Author Archives
In short, I review clinical research on an almost daily basis. What I post tends to be articles that are relevant to the readers in addition to some curiosities that have intriguing potential.
As a hobby, I truly enjoy the puzzle-solving play that statistics and programming as in the python language bring to the table. I just do not enjoy problem-solving, I love problem-solving and the childlike inspiration and exploration of that innocent exhilaration of discovering something new.
Enjoy ;-)
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Vaccine tied to ‘superbug’ ear infection – Old Prevnar 2007 Historical Only
*Requested Repost From 2007 – Info is Historical A vaccine that has dramatically curbed pneumonia and other serious illnesses in children is also having an unfortunate effect: promoting new superbugs that cause ear infections On Monday, doctors reported discovering… Read More ›
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BPA link to narrowing of the arteries
A research team from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, and University of Cambridge has for the first time established a link between high levels of urinary Bisphenol-A (BPA) and severe coronary artery stenosis (narrowing… Read More ›
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Anthrax death sparks outbreak concern – Traced to contaminated Heroin
LONDON (Reuters) – A British drug user has died from anthrax, health authorities said on Friday, triggering concerns a European outbreak of the rare infection among people who inject heroin may be worsening. The user was possibly infected by contaminated… Read More ›
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Genetically engineering ‘ethical’ babies is a moral obligation, says Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics
Genetically screening our offspring to make them better people is just ‘responsible parenting’, claims an eminent Oxford academic By Richard Alleyne 3:33PM BST 16 Aug 2012 Professor Julian Savulescu said that creating so-called designer babies could be considered a “moral… Read More ›
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Pennsylvania woman faces $600 a day fine for feeding needy children
A woman in Chester Township, Pennsylvania has been warned that she could be fined as much as $600 a day if she continues to feed needy children in her community. Angela Prattis has been feeding lunch to as many as… Read More ›
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Finland prepares for break-up of eurozone
Finland is preparing for the break-up of the eurozone, the country’s foreign minister warned today By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, in Helsinki 9:00PM BST 16 Aug 2012 The Nordic state is battening down the hatches for a full-blown currency crisis as… Read More ›
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Pat Robertson: Don’t adopt sexually abused children that could grow up ‘weird’
By David Edwards Thursday, August 16, 2012 16:12 EDT Televangelist Pat Robertson on Thursday cautioned his viewers to think twice before adopting disadvantaged children that had been sexually abused or deprived of food because they could grow up “weird.” During… Read More ›
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Common cold virus can cause polio in mice when injected into muscles
Contact: Becky Levine Levin005@mc.duke.edu 919-684-4148 Duke University Medical Center Common cold virus can cause polio in mice when injected into muscles DURHAM, N.C. — Virologists at Duke University Medical Center have discovered that, under the right conditions, a common cold… Read More ›
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Common parasite may trigger suicide attempts – “seven times more likely to attempt suicide”
Contact: Jason Cody, Media Communications, Office: (517) 432-0924, Cell: (734) 755-0210, Jason.Cody@cabs.msu.edu; Lena Brundin, College of Human Medicine, Office: (616) 234-0996, lena.brundin@hc.msu.edu EAST LANSING, Mich. — A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually… Read More ›
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Hepatitis A and or B Gives greater chance to recover from Hep C..Plus Morphine increases HCV Replication
Contact: Lixin Zhu wjg@wjgnet.com 86-108-538-1892 World Journal of Gastroenterology Who will recover spontaneously from hepatitis C virus infection More than 3% of world population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The outcome of HCV infections is either self recovery… Read More ›
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Plain soap as effective as antibacterial but without the risk – Triclosan no more effective a soap
Contact: Laura Bailey baileylm@umich.edu 734-647-1848 University of Michigan ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Antibacterial soaps show no health benefits over plain soaps and, in fact, may render some common antibiotics less effective, says a University of Michigan public health professor. In the first… Read More ›
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Green tea boosts production of detox enzymes, rendering cancerous chemicals harmless
Contact: Greg Lester lester@aacr.org 267-646-0554 American Association for Cancer Research PHILADELPHIA − Concentrated chemicals derived from green tea dramatically boosted production of a group of key detoxification enzymes in people with low levels of these beneficial proteins, according to researchers… Read More ›
