Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is an epidemiologically important virus with a worldwide distribution and causes acute hepatitis in humans. Acute HAV superinfection causes severe liver disease, acute liver failure and even higher mortality rates in patients with underlying chronic liver disease (CLD). Numerous studies have identified CLD as a risk factor for fulminant hepatitis and death from acute HAV infection. A research article to be published on January 14, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. In this study, the authors investigated the ...

Acute diverticulitis is the most common complication of diverticular disease, and its clinical presentation varies from mild local inflammation to full-blown perforation. After resolution of an acute episode, the best management strategy is as yet undefined, due to the risk of further episodes and the risk associated with elective surgical resection. Historically, surgical resection has been advocated after one episode of complicated diverticulitis (diverticulitis with perforation of the bowel wall, which manifests as intra-abdominal abscesses or peritonitis) and after ...

Hemolysis is not uncommon during cardiovascular surgery, resulting in elevated circulating levels of cell-free oxyhemoglobin (FHb). The effect of hemolysis on intestinal microcirculation and gut wall integrity is unclear. A research article to be published on January 14, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. An animal model was developed with FHb plasma levels similar to those found during cardiovascular surgery. The influence of circulating FHb on intestinal microcirculation was studied using fluorescent microspheres and intestinal injury ...

Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has been widely used for prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Several studies have shown that mucosal breaks caused by taking low-dose ASA occurred not only in the upper gastrointestinal tract but also in the lower gastrointestinal tract. However the cause of small bowel injury is not clear. One of the mechanisms of drug-induced small bowel damage is decrease in blood flow. A research article to be published on January 14, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The authors investigated ...

There is considerable interest in understanding transport and information pathways in living cells. It is crucial for both the transport of, for example, medicine into cells, the regulation of cell life processes and their signalling with their environment. New research in biophysics at the Niels Bohr Institute shows surprisingly that the transport mechanisms do not follow the expected pattern. The results have been published in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters. The researchers studied fat molecules which are naturally occurring in cells. Using a special ...

The study, which was conducted at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg and at Alingsås Hospital, included 102 IBS patients between the ages of 18 and 65. Half the group was randomly allocated to increase their physical activity and the other half to maintain their usual lifestyle. Both groups received supportive phone calls from a physiotherapist. The active group increased their physical activity on their own, but with the advice and support from the physiotherapist. "They were advised to perform moderate to vigorous physical activity for 20 to 30 minutes three ...

We know that people tend to be attracted to, date, and marry other people who resemble themselves in terms of personality, values, and physical appearance. However, these features only skim the surface of what makes a relationship work. The ways that people talk are also important. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people who speak in similar styles are more compatible. The study focused on words called "function words." These aren't nouns and verbs; they're the words that show how those ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers are developing a new class of "plasmonic metamaterials" as potential building blocks for advanced optical technologies, including ultrapowerful microscopes and computers, improved solar cells, and a possible invisibility cloak. The new materials could make possible "nanophotonic" devices for numerous applications, said Alexandra Boltasseva, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University. Unlike natural materials, metamaterials may possess an index of refraction less than one or less than zero. Refraction ...

Saranac Lake, N.Y. – There is an ongoing battle in the "war on terror" that remains mostly unseen to the public -- a race between scientists working to develop a vaccine to protect against plague and the terrorists who seek to use plague as a weapon. "Governments remain concerned that bioweapons of aerosolized Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, could kill thousands," said Stephen Smiley, a leading plague researcher and Trudeau Institute faculty member. The anthrax scare that followed the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, made the threat of bioterrorism ...

WHAT: A team of U.S. and European researchers have found that a new vaccine strategy tested in mice provides stronger, more long-lasting protection from tuberculosis (TB) infection than the vaccine currently used in humans, known as BCG. Their findings were published online on January 23rd in the journal Nature Medicine. The study was co-funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was coordinated by the NIAID-funded TB Vaccine Testing and Research ...

In the aftermath of a dirty bomb, hundreds or even thousands of victims could require medical attention. First responders conduct extensive training to prepare for such a cataclysmic event, but planning is difficult without a solid estimate of how many people could be injured. The toll would be influenced by a number of variables. For example, the toll from a dirty bomb detonation would depend upon the population density at the explosion site and the components used in the explosive. To plan effective training scenarios and tabletop exercises, first responders need a ...

Soap bubbles and films have always fascinated children and adults, but they can also serve to solve complex mathematical calculations. This is shown by a study carried out by two professors at the University of Málaga, who have succeeded in solving classic problems using just such an innovative procedure. "With the aid of soap films we have solved variational mathematical problems, which appear in the formulation of many physical problems", explains Carlos Criado, professor at the University of Málaga, speaking to SINC. Together with his colleague Nieves Álamo, he has ...

