a hospital that can do emergency angioplasty
In a heart attack, every minute counts. But should patients spend a few more of those minutes getting to a hospital that can provide the most advanced treatment, rather than just the closest hospital?
That question is at the heart of a current debate among heart specialists: whether to make heart attack care more like trauma care, with amb
Staph infections resistant to antibiotics, previously only associated with hospitalization or prior contact with the healthcare system, are now widespread in the community and coming home. A new study from Emory University School of Medicine and Grady Memorial Hospital, featured in the March 7, 2006 Annals of Internal Medicine, reports on a dramatic rise in antibiotic resistant community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), making it the primary cause of skin and soft tis
The circumstances around their dying – and not the location – are what matter most to terminally ill Canadians, says Queen’s University Professor of Medicine Daren Heyland.
A national study on end-of-life care led by Dr. Heyland, research director in the Department of Medicine at Kingston General Hospital, shows that patients rated dying at home as less important than having confidence and trust in the doctors looking after them. The results may cast doubt on current efforts to s
Studies prove it: with IT, radiology departments can save up to 50 percent on time alone Today’s increasing cost pressure in the healthcare sector requires comprehensive solutions that increase the quality of care and reduce cost at the same time. In addition to the use of innovative medical systems, information technology plays an important role in this effort: only high-performance software architectures are able to display, automate and optimize the highly complex processes of ho
A scientific study reported in two related articles in the Journal of Drug Issues raises serious doubts about the nation’s illegal drug use surveillance programs. Scientists, policy makers, and the media depend on surveys to identify the extent of drug use nationwide. The study documented how drug use surveys may not accurately reflect changes in drug use, but be more related to how willing a respondent is to disclose the extent and type of drug use.
Researchers at The National Dev
Artery disease tied to hostility for wives, loss of control for husbands
Hardening of the coronary arteries is more likely in wives when they and their husbands express hostility during marital disagreements, and more common in husbands when either they or their wives act in a controlling manner.
Those are key findings of a study of 150 healthy, older, married couples – mostly in their 60s – conducted by Professor Tim Smith and other psychologists from the University o
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.
In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression,
Research also confirms utility of patch testing to discover allergens and finds patients satisfied with testing, yet they recall only half of their allergens
A new Mayo Clinic study reveals the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, a skin inflammation resulting in swollen, reddened and itchy skin due to direct contact with an allergen. Topping the list were: Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate) — metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or butt
Counseling focused on level of motivation to quit leads to best outcomes
Providence, RI – A new study suggests that incorporating smoking cessation counseling into home-based medical care is an effective and feasible way to help people break the habit. Furthermore, counseling that focuses on a patient’s motivation to quit is more successful than following standard cessation guidelines. The study is published in a recent issue of Preventive Medicine by researchers at The
Some newborns may be 26 to 50 times more susceptible to exposure to certain organophosphate pesticides than other newborns, and 65 to 130 times more sensitive than some adults, according to a new study by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Washington.
The study, to be published Thursday, March 2, in the journal Pharmacogenetics and Genomics, reveals far greater variability in susceptibility to pesticides than previously predicted.
Exposure to toxic elements leads to worrying health problems in many parts of the world, including Europe. A new, EU-funded research project, involving partners from all over the world, will study the health effects of long-term, low-level exposure to toxic metals. The research is clearly designed to make a difference as its results will be communicated to politicians, industry and other organisations involved in decision-making.
“We will assess the roles of the toxic metals as
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