Indiana University researchers closer to helping hearing-impaired using stem cells
...r how, the cells could be further transformed into useful specialized neurons. In a two-step process, Dr. Hashino and her colleagues first cultivated mouse marrow stromal cells with chemicals known to encourage stems cells to change into primitive neurons. The bone marrow cells took the shape and other char...New evaluation tool reliably predicts recovery from coma
...havioral recovery patterns during coma recovery is useful for medical and rehabilitation management. For example, investigators found that medical decision-making regarding short-term effects of pharmacological interventions was improved. Previously undetected secondary medical complications were detected a...Tracking trends in cochlear implant complications using a federal database
...eeded to assess risk factors and estimation of the useful life of the implant (for example, patient age, any anatomical abnormality and previous implant history); and basic data measuring the patient's hearing and history of hearing loss. "With the suggested improvements to the MAUDE database, it could bec...Strengths and failings of U.S. health care 'system' are driven by embedded vested interests
... political economy, sociological researchers offer useful insights for researchers of well-being and for health care policymakers through objective and comprehensive overview as well as focused research articles. Made possible by sponsorship from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this special issue of JH...Envisat enables first global check of regional methane emissions
...tists thought it would be impossible to obtain any useful results from the troposphere: there are many issues to be overcome for example the cloud cover, the low reflectivity from the surface, and the fact that stratospheric species lie between the troposphere and the satellite. "Our calculations showed th...Giant iceberg B-15A edges past floating ice pier
...e ASAR instrument aboard Envisat becomes even more useful for monitoring changes in polar ice and tracking icebergs. Its radar signals pass freely through the thickest polar storm clouds or local darkness. And because ASAR measures surface texture, the sensor is extremely sensitive to different types of ic...Waist size linked to diabetes risk in adult men
...s measured. "Both BMI and waist circumference are useful tools to assess health risk," said the study's lead author, Youfa Wang, PhD, MD, assistant professor with the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "But abdominal fat measured by waist circumference can in...Countywide forecasts of water use available for Illinois, Midwest
... Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. It gives useful insights about the relationship between water use and factors most likely to predict or explain water use, Dziegielewski said. It also offers perspective on the challenges facing water-system managers and regional officials in planning to meet future...Benign separation process being advanced for pharmaceutical industry
... 13-17. Drugs must be water-soluble in order to be useful in the body, meaning they are polar, or have some degree of charge. SFC uses carbon dioxide-based fluids for the isolation of compounds. Carbon dioxide is not polar, so could not be used to separate polar drugs, or ionic analytes. "We discovered you...Brain imaging study may hold clues to onset of schizophrenia in people at high risk
...such changes prior to disease onset also may prove useful in determining vulnerability to schizophrenia onset, particularly in those at high risk for the disease, the researchers said. "We know that individuals who experience symptoms that occur before the disease becomes full-blown demonstrate impaired pe...Cardiologists underestimate racial and ethnic disparities in care
...er the health provider or the institution would be useful in addressing disparities. "Many of the physicians see a patient's attitude and ability to understand and follow treatment advice as important factors in explaining disparities," Lurie said. "There are certainly data to support the fact that patients...Mayo Clinic discovers 'new pathway' against pancreatic cancer
... for a cancer for which there is currently no real useful treatment is incredibly important. "Based on the literature, you would predict the opposite of what we found. But in fact, we determined that we can decrease a known regulator of cancer cell survival -- in effect, turn this regulator off -- and when...New hand-held information system for emergency responders
...approximately 34,000 incidents reported in 2004. A useful feature of WISER is support for identifying an unknown substance. Using input about observed physical properties of the unknown substance, along with reported symptoms and observable signs among victims, WISER can help the user narrow the range of su...Dealing with conflict in caring for the dying patient
...d the pitfalls and recognize disputes by employing useful communication tools. "Physicians often assume that conflict is a bad thing and something that should be avoided, yet conflict handled well can be productive and the clarity that results can lead to clearer decision making and greater satisfaction," s...Neurobehavioral function during coma, stroke rehabilitation effective for elderly
...havioral recovery patterns during coma recovery is useful for medical and rehabilitation management. Brain...emble patient information that is potentially very useful for improving care to veterans. The Integrated Stroke Outcomes Database (ISOD) is a national-level r...New fingerprint visualization method uses X-rays to reveal missing clues
...erson might contain chemical artifacts that reveal useful crime clues, he says. The technique does have limitations, Worley says. Some fingerprints will not contain enough detectable material to be seen. In addition, MXRF fingerprint visualization cant detect every element. In general, the heavier the indiv...Rasagiline reduces disability for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease
...shows that the additional use of rasagiline may be useful in the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease. Olivier Rascol (University Hospital, Toulouse, France) and colleagues recruited 687 patients from 74 hospitals and centres in Israel, Argentina, and Europe. 231 individuals were assigned to receive 1m...How effective are herbal supplements in reducing illnesses in children?
... chamomile, feverfew, ginger, and ginko. However, useful information was found and assessed for various other herbal supplements. Andrographis paniculata is an important therapeutic plant in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for the common cold, flu, and other respiratory infections. One study evaluated chil...New system for the analysis of facial movement in three dimensions
...nt tool in the legal field. It can be used as very useful tool in investigations to quantify damage caused by workplace and traffic accidents, given that the degree of injury and muscular contraction can be quantified objectively and with exactitude. Facial paralysis Facial Paralysis is a relatively freq...