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Rapid Chlamydia Diagnosis for Men

A urine test can diagnose the sexually transmitted infection (STI) chlamydia in men within an hour, enabling on-the-spot treatment.

Chlamydia is the most common STI, and doctors are concerned at high rates of transmission, particularly among younger people aged 16-24. The infection often produces no symptoms but, if left untreated, it can seriously damage fertility.

In 2008, young people accounted for two-thirds of all new standard chlamydia infections diagnosed in sexual health clinics. Rapid treatment would prevent it being passed to others unknowingly.

Thanks for checking out my blog. Have a great weekend everybody!

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Swine Flu Vaccine for Half the US Population

About half the US population should be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus with pregnant women and health workers the top priority, US officials have said.

Health officials should prepare to vaccinate 160 million people. The vaccination campaign, which will involve two doses of vaccine per person, is due to begin in mid-October.

In the event that not enough vaccine is available, a tighter group of high-risk patients will receive it. This group includes people who care for babies, health workers and children between the age of six months and four years.

"The main message is that it's half the population. And it's the younger half of the population, as well as health care workers," said Kathy Neuzil, of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Young adults aged 19 to 24, and adults - not old people - who have high-risk medical conditions are among a wider group of those to get priority for vaccinations.

Health workers say that old people seem to have higher levels of natural immunity to the virus.

Finally a break for us old guys.

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Organically Grown Foods Have No Health Benefits

Organic food is no healthier than ordinary food, a large independent review has concluded. There is little difference in nutritional value and no evidence of any extra health benefits from eating organic produce, researchers found.

Overall the research, which is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found no differences in most nutrients in organically or conventionally grown crops, including in vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

Wait a minute, I know of a difference; the price. Organically grown foods are a lot more expensive the reg foods.

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Dairy for Children Extends Life

Children who eat plenty of dairy foods such as milk and cheese can expect to live longer, a study suggests. Some 4,374 UK children from a 1930s study were traced 65 years later by researchers in Bristol and Queensland.

They found those who had had high dairy and calcium intakes as children had been protected against stroke and other causes of death, journal Heart reports. Despite dairy containing artery furring fat and cholesterol, high consumption did not raise the heart disease risk.

The findings appear to back the practice of giving extra milk to schoolchildren. The study looked at family diets and found higher intakes of both calcium and dairy, predominantly from milk, cut mortality by a quarter. A higher daily intake of calcium, of at least 400mg as found in just over half a pint of milk, cut the chance of dying from stroke by as much as 60%.

Three servings of dairy foods - for example, a 200ml glass of milk, a serving of yogurt and a small piece of cheese - will provide all the calcium most people need each day.

Other factors may play a part - though researchers say they took into account that children with the highest dairy intakes came from wealthier families and ate better diets overall - but there is evidence that high calcium intake is good for blood pressure.

Finally some good news for yours truly. Stock up on the Nestles Quik!
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Iced Coffees are A MEAL in a Drink

Some iced coffees being sold at specialty coffee shoppes contain as many calories as a dinner, so says the World Cancer Research Fund. It is the combination of sugar, full-fat milk and cream which appears to push some of the cool coffees into the upper echelons of the calorie scale.

The "venti" or largest version of Starbucks' Dark Berry Mocha Frappuccino, a limited offer for the summer, contains 561 calories - more than a quarter, WCRF notes, of a woman's daily calorie intake.

A Big Mac, which is listed as having 492 calories has less calories than an iced coffee.

Enjoy your coffee and tonight's workout!

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When cells turn into fully-formed adult heart muscle they stop dividing, and cannot replace tissue damaged by disease or deformity. But a US team have found a way to coax the cells to start dividing again, raising hopes they could be used to regenerate healthy tissue.

The study, carried out on mice and rats by Children's Hospital Boston, appears in the journal Cell. The researchers say their work could provide an alternative to stem cell therapy, which is still largely untested, and carries a potential risk of side effects.

