Chicago
CINCINNATI -- Scientists have linked an overactive response by one of the immune system's key weapons against infection -- natural killer, or NK, cells -- to the onset of biliary atresia in infants, a disease where blocked bile ducts can cause severe liver damage and death.
PITTSBURGH, July 21 -- Mothers' health in the days and weeks prior to becoming pregnant may determine the health of offspring much later in life, according to results of studies reported at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, which takes place July 18 to 22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
CHICAGO -- Transoral (through-the-mouth) laser surgery to remove cancer at the base of the tongue is as effective as more invasive open surgery and may improve quality of life according to a new study by Rush University Medical Center. The study is published in the July issue of the scientific journal Otolaryngology ?Head and Neck Surgery.
PITTSBURGH, July 20 -- Cancer treatment has come a long way, leading to a multitude of therapy options and improved survival rates. These successes, however, have created a challenge for young cancer patients since chemotherapy and radiation treatments that often save lives threaten fertility.
SUMMARY: (See also Letters, July 17.) Evans & Reimer (E & R) (Open Access and Global Participation in Science Science 20 February 2009) show that there is an 8-20% increase in citations for articles that provide delayed (embargoed) open access (OA) (free online access). This OA citation advantage would undoubtedly be even greater if the OA were provided immediately upon publication, rather than a year or more thereafter. E & R also examine only publisher-provided OA journals ("Gold OA"), and not at author-provided OA to their own self-archived journal articles ("Green OA"). That too would raise the OA advantage. E & R also found that a large component of the extra citation impact for their sample came from the "have-nots" in the Developing World -- the researchers whose institutions could not afford subscription access. But the Developed World has plenty of have-not institutions too; and even Harvard cannot afford to subscribe to all journals in which there are articles Harvard researchers need. So it is virtually certain that a careful analysis in terms of institutional subscription budget size would reveal that the citation advantage comes also from the have-nots in the Developed World too.
CHICAGO (July 17, 2009) - Researchers have warned people to beware of the damage that acidic beverages have on teeth. Yet, for some, the damage and problems associated with drinking sodas, citric juices or certain tea may have already begun to take effect. The question remains: What can be done to restore teeth already affected?
CHICAGO (July 17, 2009) - The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft. The modern use of aloe vera was first recognized the 1930s to heal radiation burns.
The repeal of the federal speed control law in 1995 has resulted in an increase in road fatalities and injuries, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.
Selenium is a trace element crucial to life - too little or too much of it is fatal. In the July 17 issue of the journal Science, researchers at Yale University and University of Illinois at Chicago detail the molecular mechanisms that govern its metabolism in the human body.
CHICAGO -- Patients who have a heart defect known as patent foramen ovale incidentally discovered and repaired during surgery for a different condition may have an increased odds of postoperative stroke, along with no clear benefit on short-term outcomes or long-term survival, according to a study in the July 15 issue of JAMA.
CHICAGO -- The brain tumor afflicting Sen. Edward Kennedy -- a glioblastoma -- is the most aggressive and wily form of brain cancer. It has foiled researchers' decades-long efforts to thwart its explosive growth in the brain. The lethal tumor ? the most common brain tumor in humans -- nimbly alters its genes like a quick-change artist to elude treatments to destroy it.
CHICAGO (July 14, 2009) -- New research published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons reveals that African Americans with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), a rare cancer that begins in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, now have survival rates equivalent to those of Caucasians.
CHICAGO (July 14, 2009) -- Results of a survey published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons show that a large subset of surgical residents consider duty hour regulations (DHR) a significant barrier to their surgical education and express a desire for flexibility to work longer hours than current restrictions allow.
CHICAGO -- The tiny translucent egg nestled in the special laboratory gel was a mere 30 days old, but its four-week birthday caused researchers to quietly celebrate. This was the first time anyone had successfully grown a woman's immature egg cells, contained in a tiny sac called a follicle, to a healthy and nearly mature egg in the laboratory.
MAYWOOD -- Adverse work conditions may be to blame for the decline in the number of primary care physicians nationwide, according to a study published in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