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Poxviruses defeat antiviral defenses by duplicating a gene – Engineered an E3L-deficient strain that was quickly able to increase infectious virus production by selectively increasing the number of copies of the K3L gene in its genome
Contact: Phil Sahm phil.sahm@hsc.utah.edu 801-581-2517 University of Utah Health Sciences Study helps explain how large DNA viruses undergo rapid evolution SALT LAKE CITY – Scientists have discovered that poxviruses, which are responsible for smallpox and other diseases, can adapt to… Read More ›
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Turmeric Spices Up Virus Study – it shows promise in fighting devastating viruses
Posted: August 15, 2012 at 10:47 am, Last Updated: August 15, 2012 at 1:33 pm By Michele McDonald Aarthi Narayanan. Photo by Evan Cantwell The popular spice turmeric packs more than just flavor — , Mason researchers recently discovered. Curcumin,… Read More ›
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N-acetyl glucosamine and niacinamide, significantly reduced the amount and appearance of hyperpigmentation, age spots and uneven melanin distribution
Contact: Shirley Johnson shirley.johnson@mslpr.com 212-468-3292 Manning Selvage & Lee Science finds new fix for UV-damaged skin in arthritis treatment IMAGE:Researchers found that the topical application of a N-acetyl glucosamine (4 percent) and niacinamide (2 percent) complex produced visible improvement in… Read More ›
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St. Jude develops vaccine against potential pandemic influenza virus H5N1 using reverse genetics (Using H1N1, requested repost 2003)
Contact: Bonnie Cameron bonnie.cameron@stjude.org 901-495-4815 St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Special modification of reverse genetics created at St. Jude allowed vaccine to be custom-made within weeks of emergence of virus (MEMPHIS, TENN.–April 2, 2003) Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research… Read More ›
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A small genetic change makes flu virus deadly ( H5N1 2001 Requested Repost)
Contact: Jeff Minerd jminerd@niaid.nih.gov 301-402-1663 NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases A small genetic change makes flu virus deadly A tiny change in one of the influenza virus’s 10 genes is key to making certain strains of the virus… Read More ›
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Superflu is being brewed in the lab (Article H5N1 2004 Requested Repost)
Contact: Claire Bowles claire.bowles@rbi.co.uk 44-207-331-2751 New Scientist Superflu is being brewed in the lab AFTER the worldwide alarm triggered by last year’s SARS outbreak, it might seem reckless to set about creating a potentially far more devastating virus in the… Read More ›
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A high-profile whistleblower at the Care Quality Commission, the health watchdog, was subjected to a mental health assessment after raising concerns about poor leadership and performance at the organisation, internal documents show
CQC whistleblower ‘subjected to mental health assessment’ The organisation’s chief executive Cynthia Bower stood down in February after a Government review endorsed Mrs Sheldon’s concerns about poor governance, poor leadership and unclear accountability. Mrs Sheldon, a non-executive director at the… Read More ›
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APNewsBreak: General investigated over spending – Corruption
By By LOLITA C. BALDOR | Associated Press – 5 hrs ago WASHINGTON (AP) — A four-star Army general who was the first head of the new U.S. Africa Command is under investigation for possibly spending hundreds of thousands of… Read More ›
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Malaysian bloggers and politicians team up for ‘Internet blackout’
* These Bloggers Have my Full Support, Good luck Guys and Girls By Agence France-Presse Tuesday, August 14, 2012 7:10 EDT Malaysian NGOs, well-known bloggers and opposition politicians on Tuesday staged a one-day “Internet blackout” to protest a legal amendment… Read More ›
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Judge: Former ACORN worker can sue James O’Keefe – Involves all investigative reporting in California
A federal judge last week allowed a lawsuit against conservative activists James O’Keefe and Hanna Giles to proceed, according to Courthouse News Service. Former ACORN worker Juan Carlos Vera sued O’Keefe and Giles in 2010 for allegedly illegally taping their… Read More ›
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Researchers: Infant drug tests for marijuana are unreliable
By Stephen C. Webster Wednesday, August 15, 2012 12:58 EDT The most commonly used drug testing methods for detecting marijuana exposure are unreliable when used on infant babies and “should not be reported” without additional testing and followup by hospital… Read More ›
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U.S. lawmakers accuse Walmart of tax evasion and money laundering
By Agence France-Presse Wednesday, August 15, 2012 17:38 EDT WASHINGTON — Two US lawmakers probing bribery allegations against Walmart in Mexico say they have documents suggesting the US retail giant may also have engaged in tax evasion and money laundering…. Read More ›
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Compound in human milk associated with reduced transmission from HIV-infected mother to breastfed infant ( human milk oligosaccharides )