In theory, it could be used to treat heart attack patients, those with heart failure and children with congenital heart defects.

Today's Cool Image is a biomedical illustration from CMSP illustrator Kevin Somerville. Nice job Kevin.

So keep smoking and have another bacon cheeseburger. The stem cells will be able to repair your heart.... in 10 or 20 years!

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The Apollo Moon landings were a remarkable technical, scientific and political achievement and their 40th anniversary is undoubtedly a cause for celebration.

One phrase though always sticks in my mind, and it came from the last man on the Moon, Gene Cernan. He asked: "When are we going back?"

Pick Me!!! I'm ready!

Today's Cool Image comes from CMSP's NASA library. Very cool.

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July 22, 2009 MUMBAI (AFP) – Indian astrologers are predicting violence and turmoil across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom.

But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring the sun.

In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged. Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist at the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, said a number of expectant mothers scheduled for caesarian deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the date.

"This is a belief deeply rooted in Indian society. Couples are willing to do anything to ensure that the baby is not born on that day," Gour said.

Astrologers have predicted a rise in communal and regional violence in the days following the eclipse, particularly in India, China and other Southeast Asian nations where it can be seen on Wednesday morning.

Today's Cool Image is from CMSP photographer Kent Wood. Nice job Kent.

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What? I'm a day late? The lunar walk anniversary was yesterday July 20!!!

Oh well, today's image is a Cool Image, that is why its on the CMSP Cool Image of the Day Blog.

The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. It was the fifth human spaceflight of Project Apollo and the third human voyage to the Moon or Moon orbit. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon, while Collins orbited above

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Today's Cool Image is a close up, abstract view of an ice tray. That's right, a blue ice tray.

Its Monday.

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Thalidomide Tests to Continue

Controversial drug thalidomide does not improve survival for lung cancer patients, UK scientists say. The drug, banned after its use 50 years ago for morning sickness led to major birth defects, is being investigated as a cancer treatment.

But the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported this is not the case for small cell lung cancers and that it increases the risk of blood clots. However, experts said the drug is showing promise on other cancers.

Thalidomide is an anti-angiogenic drug. This means it targets and suppresses the formation of new blood vessels, which tumors need to survive and grow. Small cell lung cancers account for 15-20% of all lung cancers. Survival rates have barely changed in 25 years, with just 2% of those with extensive disease alive five years after diagnosis.

Todays Cool Image shows lung cancer on a cool blue chest x-ray.

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Killer Parasites Genes Decoded

Scientists have decoded the genetic blueprint of two parasitic flatworms responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide every year. Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum both cause the debilitating disease schistosomiasis, otherwise known as Bilharzia.

The work has already uncovered targets for new treatments for the disease, which causes fever and fatigue. The international study features in the journal Nature.

Schistosomiasis cases top 200 million every year, with 20 million people are seriously disabled by severe anaemia, chronic diarrhoea, internal bleeding and organ damage caused by the worms and their eggs, or the immune system reactions they provoke.

In sub-Saharan Africa alone it kills 280,000 people each year.

Today's Cool Image comes from the CMSP online library. It shows the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum. Sushi anyone?

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Lower IQ Could be a Heart Disease Risk

Having a lower than average IQ is in itself a risk factor for heart disease, say UK researchers. Given the findings, public health messages on things like exercise and diet could be simplified, the authors say in the European Heart Journal.

In the study of over 4,000 people, IQ alone explained more than 20% of the difference in mortality between high and low socioeconomic groups. This applied even when known heart disease risk factors were considered.

Dr David Batty, who led the research for the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, said: "We already know that socio-economically disadvantaged people have worse health and tend to die earlier from conditions such as heart disease, cancer and accidents.

So study up. Turn off the tube and pick up a book. I think I'll read about diet and exercise.

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Women Naturally Weaker to HIV

Experts believe women are naturally programmed to be the weaker sex when it comes to fighting off HIV. It is well known that HIV progresses faster in women than in men with similar levels of HIV in the blood.