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are an increasingly popular technology for use in energy-efficient lighting. Researchers from North Carolina State University have now developed a new technique that reduces defects in the gallium nitride (GaN) films used to create LEDs, making them more efficient. LED lighting relies on GaN thin films to create the diode structure that produces light. The new technique reduces the number of defects in those films by two to three orders of magnitude. "This improves the quality of the material that emits light," says Dr. Salah Bedair, a professor ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Mercury contamination, a worldwide environmental problem, has been called "public enemy No. 1" in California's San Francisco Bay. Mercury mining and gold recovery in the mid-1800s to late 1900s, combined with present day oil refineries, chemical manufacturing plants and wastewater treatment plants have contributed enough mercury to threaten wildlife and prompt a fish consumption advisory in the Bay Area. With so many possible sources of contamination, environmental scientists and regulatory agencies would like to know which specific sources contribute ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A study shows for the first time that the three most common chromosome changes seen in chronic lymphocytic leukemia disrupt a molecular network that includes several important genes and strongly influences the outcome of the disease. The research was led by investigators at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) and at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, working in collaboration with investigators at seven other centers in Italy and ...

Solar cells are made from semiconductors whose ability to respond to light is determined by their band gaps (energy gaps). Different colors have different energies, and no single semiconductor has a band gap that can respond to sunlight's full range, from low-energy infrared through visible light to high-energy ultraviolet. Although full-spectrum solar cells have been made, none yet have been suitable for manufacture at a consumer-friendly price. Now Wladek Walukiewicz, who leads the Solar Energy Materials Research Group in the Materials Sciences Division (MSD) at the ...

Radiation oncologists can enhance patient safety in their clinics by further developing a culture of safety in which all team members are alerted to the possibility of errors and can work together to maximize safety, according to an invited article in the inaugural issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), a new medical journal whose mission is to improve the quality of radiation oncology practice. PRO is an official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Each year, radiation therapy is used safely and effective to cure cancer and provide pain ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For troubled war veterans, a friendly bartender can be the source of more than just drinks and a sympathetic ear. A pilot study suggests that some bartenders may be in a good position to identify veterans in need of mental health services and help connect them to the appropriate agency. Researchers at Ohio State University surveyed 71 bartenders employed at Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Ohio. The results showed that bartenders felt very close to their customers and that these customers shared their problems freely with them, said Keith Anderson, ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University researchers recently tested the merits of two new dishware sanitizers, and found them more effective at removing bacteria from restaurant dishes than traditional sanitizers. Melvin Pascall, co-author of the study and associate professor of food science and technology at Ohio State, said that the two new sanitizers reflect the industry's recent efforts to develop more effective germ killers that are also environmentally friendly. The two sanitizers – one carrying the name brand PROSAN® and the other called neutral electrolyzed ...

In regenerative medicine, large supplies of safe and reliable human embryonic stem (hES) cells are needed for implantation into patients, but the field has faced challenges in developing cultures that can consistently grow and maintain clinical-grade stem cells. Standard culture systems use mouse "feeder" cells and media containing bovine sera to cultivate and maintain hES cells, but such animal product–based media can contaminate the cells. And because of difficulties in precise quality control, each batch of the medium can introduce new and unwanted variations. Now, ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio State University mathematician and his colleagues are finding ways to tell the difference between healthy cells and abnormal cells, such as cancer cells, based on the way the cells look and move. They are creating mathematical equations that describe the shape and motion of single cells for laboratory analysis. Though this research is in its early stages, it represents an entirely new way of identifying cell abnormalities, including cancer. It could one day be useful in gauging future stages of a disease -- for example, by detecting whether ...

AURORA, Colo. (Jan. 25, 2011) – A new study led by researchers at the Children's Outcomes Research (COR) Program at The Children's Hospital and Colorado Health Outcomes Program (COHO) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine explores the barriers, facilitators and alternative approaches to providers sending reminder notices for immunization using a statewide immunization registry. Reminder or recall messages, usually in the form of postcards, letters, or phone calls, have long been regarded as an effective way to increase immunization rates within primary care ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. – One of the first studies published from the University of Missouri Brain Imaging Center (BIC) gives researchers insight into the brain and memory and may provide researchers clues to treating a variety of debilitating disorders. Nelson Cowan, director of the BIC and Curator's Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, used the BIC's magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to produce graphics that depict the structure and function of the brain during various mental tasks in an effort to understand abstract working memory. People use their abstract ...

DURHAM, NC – Duke University bioengineers have developed a new method for rapidly producing an almost unlimited variety of man-made DNA sequences. These novel sequences of recombinant DNA are used to produce repetitive proteins to create new types of drugs and bioengineered tissues. Current methods for producing these DNA sequences are slow or not robust, the researchers said, which has hindered the development of these increasingly important new classes of protein-based polymers. Researchers have already demonstrated that when a large protective macromolecule – known ...

Surgery has not been an option in the past for children with ACL tears because of the possible damage to the growth plate that can cause serious problems later in life. With this new technology, surgeons can actually see from one point to the other on either side of the knee, and can safely position the tunnels where they will place the new ligament. John Xerogeanes, MD, chief of the Emory Sports Medicine Center, and colleagues in the laboratory of Allen R. Tannenbaum, PhD, professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and ...