Contact: Debra Kain ddkain@ucsd.edu 619-543-6163 University of California – San Diego Breastfeeding may protect infants from HIV transmission An international team of researchers has found that certain bioactive components found in human milk are associated with a reduced risk of… Read More ›
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ASU study finds antimicrobials from personal care products in statewide survey of Minnesota’s rivers and lakes – triclosan
Highlights First statewide U.S. survey finds antimicrobial compounds present in sediments of Minnesota’s rivers, creeks and lakes Personal care product active ingredients triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) detected in all samples takenupstreamanddownstreamof wastewater treatment plants Among the two known endocrine… Read More ›
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Long-term methadone treatment can affect nerve cells in brain
Long-term methadone treatment can cause changes in the brain, according to recent studies from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The results show that treatment may affect the nerve cells in the brain. The studies follow on from previous studies… Read More ›
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Negative effects of plastic’s additive blocked by nutrient supplements ( folic acid, genistein ) – bisphenol A (BPA)
Contact: Richard Merritt Merri006@mc.duke.edu 919-660-1309 Duke University Medical Center DURHAM, N.C. – Experiments in animals have provided additional and tantalizing evidence that what a pregnant mother eats can make her offspring more susceptible to disease later in life. This susceptibility… Read More ›
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Plants uptake antibiotics
Contact: Sara Uttech suttech@soils.org 608-268-4948 Soil Science Society of America Routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock may be contaminating the environment MADISON, WI, JULY 09, 2007- Scientists at the University of Minnesota have been evaluating the impact of antibiotic feeding… Read More ›
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Pediatric Ritalin Use May Affect Developing Brain, Study Suggests
NEW YORK (July 17, 2007) — Use of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Ritalin by young children may cause long-term changes in the developing brain, suggests a new study in an animal model by a research team at… Read More ›
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Saudis attempt to block Vatican plan for .catholic web addresses, and any web address that conflicts with the Saudi’s definition of Moral.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has attempted to block a Vatican bid to create new web addresses ending in .catholic, arguing that it “cannot demonstrate that it possesses a monopoly over the term ‘Catholic’”. By Christopher Williams, Technology Correspondent The… Read More ›
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Lipstick chemical alert: Ingredient in hundreds of household products ’causes heart problems’ -Triclosan
By Tamara Cohen PUBLISHED:19:56 EST, 13 August 2012| UPDATED:07:52 EST, 14 August 2012 chemical commonly used in lipsticks, face washes and toothpaste may cause heart and muscle problems, according to scientists. They found triclosan, which is in hundreds of household… Read More ›
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Appeals court: Police can track cell phones without warrant (U.S.)
Eric W. Dolan Tuesday, August 14, 2012 20:06 EDT The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled Tuesday that police can use cell phone data obtained without a warrant to establish an individual’s location. The case, United… Read More ›
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Cities use surveillance systems that identify potential ‘terrorists’ with facial recognition (U.S.)
By Charles Arthur, The Guardian Monday, August 13, 2012 15:17 EDT It sounds like something from the film Minority Report: a CCTV surveillance system that recognises people from their face or walk and analyses whether they might be about to… Read More ›
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Executive branch porn problem: Includes Child Pornography (U.S.)
Bureaucrats risk national security breaches Allen W. Dulles, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) wrote in “The Craft of Intelligence,” “sex and hard-headed intelligence operations rarely mix well.” Perhaps the boys at the Pentagon need a refresher course…. Read More ›
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Antibacterial soap may hinder muscle function: study
A chemical found in soap, toothpaste, clothes and toys may cause muscle problems and should be used with caution, experts have said. By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor 7:20AM BST 14 Aug 2012 Researchers found an antibacterial agent, called triclosan, hampers… Read More ›
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Study: Media perpetuates unsubstantiated chemical imbalance ( Serotonin ) theory of depression
Contact: Jeffrey Lacasse jeffreylacasse@mac.com 850-294-0875 Florida State University TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The theory that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance is often presented in the media as fact even though there is little scientific evidence to support it, according… Read More ›
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Cataract patients being wrongly denied eye surgery (U.K.)