Now a US research team has found that a receptor molecule involved in the first-line recognition of HIV responds differently in women. The findings in Nature Medicine might provide new ways to treat HIV and slow or stop the progression to Aids.

The Massachusetts General Hospital team explored whether known gender differences in the immune system might explain why HIV progresses faster in women. They focused on immune cells called plasmacytoid dendritic cells or pDCs which are among the first cells to recognize and fight HIV. Lab studies showed that a higher percentage of these cells from healthy, uninfected women became activated when presented with HIV-1 as compared with pDCs from healthy men.

Next they studied whether a woman's hormone levels might be involved.

It is Tuesday July 14. Summer is half over here in Chicago.
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A Few Drinks Cuts Dementia Risk

Older people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol may have a lower risk of dementia, a US study suggests. Researchers found people who consumed between eight and 14 alcoholic drinks a week had a 37% lower risk of the disease than the general population.

However, people who consumed more than 14 drinks a week were at twice the normal risk of developing dementia. The Wake Forest University study was presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease.


Older people with memory problems should consider not drinking at all, said a researcher. The US researchers focused on 3,069 people aged 75 or older. At the beginning of the six-year study, 2,587 participants had no signs of problems with their brain while 482 had mild cognitive impairment. During the study 523 new dementia cases emerged.

The researchers took account of factors such as smoking, depression and social activity, and found that one or two drinks a day was associated with a 37% lower risk of dementia among those who were cognitively normal at the start of the study.

However, among those who already had mild cognitive impairment alcohol intake was associated with faster cognitive decline. Among the people in the study, four in ten did not drink alcohol, four in ten consumed up to seven drinks a week, one in ten consumed 8-14 drinks a week, and one in ten consumed more than 14 drinks a week.

Wow, that is good news after a weekend like I just had. :)
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Concern over Ebola Virus in Pigs

A form of Ebola virus has been detected in pigs for the first time, raising concerns it could mutate and pose a new risk to humans. Ebola-Reston virus (REBOV) has only previously been seen in monkeys and humans - and has not caused illness.

But researchers are concerned that pigs might provide a melting pot where the virus could mutate into something more menacing for humans. The new discovery - in the Philippines - is featured in the journal Science. However, the researchers, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stress that the virus at present appears to pose no risk to humans.

It has been detected in farm workers who tend the infected pigs, and they have shown no signs of illness. However, writing in Science, the researchers said: "REBOV infection in domestic swine raises concern about the potential for emerging disease in humans and a wider range of livestock.

"There is concern that its passage through swine may allow REBOV to diverge and shift its potential for pathogenicity."

REBOV belongs to the family of filoviruses which usually target primates.

Oh great, just what we need. Move over swine flu. Enjoy those pork ribs while you can.

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Who Wants to Live Longer???

Tests raise life extension hopes.

A drug discovered in the soil of the South Pacific island Easter Island may help to fight the aging process, research suggests. When US scientists treated old mice with rapamycin it extended their expected lifespan by up to 38%.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, raise the prospect of being able to slow down the aging process in older people.

We believe this is the first convincing evidence that the aging process can be slowed and lifespan can be extended by drug therapy starting at an advanced age, said Professor Randy Strong of the University of Texas.

Rapamycin was first discovered on Easter Island in the 1970s. It is already used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, and in stents implanted into patients to keep their coronary arteries open. It is also being tested as a possible treatment for cancer.

The mice were bred to mimic the genetic diversity and susceptibility to disease of humans as closely as possible. Rapamycin extended the animals expected lifespan by between 28% and 38%. The researchers estimated that in human terms this would be greater than the predicted increase in extra years of life, if both cancer and heart disease were prevented and cured.

Is it time to invest in assisted living centers for seniors? Hey buddy, wanna buy a bag of Rapamycin?

