ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A team of researchers at the University of Michigan Health System has developed a risk prediction model that helps identify which hepatitis C patients have the most urgent need for new anti-viral drugs. Rallying baby boomers to be screened for hepatitis C took off as effective treatments emerged to wipe out the liver-damaging virus. But high costs that can rise to more than $80,000 for a round of treatment have complicated the promise of providing curative treatment for the estimated 3.2 million people in the United States with hepatitis C. For ...

Limiting temperature rise by 2100 to less than 1.5°C is feasible, at least from a purely technological standpoint, according to the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change by researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and others. The new study examines scenarios for the energy, economy, and environment that are consistent with limiting climate change to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and compares them to scenarios for limiting climate change to 2°C. ...

(PARIS, FRANCE) - New data released today at EuroPCR 2015 suggest that thickening of the valve leaflets following implantation of a transcatheter or surgical aortic valve bioprosthesis is relatively rare, not linked to short-term clinical events, and not unique to any one type of valve. Longer-term follow-up and larger studies looking specifically at this issue are warranted, experts said here at a special session devoted to the emerging understanding of the phenomenon. "At the present time, there is no evidence to support a change in patient selection, procedural aspects, ...

In January 2015 a report published as a research letter to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) (1) found that a 3rd generation e-cigarette (an e-cigarette with variable power settings) set to the maximum power and long puff duration generated levels of formaldehyde that, if inhaled in this way throughout the day, would several times exceed formaldehyde levels that smokers get from cigarettes. Media worldwide accordingly reported this new health hazard of e-cigarettes. A new study published online today in the scientific journal Addiction took a closer look at ...

A team of Australian and Spanish astronomers have caught a greedy galaxy gobbling on its neighbours and leaving crumbs of evidence about its dietary past. Galaxies grow by churning loose gas from their surroundings into new stars, or by swallowing neighbouring galaxies whole. However, they normally leave very few traces of their cannibalistic habits. A study published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) not only reveals a spiral galaxy devouring a nearby compact dwarf galaxy, but shows evidence of its past galactic snacks in unprecedented ...

The success of corals that adapt to survive in the world's hottest sea could contribute to their demise through global warming, according to new research. Researchers from the University of Southampton and the New York University Abu Dhabi found that local adaptation to high salinity levels in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG) may prevent coral escaping their fate, as they lose their superior heat tolerance in waters with normal salinity levels. The research is published this week in The ISME Journal, a world leading publication platform for ecological research, ...

Malaria is a cruel and disabling disease that targets victims of all ages. Even now, it is estimated to kill one child every minute. Recent progress in halting the spread of the disease has hinged on the use of insecticide-treated bed nets and spraying programmes that target the insect that spreads the disease, the African malaria mosquito (Anopheles gambiae). However, the insects are fighting back, developing resistance to insecticides such as pyrethroid that control their numbers, forcing Brian Foy and Jacob Meyers from Colorado State University to think of alternative ...

Report shows 38 MPs have accepted over £60,000 of industry hospitality since 2010 More than half of these MPs are from constituencies where the number of smoking related deaths exceeds the national average 20 of the 38 MPs who accepted hospitality voted against plain packaging An investigation by The BMJ today asks to what extent is the tobacco industry able to reach out and influence parliamentarians? It shows that since 2010, 38 MPs -- 29 Conservatives, eight Labour, and one independent -- have accepted over £60,000 worth of tobacco industry hospitality, ...

Cold weather kills 20 times as many people as hot weather, according to an international study analysing over 74 million deaths in 384 locations across 13 countries [1]. The findings, published in The Lancet, also reveal that deaths due to moderately hot or cold weather substantially exceed those resulting from extreme heat waves or cold spells. "It's often assumed that extreme weather causes the majority of deaths, with most previous research focusing on the effects of extreme heat waves," says lead author Dr Antonio Gasparrini from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical ...

ATS 2015, DENVER -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is associated with increased risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease such as heart failure or a heart attack, as well as diseases not associated with the heart. However, COPD is not by itself associated with increased likelihood of having a stroke or a systemic embolism, according to a new research study. Researchers from Duke University and the Mayo Clinic reached this conclusion after analyzing data from a large randomized trial of patients with atrial fibrillation, a condition that produces ...

MINNEAPOLIS - People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, according to a large study published in the May 20, 2015, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "We saw this link between depression and Parkinson's disease during over a timespan of more than two decades, so depression may be a very early symptom of Parkinson's disease or a risk factor for the disease," said study author Peter Nordström, PhD, at Umeå University in Umeå, Sweden. The researchers also examined siblings, ...

DALLAS, May 20, 2015 -- Group behavioral therapy that encouraged walking at home significantly improved and prevented mobility loss among patients with clogged arteries in the legs, according to research in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Known as peripheral artery disease (PAD), clogged arteries in the legs can cause pain and fatigue while walking. Maintaining mobility is integral to preserving functional independence, social interactions and daily activities. Although studies have shown that supervised exercise on a treadmill improves walking endurance ...

