Scientists based in Palo Alto, California, have accomplished a major feat: They have produced brilliant X-ray light from a device just a fraction of the standard size. The advance could transform numerous fields of biomedical research by vastly improving access to a key resource for studying the properties of molecules.

Researchers who want to know the structures of molecules, such as proteins, use synchrotrons–facilities as big as football stadiums that produce intense X-ray beams.

Researchers report the discovery that cells used in bone marrow transplantation can develop into new cells lining the gut, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study showed that bone marrow derived cells can differentiate into functional gastrointestinal epithelial cells after bone marrow transplantation. Research was from the laboratory of Diane Krause, M.D., professor of Laboratory Medicine and senior auth

Johns Hopkins scientists report the discovery of a protein found only in cerebrospinal fluid that they say might be useful in identifying a subgroup of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or identifying those at risk for the debilitating autoimmune disorder.

MS strikes over 10,000 Americans each year, most of whom are women, and causes weakness, numbness, a loss of muscle coordination, and problems with vision, speech, and bladder control. It is a disorder in which the immune system de

Having a set of extra genes gave fish on separate continents the ability to evolve electric organs, report researchers from The University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Harold Zakon and colleagues, in a paper recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that African and South American groups of fish independently evolved electric organs by modifying sodium channel proteins typically used in muscle contraction.

Mutations in sodium channel protein

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified key insights into how different types of infection-fighting T-cells survive and co-exist within the body’s immune system.

T-cells, or lymphocytes, are the body’s natural defense mechanism against infection, directly attacking foreign bodies such as bacteria and viruses. The body contains millions of different lymphocytes that fight specific infectious microbes. Research published in the March 3, 2006 issue of S

Genomic “tags” quickly catalog species, distinguish pathogens from harmless relatives

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new, high-throughput technique for identifying the many species of microorganisms living in an unknown “microbial community.” The method, described in the March 2006 issue of Applied Environmental Microbiology, has many applications — from assessing the microbes present in environmental samples and iden

New research into public perceptions of MMR has shown that more than a third of parents distrust government health advice but are more likely to trust the advice of their own doctor.

Research led by Dr Rachel Casiday, based in the School for Health at Durham University’s Queen’s Campus, Stockton found that the public’s confidence in the MMR vaccine has been shaken, with 20% of parents believing the government would not withdraw the vaccine even if it was found to be har

Only seven per cent of drug applications for treating people with rare diseases were approved in Europe between 2000 and 2004, despite the fact that there are currently more than 5,000 conditions needing medication.

Yet during the same period, more than 79 per cent of the other drug applications submitted to the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) were approved, according to research published in the latest British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

A five-year push to blanket a Dutch community with healthy heart programs and education curtailed three major risk factors for heart disease: body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure.

The cardiovascular disease prevention plan targeted residents of Limburg, a province on the southern edge of the Netherlands. The campaign, dubbed Hartslag Limburg — Dutch for Heartbeat Limburg — included nearly 800 programs from bicycling clubs and supermarket education tours to pam

In an article published in the Journal of Correctional Health Care, researchers from the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI) reported on an evaluation of an intervention program within a prison system addressing Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Findings include recommendations for increasing Hepatitis C education and staff training, and expanding peer educators programming.

Hepatitis C virus is the most common chronic blood transmitted infectious disease in the United State

Newly diagnosed cancer patients who use the Internet to gather information about their disease have a more positive outlook and are more active participants in their treatment, according to a new Temple University study published in the March 2006 issue of the Journal of Health Communication.

“This is the first study to look at the relationship between Internet use and patient behaviors,” said principal investigator and public health professor Sarah Bass, Ph.D. “We wanted to see

One of the most powerful antioxidants is truly a double-edged sword, say researchers at Ohio State University who studied how two forms of vitamin E act once they are inside animal cells.

In the past couple of decades, a slough of studies has looked at the benefits of vitamin E and other antioxidants. While a considerable amount of this research touts the advantages of consuming antioxidants, some of the studies have found that in certain cases, antioxidants, including vitamin E, may ac

Findings may explain link between lifestyle and heart disease

A less active brain serotonin system is associated with early hardening of the arteries, according to a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver. These findings, which are the first to establish a link between serotonin messages in the brain and atherosclerosis, could lead to an entirely new strategy for preven

Both nature and nurture — genetic makeup and the environment experienced through life — combine to influence health and well-being, Duke University Medical Center researchers and their colleagues have determined in four new studies. The researchers showed that people’s genes play a key role in how they respond both biologically and psychologically to stress in their environment.

The researchers presented four studies that examine genetics and the environment on Thursday, March 2, 20

Storage of up to 5000 images on Siremobil Compact L

Siemens Medical Solutions introduces an updated version of the mobile C-arm Siremobil Compact L. The system’s numerous improvements in design, image chain, and workflow integration provide for optimal clinical applications.

The improved user interface of the mobile C-arm Siremobil Compact L presents a comprehensive operating menu, self-explanatory keyboard commands and easy navigation via a window-based display. It al

Siemens Medical Solutions remains true to its course of innovation: The company works continuously on future technologies and solutions for ultrasound imaging. The newest innovations are presented by Siemens at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in Vienna from March 3 to 7, 2006. Siemens will highlight Cadence CPS technology (Contrast Pulse Sequencing) which provides excellent contrast detection and good specificity, and is also the enabling technology for molecular medicine. In addition, the