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CMSP Cool Image of the Day Blog

by Fergus Walsh, BBC medical correspondent

Scientists in the UK claim to have created human sperm in the laboratory in what they say is a world first. The researchers believe the work could eventually help men with fertility problems to father a child.

But other experts say they are not convinced that fully developed sperm have been created.

They began with stem cell lines derived from human embryos donated following IVF treatment. The stem cells had been removed when the embryo was a few days old and were stored in tanks of liquid nitrogen.

The stem cells were brought to body temperature and put in a chemical mixture to encourage them to grow. They were "tagged" with a genetic marker which enabled the scientists to identify and separate so-called "germline" stem cells from which eggs and sperm are developed.

The male, XY stem cells underwent the crucial process of "meiosis" - halving the number of chromosomes. The process over creating and developing the sperm took four to six weeks.

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Once-Only Dose Rabies Vaccination Hopeful

Scientists say they have made a safe and effective rabies vaccine that requires only one dose and has the potential to eradicate the disease.

Rabies kills around 55,000 people every year and although there are effective treatments for the disease, prevention is seen as the most desirable option. According to BBC News, some 11,000 people are treated for rabies each year globally.

Attempts to eradicate rabies in dogs have been hampered by the expense and inefficiency of current vaccines.

Rabies is caused by a virus which attacks the nervous system.

Once symptoms appear it is almost always fatal, but people who contract rabies can be treated with a protracted course of antibodies and vaccinations to fight the virus after being bitten. Eradication programs are ongoing in parts of the world where the disease is prevalent in animals, mainly dogs, including Africa, Asia and parts of America.

Mainly dogs? 55,000 people die each year from rabies? OMG!

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Coffee May Reverse Alzheimer's

Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say. The Florida research, carried out on mice, also suggested caffeine hampered the production of the protein plaques which are the hallmark of the disease. Previous research has also suggested a protective effect from caffeine.

The 55 mice used in the University of South Florida study had been bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. First the researchers used behavioural tests to confirm the mice were exhibiting signs of memory impairment when they were aged 18 to 19 months, the equivalent to humans being about 70. Then they gave half the mice caffeine in their drinking water. The rest were given plain water.

The mice were given the equivalent of five 8 oz (227 grams) cups of coffee a day - about 500 milligrams of caffeine. The researchers say this is the same as is found in two cups of "specialty" coffees such as lattes or cappuccinos from coffee shops, 14 cups of tea, or 20 soft drinks.

When the mice were tested again after two months, those who were given the caffeine performed much better on tests measuring their memory and thinking skills and performed as well as mice of the same age without dementia.

Those drinking plain water continued to do poorly on the tests. In addition, the brains of the mice given caffeine showed nearly a 50% reduction in levels of the beta amyloid protein, which forms destructive clumps in the brains of dementia patients.

Further tests suggested caffeine affects the production of both the enzymes needed to produce beta amyloid. The researchers also suggest that caffeine suppresses inflammatory changes in the brain that lead to an overabundance of the protein.

Earlier research by the same team had shown younger mice, who had also been bred to develop Alzheimer's but who were given caffeine in their early adulthood, were protected against the onset of memory problems.

Oh great. I never had a cup of coffee in my life. So now I have to drink 20 sodas a day? Or 14 cups of tea? Ah, I forgot, why do I have to drink so much?

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Today's Cool Image is of an American flag flying over Main Street in Buchanan, Michigan.

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Happy Fourth of July everybody!!!!!

Today's Cool Image shows astronaut Buzz Aldrin saluting the American flag on the Moon.

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Many businesses are closed today in America, to celebrate the 4th of July, America's Independence Day.

Today's Cool image features the Time Square building in New York City in 1958!!!

Look at that lady's sunglasses. Those are cool!!!!

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Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Borrelia is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks belonging to certain species of the genus Ixodes. Early manifestations of infection may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans.

The name Lyme Disease comes from the village of Lyme in Connecticut where a number of cases were identified in 1975.

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Space Shuttles are the main element of America's Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments.

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