Thousands of patients struggling to drive and even read are wrongly being denied sight-saving surgery, according to eye health professionals. By Richard Alleyne The Telegraph 5:30AM BST 13 Aug 2012 The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and other health bodies say it… Read More ›
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Parents who believe in miracles ‘torturing’ dying children, doctors warn ( Abandon all Ye Hope?)
* Want to leave a note before posting.. I can see both sides of the story here, but in the end I can forsee abuses by the governments involved. Terminally ill children are subjected to needless suffering amounting to “torture”… Read More ›
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Should doctors treat lack of exercise as a medical condition? Mayo expert says ‘yes’ Quote: prescribing supported exercise, and more formal rehabilitation programs that include cognitive and behavioral therapy would develop
Contact: Sharon Theimer newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn. — A sedentary lifestyle is a common cause of obesity (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314), and excessive body weight and fat in turn are considered catalysts for diabetes (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/DS01121), high blood pressure (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/DS00100), joint damage… Read More ›
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Citrus compounds called limonoids targeted and stopped neuroblastoma cells in the lab.
Contact: Kathleen Phillips ka-phillips@tamu.edu 979-845-2872 Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Citrus shows promise for certain childhood cancer COLLEGE STATION – Orange juice and cancer don’t mix. In fact, the popular citrus drink could become a cocktail to prevent or stop the… Read More ›
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Why are people overconfident so often? It’s all about social status, a UC Berkeley study finds
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY’S HAAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS – Researchers have long known that people are very frequently overconfident – that they tend to believe they are more physically talented, socially adept, and skilled at their job than they actually… Read More ›
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Butter flavoring in microwave popcorn, thought safe for food industry workers, is respiratory hazard
Contact: David Sampson ajpmedia@elsevier.com 215-239-3171 Elsevier Health Sciences New findings reported in the American Journal of Pathology Philadelphia, PA, August 13, 2012 – The ingredient 2,3-pentanedione (PD), used to impart the flavor and aroma of butter in microwave popcorn, is… Read More ›
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Is this James Bond’s next secret weapon? The bizarre robo-worm scientists say could be an electronic super spy
Researchers say their prototype could crawl into tiny spaces undetected and send back video Can be stamped on or even hit with a hammer Project funded by US military When you think of a hi-tech super spy able to crawl… Read More ›
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Yale team discovers how stress and depression can shrink the brain
Public release date: 12-Aug-2012 [ Contact: Bill Hathaway william.hathaway@yale.edu 203-432-1322 Yale University Yale team discovers how stress and depression can shrink the brain Major depression or chronic stress can cause the loss of brain volume, a condition that contributes to… Read More ›
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Ginkgo biloba prevents mobile phone-induced oxidative stress in rat brain. – Electromagnetic radiation
Clin Chim Acta. 2004 Feb;340(1-2):153-62. Ilhan A, Gurel A, Armutcu F, Kamisli S, Iraz M, Akyol O, Ozen S. Source Department of Neurology, Inonu University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, 44069 Malatya, Turkey. ailhan@inonu.edu.tr Abstract BACKGROUND: The widespread use of mobile… Read More ›
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Radioprotection and extracts of Ginko biloba
Contact: Chang-Mo Kang kangcm@kcch.re.kr Inderscience Publishers Herbal tonic for radiotherapy Antioxidant extracts of the leaves of the Gingko biloba tree may protect cells from radiation damage, according to a study published in the International Journal of Low Radiation. The discovery… Read More ›
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Broccoli derivative shows promise at stopping even worst cancers
Vegetables that prevent may ultimately cure some cancers COLLEGE STATION – Broccoli, cabbage, turnips and mustard greens. A dose a day keeps most cancers away. But for those who develop cancer, the same vegetables may ultimately produce the cure. Research… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 