DALLAS, May 20, 2015 -- Large waistline, cholesterol disorders and other metabolic abnormalities may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease more among black women than among white women, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association. Previous studies have focused primarily on white participants and found that obesity without a clustering of at least three metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome) was not associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. The metabolic abnormalities included in the definition of the metabolic syndrome are ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University research shows that a small amount of nicotinoid pesticide substantially weakens termites' ability to fight off fungal diseases, a finding that could lead to more effective methods of pest control. The study also provides clues into termites' robust defense systems and how nicotinoids affect social insects. A team led by Michael Scharf, the O.W. Rollins/Orkin Chair and professor of entomology, found that a sublethal dose of imidacloprid knocked out key microbes in the termite gut and suppressed the social hygiene habits that ...

Rolf Mueller, an associate professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has developed a prototype of a dynamic sonar system inspired by horseshoe bats. The prototype was presented Wednesday (May 20) at the Acoustical Society of America meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The principles used in its design could eventually lead to sonar systems much more effective than the best arrays available today. Because bats use a form of biological sonar called echolocation to navigate and hunt in the dark, they are natural models for man-made ...

Paris, France - May 20, 2015 - Data from the ILUMIEN II trial found that guidance from optimal coherence tomography (OCT) was associated with comparable stent expansion as guidance from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Results from the study were presented today at EuroPCR 2015, the official annual meeting of the European Association for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions. Coronary stents must be optimally deployed with full lesion coverage and complete stent expansion to optimize outcomes. Less than ...

When it comes to keeping online information safe from hackers and other criminals, it's up to the individual user to keep his or her data secure. Unfortunately, many Internet users don't take that responsibility seriously, thinking that's the job of the Internet provider or even the company that manufactured their computer. The end-user is often the "weakest link" in the Internet safety chain, said Saleem Alhabash, a Michigan State University faculty member who is part of a team that researches ways of making the Web safer for its users. The team's conclusion: Internet ...

A common mutation in a gene that regulates cholesterol levels may raise the risk of heart disease in carriers, according to a new UConn Health study. Researchers examined a mutation called the missense rs4238001 variant, which alters the type of protein made by the gene SCARB1, and thereby the body's cholesterol regulation. The study, led by Annabelle Rodriguez-Oquendo, an endocrinologist at UConn Health, was based on information about more than 5,000 people who participated in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Artherosclerosis in major American cities from 2000 to 2002. ...

The fossils of the first dinosaur fossil from Washington State were collected along the shores of Sucia Island State Park in the San Juan Islands, and described in a study published May 20, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Brandon Peecook and Christian Sidor from the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington. The fossils were discovered while collecting ammonite fossils (a nautilus-like creature) from a marine rock unit known as the Cedar District Formation. The authors of the study describe the fossil as the partial left ...

Burke Museum paleontologists have published a description of the first dinosaur fossil from Washington state. The fossil was collected by a Burke Museum research team along the shores of Sucia Island State Park in the San Juan Islands. Burke Museum researchers discovered the fossil while collecting ammonite fossils (a creature with a spiral shell) from a marine rock unit known as the Cedar District Formation. The researchers first noticed a small section of exposed bone on the surface of the rocks, then returned with a team of paleontologists to help excavate the fossil ...

Prolonged paracetamol use by pregnant women may reduce testosterone production in unborn baby boys, research has found. Researchers say their findings could help to explain reported links between paracetamol use in pregnancy and reproductive health problems in young boys. Paracetamol is the primary medicine used for managing pain and fever during pregnancy. The authors recommend that expectant mothers should follow existing guidelines that the painkiller be taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. Testosterone, produced in the testicles, ...

A national survey reveals that only one in ten Australians report being told about the risk of overdiagnosis by their doctors, according to research published today in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. The increasingly recognised problem of overdiagnosis happens when someone is diagnosed with a disease that will never cause them any harm, often as a result of healthy people being screened for diseases such as breast or prostate cancer. Overdiagnosis can be harmful due to unnecessary labelling and treatment. The telephone survey (mobile and landline) of 500 Australians ...

WASHINGTON (May 20, 2015) - Despite challenges, it is feasible to collect and study the quality of outpatient cardiovascular care in a resource-limited environment like India, according to a pilot study published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers used the American College of Cardiology's PINNACLE India Quality Improvement Program registry to examine performance measures and outline areas for further improvement in cardiovascular care delivery. There is a growing burden of cardiovascular disease in India, but only limited data is available ...

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. - May 20, 2015) Researchers led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed a second-generation antibiotic that shows early effectiveness against common bacterial infections that pose a serious health threat to children and adults. The findings appear today in the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine. The study marks the second time in recent years that St. Jude researchers have created promising antibiotics by changing the chemical structure of an old antibiotic named spectinomycin. Spectinomycin is a safe, but weak ...

TORONTO, May 20, 2015 - The use of personalized music playlists with tempo-pace synchronization increases adherence to cardiac rehab by almost 70 per cent--according to a study published in Sports Medicine -Open. "Cardiac rehab has been proven to improve long-term survival for someone who's had a heart event by 20 per cent," said Dr. David Alter, Senior Scientist, Toronto Rehab, University Health Network, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. "Our challenge is there is a high drop-out rate for these programs and suboptimal adherence to the self-management of ...