From the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology
Approximately 9% of children with an allergy to tree nuts will outgrow their allergy, including children who have previously experienced a severe allergic reaction, according to a study in the November 2005 Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (JACI). The JACI is the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
Up to this point, researchers thought that allergies
New way of using MRI may show us what the naked eye cannot see
Researchers may have discovered a new way that may ultimately assist in the early diagnosis of schizophrenia – by utilizing MRI to study the patient’s brain. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) looked for subtle brain abnormalities that cannot be seen by the human eye. A study examined the entire brain, looking at distributed patterns of abnormalities rather than differences in speci
Researchers examine the association between several reported risk indicators
Severe periodontal disease causes tooth loss and affects a certain group of people that appear to exhibit increased susceptibility to periodontal destruction, according to a study that appeared in the November Journal of Periodontology.
Researchers found that tooth loss due to periodontal disease is associated with the risk indicators of age, male gender, smoking, lack of professional maintenance,
An inexpensive and rapid test for tuberculosis (TB) which could be used in developing countries has won first place in the Best Innovation to Improve Global Healthcare category of the Medical Futures Innovation Awards. It also scooped the overall prize at the awards ceremony held last week in London.
The test, known as MODS (Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptible Assay) is able to confirm the presence of TB from sputum samples in one week on average, taking one third to one qu
A low-calorie sweetener that tastes like sugar and could help control diseases like diabetes and obesity may be closer to reality thanks to research published today.
Scientists at The University of Manchester and The University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have made a major advance in understanding what makes a substance taste sweet.
The discovery could help pave the way for the development of low-calorie sweeteners that mimic natural sugar and leave no bi
A new optical instrument that could vastly reduce the amount of time the pharmaceutical industry spends in R&D, by speeding up the measurement of drug inhaler performance, is being launched by Loughborough University spin out VariDose Limited.
Heightened interest in innovative pulmonary drug delivery is fuelled by the emergence of inhaled systemic drugs and global concern over the sharp rise in respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The g
A novel “Flu Chip” developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder that can determine the genetic signatures of specific influenza strains from patient samples within hours may help world health officials combat coming epidemics and pandemics.
Tests last month on the new technology by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta showed the CU-Boulder Flu Chip can determine the genetic make-up of types and subtypes of the flu virus in about 11 hours, said CU-Boulde
In a national study of children in motor vehicle crashes, researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia report that traumatic stress can occur without injury. Looking at a wide range of crashes reported to State Farm Insurance Companies®, researchers found that while most children did well, two percent of the children and five percent of their parents experienced multiple traumatic stress symptoms that disrupted their lives.
There are more than 1.5 million crashes i
Medication commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be effective for treatment of hyperactivity symptoms in children with autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Children with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders often also have symptoms of hyperactivity, distractibility and impulsiveness requiring treatme
Although the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that children receive the new pneumococcal vaccine PCV7 beginning at 2 months of age, provincial implementation of the recommendation has been slow. The vaccine protects against infections that result in pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis and other diseases. In Alberta, however, the vaccine is a publicly funded service.
This report of the experience with the vaccine in the greater Calgary region shows 2 imp
Obstruction of the intestines due to adhesions resulting from previous abdominal surgery is painful, results in vomiting and dehydration and requires urgent medical and often surgical intervention.
Typical management requires placement of a nasogastric tube (a small plastic tube inserted to drain the contents of the stomach and its gastric juices), intravenous rehydration and prolonged observation to see if the obstruction will spontaneously resolve. Often surgical intervention is
Certain behaviors, such as eating, drinking and urinating, are so crucial to survival that the brains of all vertebrates contain clusters of nerve cells that can suppress pain long enough to allow the animal to eat, drink — or pee — in peace.
A report from researchers at the University of Chicago, published early online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that by activating “OFF” cells and shutting down “ON” cells in the ventromedial medulla (VMM) – a
Tailored follow-up plans, new clinical guidelines are needed
Citing shortfalls in the care currently provided to the country’s 10 million cancer survivors, a new report recommends that each cancer patient receive a “survivorship care plan.” The report, by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies, says such plans should summarize information critical to the individual’s long-term care, such as the cancer diagnosis, treatment, and
Samples collected by WCS in international collaboration effort in Mongolia to be used in development of human pandemic influenza vaccine
Avian influenza virus samples collected from wild birds in Mongolia by field veterinarians from the New York City-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have been selected by the World Health Organization to be part of a new human pandemic influenza vaccine currently in development. The samples, collected in the midst of an outbreak in Augu
Waist-to-hip ratio, not body mass index (BMI), is the best obesity measure for assessing a person’s risk of heart attack, concludes a global study published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.
If obesity is redefined using waist-to-hip ratio instead of BMI the proportion of people at risk of heart attack increases by threefold, calculate the authors.
Previous research has shown that obesity increases the risk of heart disease. However, these studies have mai
Using a humanized mouse model that mimics the effects of human rheuma-toid arthritis (RA), researchers have discovered that protein growth factors called cytokines in the immune system have both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses to RA that help explain why some patients respond to current therapy and others don’t. By pinpointing the unique immune mecha-nisms involved in different forms of RA, the scientists hope to guide physicians toward more pre-cise individualized diagnosis of RA patien
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