Hand Transplant :: Third Successful Hand Transplant
David F. Savage, a 54-year-old Bay City, Michigan resident, joined a group of select men to become the third hand transplant recipient in US.
Team
Diabetes :: Highlights from the December 2006 Journal of the American Dietetic Association
The December 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association contains articles and research studies you may find of interest. Below is a summary of some of this month’s articles.
Ecology :: Seagrass ecosystems at a ‘global crisis’
An international team of scientists is calling for a targeted global conservation effort to preserve seagrasses and their ecological services for the world’s coastal ecosystems, according to an article published in the December issue of Bioscience. The article “A Global Crisis for Seagrass Ecosystems” cites the critical role seagrasses play in coastal systems and how costal development, population growth and the resulting increase of nutrient and sediment pollution have contributed to large-scale losses worldwide.
Psoriasis :: Glucocorticoid plays key role in skin abnormalities induced by psychological stress
A new study shows how psychological stress induces abnormalities in skin structure and function that could initiate or worsen skin disorders such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. The study provides a link for understanding the roles psychological stress and glucocorticoid, a type of steroid, play in skin disorders and shows that blocking glucocorticoid can prevent skin abnormalities induced by psychological stress.
Dementia :: Caregiver support key to improved health, fewer nursing home placements
Helping caregivers take care of themselves is key to enabling them to better deal with family members with dementia, a recent study by Thomas Jefferson University researchers shows. In fact, those caregivers who were provided extra, individualized support had less depression and were able to keep family members in adult day services — and out of nursing homes — much longer than those who did not get the extra attention.
Pancreatic Cancer :: OHSU surgeon gives patients with lethal cancer reason to hope
Researchers in the OHSU Digestive Health Center are developing a system through which clinicians hope to more easily identify people at increased risk for the disease. Early identification allows physicians to identify malignancies sooner and begin aggressive treatment quicker. Only patients at high risk for pancreatic cancer will be monitored.
Cystic Fibrosis :: Newly discovered immune defense may be impaired in CF airways
A recent University of Iowa study reveals a new immune defense mechanism in normal airways and may help explain why people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are particularly susceptible to bacterial lung infections. The findings also may point the way to new approaches for treating the disease.
Anthrax :: New finding points way to foiling anthrax’s tricks
Anthrax, when inhaled, is nearly always fatal, in part because the bacteria have a very effective way of stealing iron from human cells to reproduce. This involves two molecules, siderophores, that compete with the body’s own iron-transport molecules. UC Berkeley researchers have now found that humans produce a protein that sidelines one of these siderophores, but not the other. A drug that blocks the second siderophore should be able to stop anthrax in its tracks.
Workout :: Nike+iPod Sport Kit raises privacy concerns
This holiday season, gift-givers may unwittingly give their favorite athlete a workout accessory that can double as a tracking device. Computer scientists at the University of Washington show potential breaches of privacy related to the Nike+iPod Sport Kit.
Performance of wide receivers, running backs post-ACL injury falls by one third
The good news for NFL players who sustain an injury to their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is that they’ll likely play again in the NFL. The bad news is, they’ll return with diminished performance on the field, concludes a study in the December issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine.