MedWorm: Oxford University

Difficult to see how C. diff spreads in hospital

NHS News Feed — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:27:00 +0100

Conclusion This research is important because it suggests that the previous assumption that all C.difficile is spread on wards through contact with infected patients may not be entirely correct. As the authors point out, this means that transmission may not be adequately controlled by current strategies, which focus on preventing person-to-person spread. Further study is required to look at how the infection is transmitted. It’s worth noting that the research concentrated on established cases of Clostridium difficile and the potential transmission between infected patients. As such, it did not look at how far C. difficile may have been stopped from spreading in the wards by current hospital prevention strategies. Infection control measures in the NHS and private hospitals remain valid be...

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Six Degrees of Social Influence

Psychology Today Work Center — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:45:57 +0100

Why would a world-renowned group of psychologists and marketing researchers team up with a man who was once the world’s most wanted computer hacker to write about one man’s social influence?read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

European Competition for Best Innovations in University Outreach and Public Engagement

Society for Endocrinology — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0100

As part of the EC-funded ULab project, the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford is organising an online competition to identify the most innovative outreach and public engagement activities carried out by European Universities. Both individuals and groups may apply for awards. Competition submissions must be for an activity that has been initiated and sustained at any university or higher education institution within the 27 EU member states, including projects that might have involved collaboration with institutions outside the EU. The entry can be from one or a number of cooperating universities. The three winning entries will each receive a 5000 EUR prize for their institution as well as funding for a representative to attend the award ceremony at the University of Oxfo...

Why you should love your...BIG BOTTOM: The physical flaws that are good for your health

the Mail online | Health — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:30:56 +0100

Scientists at Oxford University have found that storing fat around your backside raises the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol that protects against hardening of the arteries. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Burden of pelvis fracture: a population-based study of incidence, hospitalisation and mortality

Osteoporosis International — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:37:21 +0100

Conclusions Pelvic fractures are associated with high rates of hospitalisation and mortality. Given this, further work is required to identify the optimal post-fracture therapeutic strategy to improve outcomes in this elderly patient group. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00198-012-1907-zAuthors D. Prieto-Alhambra, Oxford NIHR Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LD, UKF. F. Avilés, Institut Català de la Salut—IDIAP Jordi Gol i Gurina, Barcelona, SpainA. Judge, Oxford NIHR Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoske...

Mutation linked to 42% rise in stroke risk

NHS News Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:45:00 +0100

Conclusion In this study, researchers have identified a genetic variant in the HDAC9 gene that is associated with a subtype of ischaemic stroke called a large vessel stroke. Large vessel strokes occur when one or more of the arteries supplying blood to the brain become blocked. In this type of study, the genetic variants identified as being associated with a condition are not necessarily the cause of the increase in risk. Instead, they may lie near another variant that is responsible for the effect. In order to unlock the role of the HDAC9 gene, researchers will now need to study it and the region surrounding it more closely, both to confirm whether the variation in this gene is responsible for the increase in stroke risk and, if so, how it has this effect. Genetic, medical and lifestyle f...

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Single genetic mutation can double your risk of stroke - but scientists hope it could lead to tailored treatments

the Mail online | Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:19:06 +0100

Researchers from Oxford University found the gene variant increased the risk of large artery ischemic strokes, which account for over a third of all cases. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Brain Anatomy and Its Relationship to Behavior in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multicenter Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study [Original Article]

Archives of General Psychiatry — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Adults with ASD have distributed differences in brain anatomy and connectivity that are associated with specific autistic features and traits. These results are compatible with the concept of autism as a syndrome characterized by atypical neural "connectivity." (Source: Archives of General Psychiatry)

Best Treatment For TB Patients Could Be Determined By 'Goldilocks' Gene

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

'Tuberculosis patients may receive treatments in the future according to what version they have of a single 'Goldilocks' gene, says an international research team from Oxford University, King's College London, Vietnam and the USA. This is one of the first examples in infectious disease of where an individual's genetic profile can determine which drug will work best for them - the idea of personalised medicine that is gradually becoming familiar in cancer medicine... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

[Correspondence] The Integrated Academic Training programme at Oxford

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

In 2006, the Integrated Academic Training programme was initiated in the UK as a result of the Walport report on the crisis of decreasing clinical academic numbers. In Oxford, we decided that the most effective way to manage the programme would be to create a dedicated Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School ( OUCAGS). We wish to highlight both some advantages of this approach and challenges within the overall programme. (Source: LANCET)

New international standards to aid data sharing

MEDEV News — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:38:29 +0100

Led by researchers at University of Oxford (UK) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) at Harvard University, (USA), more than 50 collaborators at over 30 scientific organizations around the globe have agreed on a common standard for integrating biological data sets. This will make it possible to consistently describe the enormous and radically different databases that are compiled in the biosciences in fields ranging from genetics to stem cell science, to environmental studies.This collaborative effort provides a way for scientists in widely disparate life science fields to co-ordinate each other's findings by allowing behind-the-scenes combination of the mountains of data produced by modern, technology driven science. This will allow researchers to put data to work more effectively a...

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Africa: Empowering Women to Fight HIV

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:10:51 +0100

[allAfrica.com] What makes a young African doctor decide to devote her career to helping women fight HIV? Dr. Sengeziwe Sibeko is a 37-year-old medical researcher with a degree in obstetrics and gynecology from the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in South Africa, an MSc in epidemiology from Columbia University in the United States, and is about to take up a fellowship to study for her PhD at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse interviewed Dr. Sibeko at the (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Frequency of mutations in the genes associated with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy in a UK cohort

Journal of Neurology — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:12:30 +0100

Abstract The hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSAN, also known as the hereditary sensory neuropathies) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders, characterised by a progressive sensory neuropathy often complicated by ulcers and amputations, with variable motor and autonomic involvement. To date, mutations in twelve genes have been identified as causing HSAN. To study the frequency of mutations in these genes and the associated phenotypes, we screened 140 index patients in our inherited neuropathy cohort with a clinical diagnosis of HSAN for mutations in the coding regions of SPTLC1, RAB7, WNK1/HSN2, FAM134B, NTRK1 (TRKA) and NGFB. We identified 25 index patients with mutations in six genes associated with HSAN (SPTLC1, RAB7, WNK1/HSN2, F...

Key Peptides Identified That Could Lead To A Universal Vaccine For Influenza

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Researchers at the University of Southampton, University of Oxford and Retroscreeen Virology Ltd have discovered a series of peptides, found on the internal structures of influenza viruses that could lead to the development of a universal vaccine for influenza, one that gives people immunity against all strains of the disease, including seasonal, avian, and swine flu. Influenza, an acute viral infection, affects hundreds of thousands of people a year and puts an enormous strain on healthcare providers globally... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

'Goldilocks' gene could determine best treatment for TB patients

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(King's College London) Tuberculosis patients may receive treatments in the future according to what version they have of a single 'Goldilocks' gene, says an international research team from Oxford University, King's College London, Vietnam and the USA. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Socio-economic disparities in mortality due to pandemic influenza in England

International Journal of Public Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:12:22 +0100

Conclusion Tackling socio-economic health inequalities is a central concept within public health, but has not always been a part of emergency preparedness plans. These data demonstrate the opportunity to reduce the overall impact and narrow inequalities by considering socio-economic disparities in future pandemic planning. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00038-012-0337-1Authors Paul D. Rutter, Imperial College, London, UKOliver T. Mytton, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKMatthew Mak, King’s College Hospital, London, UKLiam J. Donaldson, Imperial College, London, UK Journal International Journal of Public HealthOnline ISSN 1661-8564Print ISSN 1661-8556 (Source: International Journal of Public Health)

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Oxford University Press to publish open access title Journal of Radiation Research

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Oxford University Press) Oxford University Press is pleased to announce that it will be publishing Japan's pre-eminent title in radiation science from next year. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Researchers identify key peptides that could lead to a universal vaccine for influenza

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Southampton) Researchers at the University of Southampton, University of Oxford and Retroscreen Virology Ltd have discovered a series of peptides, found on the internal structures of influenza viruses that could lead to the development of a universal vaccine for influenza, one that gives people immunity against all strains of the disease, including seasonal, avian, and swine flu. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

New Doctors Without Borders Book Reveals Perils of Negotiating Access to Crisis Zones

MSF News — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:21:00 +0100

Angola 1999 © H.J. Burkard Live webcast Please join us for a live, online discussion of these issues featuring several experienced MSF aid workers. Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:00 PM (ET) More information. #AnyPrice NEW YORK, NY, JANUARY 30, 2012 - In a new book launched in the United States today, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) takes readers behind the scenes of humanitarian action, revealing the complicated negotiations and precarious compromises required to negotiate access to populations trapped by armed conflicts and health crises. Inspired by MSF’s fierce internal debates on the evolution of its independence as a humanitarian organizatio...

Oxford, Harvard scientists lead data-sharing effort

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Harvard University) Led by researchers at University of Oxford and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute at Harvard University, more than 50 collaborators at over 30 scientific organizations around the globe have agreed on a common standard that will make possible the consistent description of enormous and radically different databases compiled in fields ranging from genetics to stem cell science, to environmental studies. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

New treatments improving heart disease survival

CTV Health — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:26:15 +0100

Death rates from heart disease have plummeted in Britain, according to a new study by Oxford University researchers who suggest healthier lifestyles and better treatment and drugs have actually made hearts stronger. (Source: CTV Health)

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Powerful x-ray laser creates solid-density plasma

Physics Today News Picks — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Science Daily: Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s SLAC accelerator laboratory used rapid-fire laser pulses to flash-heat a tiny piece of aluminum foil to about 2 million °C. The experiments used SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source, which is a billion times brighter than any other x-ray source, to both create and probe the sample. "Making extremely hot, dense matter is important scientifically if we are ultimately to understand the conditions that exist inside stars and at the center of giant planets within our own solar system and beyond, " said Sam Vinko, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University and lead author of the group’s paper published in Nature. (Source: Physics Today News Picks)

Why I'm off for some vitamin D – until the sun comes out | Ann Robinson

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:14:29 +0100

Vitamin D deficiency is being linked with sudden infant deaths and fractures in children. Is it time to start taking supplements?Vitamin D is in the news again, and while the experts squabble over it, I'm off to buy myself some supplements. The chief medical officer for England has told GPs like me to advise those at risk to take supplements. And since half the adult population of the UK is lacking vitamin D in the winter months and deficiency is being linked to a growing list of health problems, I can't see a good reason not to take a small multivitamin a day – at least until the sun comes out. I'll stick to the recommended daily amount as you can have too much of a good thing, even vitamins.Vitamin D is essential for bone growth and health, and deficiency can cause rickets in the young...

Heart attack deaths have halved

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:12:12 +0100

The death rate from heart attacks in England has halved in the last decade, says an Oxford University study. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Commentary in Nature: Can economy bear what oil prices have in store?

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Washington) The economic pain of a flattening oil supply will trump the environment as a reason to curb the use of fossil fuels, say two scientists, one from the University of Washington and one from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, in the Jan. 26 issue of the journal Nature. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

2012 Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(European Molecular Biology Organization) The 2012 Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine is awarded to the German specialist in systems biology Matthias Mann, Director of the Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction at the Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, and to the British biologist Fiona Powrie, Sidney Truelove Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Oxford and Head of the Experimental Medicine Division of the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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Mesenchymal stem cells differentially mediate regulatory T cells and conventional effector T cells to protect fully allogeneic islet grafts in mice

Diabetologia — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:29:35 +0100

Conclusions/interpretation We demonstrate that MSCs are capable of regulating Teff and Treg cells differentially in vitro. MSCs inhibit Teff cells by inducing apoptosis and impairing the proliferative response to IL-2 in Teff cells, but favour the survival and expansion of Treg cells. This result is further demonstrated in mice that have undergone allogeneic islet transplantation, in which MSCs suppress alloreactive Teff cells while favouring the induction of Treg cells, thus protecting the islet allografts from rejection. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ArticlePages 1-12DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2433-9Authors D. M. Xu, Department of Haematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republi...

Oxford University Press and Medical Council on Alcohol announce long-term partnership

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Oxford University Press) Oxford University Press is pleased to announce that it has entered a new long-term collaboration with the Medical Council on Alcohol to jointly publish the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

The animal kingdom: A very short introduction [Review] | GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0100

A concise and readable introduction or refresher for those who wish to learn about animalsDid you know that the most resilient animals on earth can survive temps from -200oC to +150oC? (Incidentally, these are also considered to be amongst the cutest of all animals.) Which evolutionary innovation allowed the beetles to evolve such a fabulous diversity of species? How many times have invertebrates and vertebrates colonised land? What dramatic event can be seen only in the DNA of vertebrates? Did you know that fish and reptiles can't be separated into their own groups simply based on superficial appearances? And did you know that, of the 33 animal phyla, 32 comprise only invertebrates whilst one is a mix of both invertebrates and vertebrates? If you've ever been tempted to read and learn abo...

DNA Motor Programmed To Navigate A Network Of Tracks

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Expanding on previous work with engines traveling on straight tracks, a team of researchers at Kyoto University and the University of Oxford have successfully used DNA building blocks to construct a motor capable of navigating a programmable network of tracks with multiple switches. The findings, published in the January 22 online edition of the journal Nature Nanotechnology, are expected to lead to further developments in the field of nanoengineering... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Breast cancer screening cannot be justified, says researcher

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:05:53 +0100

Book argues harm outweighs small number of lives saved, and accuses mammography supporters of misconductBreast cancer screening can no longer be justified, because the harm to many women from needless diagnosis and damaging treatment outweighs the small number of lives saved, according to a book that accuses many in the scientific establishment of misconduct in their efforts to bury the evidence of critics and keep mammography alive.Peter Gøtzsche, director of the independent Nordic Cochrane Collaboration, has spent more than 10 years investigating and analysing data from the trials of breast screening that were run, mostly in Sweden, before countries such as the UK introduced their national programmes.Mammography screening: truth, lies and controversy, from Radcliffe Publishing, spells o...

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Medical technology business Eykona takes 3D to America

Telegraph Health — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:00:24 +0100

A medical technology business spun out of the University of Oxford is this month heading to America with its 3D imaging products that enables doctors to accurately measure whether wounds are healing. (Source: Telegraph Health)

Canadian Medical Association Journal, New Editor-In-Chief Announced

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Dr. John Fletcher has been named the new editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), Dr. John Haggie, President of the Canadian Medical Association announced today. Dr. Fletcher, from England, holds a master's degree in public health from Harvard University and a medical degree from the University of Cambridge. Fletcher was a research fellow at the University of Oxford, and is an accredited specialist in public health in the United Kingdom. Prior to moving to the British Medical Journal (BMJ), where he spent 7 years, Dr... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Be Here Now: Meditation For The Body And Brain

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0100

In his book Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World, Oxford University clinical psychologist Mark Williams talks about the brain and body benefits of mindfulness meditation, a cognitive behavioral therapy that can be as effective as drugs at staving off recurring bouts of depression.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

Statistical characteristics of finger-tapping data in Huntington’s disease

Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:57:03 +0100

Abstract Measuring the rate of finger tapping is a technique commonly used as an indicator of impairment in degenerative neurological conditions, such as Huntington’s disease. The information it provides can be greatly enhanced by analysing not simply the overall tapping rate, but also the statistical characteristics of the individual times between each successive response. Recent technological improvements in the recording equipment allow the responses to be analysed extremely quickly, and permit modification of the task in the interest of greater clinical specificity. Here we illustrate its use with some pilot data from a group of manifest HD patients and age-matched controls. Even in this small cohort, differences in the responses are apparent that appear to relate to...

Fake Antimalarial Medications Undermine Africa Malaria Drive

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Fraudulent and substandard antimalarial drugs could be wrecking the chances of winning the war against malaria in Africa, researchers from the Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford University Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration reported in the Malaria Journal. The authors add that millions of lives could be lost over the next twelve months unless urgent action is taken both within the African continent and elsewhere in the world... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Bisphosphonate Binding Affinity Affects Drug Distribution in Both Intracortical and Trabecular Bone of Rabbits

Calcified Tissue International — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:17:45 +0100

Abstract Differences in the binding affinities of bisphosphonates for bone mineral have been proposed to determine their localizations and duration of action within bone. The main objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that mineral binding affinity affects bisphosphonate distribution at the basic multicellular unit (BMU) level within both cortical and cancellous bone. To accomplish this objective, skeletally mature female rabbits (n = 8) were injected simultaneously with both low- and high-affinity bisphosphonate analogs bound to different fluorophores. Skeletal distribution was assessed in the rib, tibia, and vertebra using confocal microscopy. The staining intensity ratio between osteocytes contained within the cement line of newly formed rib osteons...

'Fat, Fate and Disease'

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Oxford University Press) 'Why are we losing the war against obesity and chronic disease?' This is the simple question Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson ask, exploring the dominant myth that the exploding epidemic of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes can be tackled by focusing on adult life styles. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Oncology Scan – February 1, 2012

International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:43:01 +0100

This article is the EBCTCG’s first publication on local-regional treatment outcome since their important 2005 Lancet publication. (Source: International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics)

Ad men use brain scanners to probe our emotional response

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:28:08 +0100

Neuromarketers are using MRI scanners and electrode caps to work out our hidden reactions to their advertsThe world's biggest companies have got a new way of convincing you to buy their products – by getting inside your head. Brands including Google, Facebook and ITV are turning to mind-reading technology to help them develop products and create adverts that people like.Traditionally, focus groups have been used to tell marketeers what they think of adverts. Unfortunately for advertisers, some people don't tell the truth.Faced with the prospect of consumers hiding their emotions – perhaps a middle-aged man reluctant to reveal that he shed a tear at a sentimental John Lewis Christmas advert – a new breed of "neuromarketer" has emerged, armed with medical technology to probe consumers'...

A multi-centre pathologist survey on pathological processing and regression grading of colorectal cancer resection specimens treated by neoadjuvant chemoradiation

Virchows Archiv — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:48:09 +0100

Abstract To ascertain the approach and degree of consensus of pathologists in the handling and regression grading of colorectal cancer resection specimens treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation, a ten-part questionnaire was circulated to 18 gastrointestinal pathologists in eight countries. The questions were specific and addressed pertinent issues related to colorectal cancer with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. There is a lack of consensus on how to handle the specimen, number of sections taken, correlation with pre- and post-operative radiological imaging, and especially, regression grading schema employed. Consensus in the form of guidelines is required so that the pathological assessment of these specimens will provide clinically relevant information for patient managemen...

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Erratum to: Bias in protein and potassium intake collected with 24-h recalls (EPIC-Soft) is rather comparable across European populations

European Journal of Nutrition — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:00:41 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ErratumPages 1-2DOI 10.1007/s00394-011-0299-8Authors Sandra P. Crispim, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsAnouk Geelen, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsJeanne H. M. de Vries, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsHeinz Freisling, Dietary Exposure Assessment Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 150, cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Lyon Cedex 08, FranceOlga W. Souverein, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsPaul J. M. Hulshof, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsMarga C. Ocke, National Institute for Public Health and the...

A new look for EJCTS, ICVTS and MMCTS: better service for our readers with the support of our new publisher, the Oxford University Press

Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery)

Oxford University Hospitals Trust to expand neonatal intensive care unit

Hospital Management — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Oxford University Hospitals Trust in the UK is planning a £5.5m expansion of a neonatal intensive care unit at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. (Source: Hospital Management)

Stephen Hawking marks 70th birthday with speech to leading cosmologists

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:34:21 +0100

'Look up at the stars and not down at your feet,' says scientist, unable to attend symposium in person due to ill healthStephen Hawking, the world's most famous living scientist and a symbol of the triumph of willpower over adversity, has celebrated his 70th birthday, revealing he did not learn to read properly until he was eight years old, and that his schoolfriends had made a bet that he "would never come to anything".A public symposium in Cambridge was told that, far from being top of the class, he was never more than half-way up. "My classwork was very untidy, and my handwriting was the despair of my teachers," he said. "But my classmates gave me the nickname Einstein, so presumably they saw signs of something better."When I was 12, one of my friends bet another friend a bag of sweets ...

Near Icy Waters, Marine Life Gets By Swimmingly

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Hairy-chested yeti crabs, seven-armed sea stars, white octopuses — all these creatures were seen for the first time by researchers in the Antarctic. Robert Siegel talks to biologist Alex Rodgers of the University of Oxford, who led the expedition.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

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Hep C Vaccine Shows Promise In First Trial

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0100

An experimental vaccine against the chronic liver disease hepatitis C has shown promising results in its first clinical trial in humans, say researchers from the University of Oxford, UK, who write about their findings in the 4 January online issue of Science Translational Medicine. However, they caution there is still a long way to go before we have an effective vaccine ready for clinical use. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major pathogen transmitted through the blood that infects some 170 million people around the world... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Epilepsy And Violent Crime Not Linked

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0100

According to a large Swedish investigation published in PloS Medicine, epilepsy is not directly linked to an increased risk of committing violent crime. Although, individuals who previously experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI) have an increased risk of committing violent crime. The investigation was led by Seena Fazel, from the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and Swedish Prison and Probation Service... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and Alcohol Outcome Expectancies in Early Adolescence.

The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions and Scientific Significance: Individual differences in reinforcement sensitivity may influence the acquisition of positive and negative outcome expectancies, thereby potentially influencing the likelihood of alcohol use in early adolescence. Thus, reinforcement sensitivity theory is a promising theory to account for the link between neural models of addiction and early acquisition of alcohol use in humans. PMID: 22220630 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse)

Hep C vaccine trial 'promising'

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:21:39 +0100

An early clinical trial of a hepatitis C vaccine has shown "promising" results, according to researchers at Oxford University. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

CD68+ cell numbers and dendritic cell numbers and phenotype fail to predict the presence of a MYC rearrangement in aggressive B-cell lymphomas

Journal of Hematopathology — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:58:24 +0100

Abstract MYC rearrangements are frequently associated with aggressive B-cell lymphomas, such as Burkitt’s lymphoma. We sought surrogate markers of MYC rearrangements that might obviate the need for a complex and expensive technique such as fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). We show that numbers of CD68+ macrophages/dendritic cells (DCs), DC-SIGN+ myeloid DCs and CD123+ plasmacytoid DCs fail to correlate with MYC rearrangement, although a starry sky appearance shows positive correlation (p = 0.003) when statistical analysis is performed on all three diagnostic groups together. We conclude that FISH is required to investigate the presence of a MYC rearrangement in cases of aggressive B-cell lymphoma, in order to guide the chemotherapeutic regime offered to the pa...

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Glycine receptor antibodies are detected in progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) but not in saccadic oscillations

Journal of Neurology — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:49:23 +0100

Abstract Glycine receptor (GlyR) antibodies were recently identified in a few patients with progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM); none of these patients had antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). An inhibitory glycinergic transmission defect has also been implicated in the mechanism underlying saccadic oscillations, including ocular flutter or opsoclonus; GlyR antibodies have not been reported in these patients. The purpose was to determine whether GlyR antibodies are found in patients with PERM, ocular flutter syndrome (OFS), and opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS). GlyR antibodies were first measured in archived sera and CSF from five patients, including one patient with GAD antibody-positive PERM, two patients with OFS, and two...

Q&A: Susan Greenfield

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:59:06 +0100

'My guiltiest pleasure? Eyelash extensions'Susan Greenfield, 61, was raised in west London, where her father was an electrician and her mother a dancer. She studied psychology and neurochemistry at Oxford University. Since 1996, she has been professor of pharmacology at Oxford, where she heads a research group into Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In 1998, she became the first woman director of the Royal Institution, but was controversially dismissed in 2010. She was awarded a CBE in 2000 and granted a life peerage in 2001. Her latest book, You And Me: The Neuroscience Of Identity, is published by Notting Hill Editions.When were you happiest?In 1978, working in France for a year. It was my first time working abroad.What is your greatest fear?Being physic...

Evaluating the PCPT risk calculator in ten international biopsy cohorts: results from the Prostate Biopsy Collaborative Group

World Journal of Urology — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:42:02 +0100

Conclusions External validation of the PCPTRC across ten cohorts revealed varying degree of success highly dependent on the cohort, most likely due to different criteria for and work-up before biopsy. Future validation studies of new calculators for prostate cancer should acknowledge the potential impact of the specific cohort studied when reporting successful versus failed validation. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Topic PaperPages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00345-011-0818-5Authors Donna P. Ankerst, Department of Urology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229, USAAndreas Boeck, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching, GermanyStephen J. Freedland, Durham VA Medical Center and Duke University, Durham, NC, U...

Researchers Discover How The Brain Merges Sights And Sounds

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0100

In order to get a better picture of our surroundings, the brain has to integrate information from different senses, but how does it know which signals to combine? New research involving scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Tubingen, the University of Oxford, and the University of Bielefeld has demonstrated that humans exploit the correlation between the temporal structures of signals to decide which of them to combine and which to keep segregated. This research is published in Current Biology... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

LG2 agrin mutation causing severe congenital myasthenic syndrome mimics functional characteristics of non-neural (z−) agrin

Human Genetics — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:48:32 +0100

We describe a severe form of congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) caused by two heteroallelic mutations: a nonsense and a missense mutation in the gene encoding agrin (AGRN). The identified mutations, Q353X and V1727F, are located at the N-terminal and at the second laminin G-like (LG2) domain of agrin, respectively. A motor-point muscle biopsy demonstrated severe disruption of the architecture of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), including: dispersion and fragmentation of endplate areas with normal expression of acetylcholinesterase; simplification of postsynaptic membranes; pronounced reduction of the axon terminal size; widening of the primary synaptic cleft; and, collection of membranous debris material in the primary synaptic cleft and in the subsynaptic cytoplasm. Expression stu...

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UK switch to low-carbon energy will cost £5,000 per person a year

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:34:48 +0100

Prediction using unique calculator challenges view that sustainable energy means higher costsEvery person in Britain will need to pay about £5,000 a year between now and 2050 on rebuilding and using the nation's entire energy system, according to government figures. But the cost of developing clean and sustainable electricity, heating and transport will be very similar to replacing today's ageing and polluting power stations, the analysis finds.The forecasts come from a unique open-source analysis package, called the 2050 pathways calculator, which was created by Professor David MacKay, chief scientific adviser to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.The predictions challenge suggestions that the costs of embracing low-carbon energy and meeting the UK's legally binding commitments ...

Cut-price test that 'can dramatically boost IVF chances' will be available in 18 months

the Mail online | Health — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:30:53 +0100

Oxford University researchers say their test could ‘revolutionise’ the treatment as it is half the price of existing tests and may be just as effective. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Importance of prostate volume in the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) risk calculators: results from the prostate biopsy collaborative group

World Journal of Urology — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:49:34 +0100

Conclusions Identifying men at increased risk for having a biopsy detectable prostate cancer should consider multiple factors, including an estimate of prostate volume. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Topic PaperPages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00345-011-0804-yAuthors Monique J. Roobol, Department of Urology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O Box 2010, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The NetherlandsF. H. Schröder, Department of Urology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O Box 2010, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The NetherlandsJonas Hugosson, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, SwedenJ. Stephen Jones, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USAMichael W. Kattan, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USAEric A. Klein, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USAFreddie ...

Having epilepsy is not linked to committing violent crime

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Public Library of Science) Despite current public and expert opinion to the contrary, having the neurological condition epilepsy is not directly associated with an increased risk of committing violent crime. However, there is an increased risk of individuals who have experienced previous traumatic brain injury going on to commit violent crime according to a large Swedish study led by Seena Fazel from the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and Swedish Prison and Probation Service, and published in this week's PLoS Medicine. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Add vitamin D to Scotland's food – experts

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:30:01 +0100

Discussions centred on the evidence that public health bodies and governments would need to act, which could include a randomised trial, comparing the numbers of MS cases that develop among young people given regular high doses of vitamin D and among others who are not.But a number of scientists feel strongly that there is no longer a need for more proof in Scotland."I'm convinced it is vitamin D in Scotland," said Bruce Hollis, professor of paediatrics and biochemistry at the Medical University of South Carolina. In 2004, he went there with Ebers to make the case for supplementation. A randomised trial, he says "is never going to happen". It would cost millions and there is no drug company to fund it in the expectation of making a profit because the vitamin is so cheap.Hollis rejects the ...

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New Candidate Vaccine Neutralizes All Tested Strains Of Malaria Parasite

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0100

A new candidate malaria vaccine with the potential to neutralise all strains of the most deadly species of malaria parasite has been developed by a team led by scientists at the University of Oxford. The results of this new vaccine independently confirm the utility of a key discovery reported last month from scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute who had identified this target within the parasite as a potential 'Achilles' heel' that could hold significant promise for vaccine development... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

A Close Cut: A Technical Report of Endovascular Removal of a Penetrating Intravascular Foreign Body after a Lawn Mowing Injury

CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:47:49 +0100

We present a case of endovascular retrieval of a penetrating foreign body that was originally lodged in the mediastinum and then migrated to the hepatic vein. The steel nail entered the thorax and traversed the left lung causing a pneumothorax. The patient underwent a thoracotomy, but the foreign body had migrated from its original mediastinal position. A postsurgical CT showed that the object was below the right hemidiaphragm. Diagnostic venogram demonstrated that the object was in the main hepatic vein. Using a double-snare technique, the object was safely and successfully removed from the hepatic vein via the right common femoral vein. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportPages 1-4DOI 10.1007/s00270-011-0333-5Authors C. R. Tapping, Department of Radiology, Oxford ...

Improving family consent in organ donation could save lives

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Oxford University Press) Research published today in the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggests that organ donation rates in the UK could be increased if the current issues affecting declined consent are improved. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Defining physiologically “normal” vitamin D in African Americans

Osteoporosis International — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:08:38 +0100

Conclusion Among MOST participants, the 25(OH)D thresholds at which no further change in iPTH was observed was approximately 20 ng/ml in African Americans versus approximately 30 ng/ml in Caucasians, suggesting optimal vitamin D levels in Caucasians may not be applicable to African Americans. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00198-011-1877-6Authors N. C. Wright, Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, RPHB 523, 1665 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, USAL. Chen, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, FOT 805, 510 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USAJ. Niu, Clinical Epidemiology Research & Training Unit, Boston University School of ...

Multivesicular exocytosis in rat pancreatic beta cells

Diabetologia — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:06:01 +0100

Conclusions/interpretation Although contributing marginally to glucose-induced insulin secretion, compound exocytosis becomes quantitatively significant under conditions associated with global elevation of cytoplasmic calcium. These findings suggest that compound exocytosis is a major contributor to the augmentation of glucose-induced insulin secretion by muscarinic receptor activation. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ArticlePages 1-12DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2400-5Authors M. B. Hoppa, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UKE. Jones, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UKJ. Karanauskaite, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, ...

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New method of infant pain assessment from Oxford published in JoVE

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(The Journal of Visualized Experiments) Recently, the accuracy of current methods of pain assessment in babies have been called into question. New research from London-area hospitals and the University of Oxford measures brain activity in infants to better understand their pain response. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Malaria Vaccine A Game Changer

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0100

Scientists at Oxford University say they have developed a vaccine against the malaria parasite, and shown it to be effective against all the most deadly strains. Lead researcher Dr Sandy Douglas of the University of Oxford says: 'We have created a vaccine that confirms the recent discovery relating to the biology of RH5, given it can generate an immune response in animal models capable of neutralising many ... and potentially all strains of the P. falciparum parasite, the deadliest species of malaria parasite... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

VIDEO: Vitamin D in food to combat Scots MS

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:28:52 +0100

An Oxford University professor says rates of multiple sclerosis are so dire in Scotland foodstuffs should be fortified with vitamin D. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

VIDEO: Vitamin D in food call to combat Scots MS

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:28:52 +0100

An Oxford University professor says rates of multiple sclerosis are so dire in Scotland foodstuffs should be fortified with vitamin D. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

New candidate vaccine neutralizes all tested strains of malaria parasite

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Wellcome Trust) A new candidate malaria vaccine with the potential to neutralize all strains of the most deadly species of malaria parasite has been developed by a team led by scientists at the University of Oxford. The results of this new vaccine independently confirm the utility of a key discovery reported last month from scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute who had identified this target within the parasite as a potential 'Achilles' heel' that could hold significant promise for vaccine development. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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Alan Turing: My Favourite Scientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0100

Mathematician, master codebreaker and father of computer science, Alan Turing was a genius touched by tragedyAlan Turing was one of those remarkably brilliant men who had a profound influence upon the development of several fields. He was a talented mathematician who, during World War II, used his prodigious abilities and skills to break German ciphers for the British government's Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. To do this, he invented a number of electromechanical instruments to help narrow down possible solutions to these ciphers to a manageable number for further investigation. These instruments are recognised as the foundation of computers, which are essential foundations of current civilisation. Dr Turing then became interested in artificial intelligence and devised the so-c...

The year's 10 biggest science stories

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:04:09 +0100

Neutrino particles appeared to prove Einstein wrong by travelling faster than light, while the discovery of an Earth-like planet raised hopes of finding life on another worldTriumphs, disasters and climaxes – 2011 science in picturesGraphene is going to be the 'it' material of the 21st centuryOr at least that is what George Osborne hopes. After two Manchester University scientists, Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim, won the 2010 Nobel prize for physics for their graphene research, the chancellor announced in the autumn that Britain would be investing £50m in setting up a national research programme into the substance. Graphene – a sheet of carbon atoms one atom thick – could be used to make everything from touchscreens to plastics cheaper and more efficient, say scientists, though...

Knee Arthroplasty and Risk of Hip Fracture: A Population-Based, Case–Control Study

Calcified Tissue International — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:04:19 +0100

Abstract The majority of knee arthroplasties (KAs) are performed in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Although bone mass may be increased in these patients, subjects with knee OA may have an increased risk of hip fracture, possibly due to an increased severity of falls. However, in patients with KAs, risk of hip fracture has not been studied extensively. We evaluated the association between KAs and hip fracture risk in a population-based case–control study using the Dutch PHARMO Record Linkage System (1991–2002, n = 33,104). Cases were patients with a first admission for hip fracture; controls were matched by age, gender, and geographic location. Neither group had a previous history of fracture. Time since first KA was calculated. Analyses were adjusted for ...

Supernova explosion gives a glimpse of how ingredients for life are created

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:36:00 +0100

Scientists capture SN2011fe supernova in Pinwheel galaxy as it spews heavy elements necessary for life into spaceThe spectacular explosion of a star in a distant galaxy (left, above) has given astronomers a rare glimpse of how supernovae blast the basic ingredients for life into the cosmos.Scientists captured images of the colossal detonation in the Pinwheel galaxy (right, above) 21m light years away within hours of the burst of light from the explosion reaching Earth.The supernova, called SN2011fe, was the result of a thermonuclear explosion that tore the parent star apart, converting carbon and oxygen into heavier elements, such as nickel, in the process.Nasa's Swift space telescope turned its sensors towards the exploding star moments after observations began at three powerful ground-ba...

Crystals, X-rays and Proteins: Comprehensive Protein Crystallography. By Dennis Sherwood and Jon Cooper. Oxford University Press, 2010. Pp. 626. Price USD 98.50. ISBN 978-01995-5904-6.

Acta Crystallographica Section D — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Acta Crystallographica Section D)

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Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – review

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:56:47 +0100

An outstandingly clear and precise study of the 'dual-process' model of the brain and our embedded self-delusionsA human being "is a dark and veiled thing; and whereas the hare has seven skins, the human being can shed seven times seventy skins and still not be able to say: This is really you, this is no longer outer shell." So said Nietzsche, and Freud agreed: we are ignorant of ourselves. The idea surged in the 20th century and became a commonplace, a "whole climate of opinion", in Auden's phrase.It's still a commonplace, but it's changing shape. It used to be thought that the things we didn't know about ourselves were dark – emotionally fetid, sexually charged. This was supposed to be why we were ignorant of them: we couldn't face them, so we repressed them. The deep explanation of ou...

Pink v blue - are children born with gender preferences?

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:03:00 +0100

Hamleys has abandoned its toy shop 'gender apartheid', scrapping its separate floors for boys and girls and their respective blue and pink signs. Are colour and toy preference dictated by nature or nurture? Polly Curtis, with your help, finds out. Get in touch below the line, email your views to polly.curtis@guardian.co.uk or tweet @pollycurtisThe Times and FT report today (£) that Hamleys, is ditching its separate floors for boys and girls along with their pink and blue signs and replacing them with signs that simply state the types of toys sold. The Times story says:Hamleys, the country's most famous toy store, has abandoned its traditional separate floors for boys and girls after a campaign on Twitter accused it of operating "gender apartheid". New signs in the store now state what typ...

Why cows like to chew over things together

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:30:01 +0100

Research on cattle behaviour shows that they like to eat, stand and lie down at the same time as othersA British-American team of scientists has produced a study called A Mathematical Model for the Dynamics and Synchronisation of Cows. They were driven partly by the intellectual challenge, and at least a little by an EU council directive, which mandates "that cattle housed in groups should be given sufficient space so that they can all lie down simultaneously".Their key insight, the team says, was to realise "it is biologically plausible to view [cattle] as oscillators … During the first stage (standing/feeding), they stand up to graze but they strongly prefer to lie down and 'ruminate' or chew the cud for the second stage (lying/ruminating). They thus oscillate between two stages."The r...

“My sister’s hand is in my bed”: a case of somatoparaphrenia

Neurological Sciences — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:55:43 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Letter to the EditorPages 1-3DOI 10.1007/s10072-011-0874-zAuthors Matteo Pugnaghi, Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Nuovo Ospedale C. Sant’Agostino e Estense, Baggiovara, Modena, ItalyMariangela Molinari, Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Nuovo Ospedale C. Sant’Agostino e Estense, Baggiovara, Modena, ItalyPatrizia Panzetti, Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Nuovo Ospedale C. Sant’Agostino e Estense, Baggiovara, Modena, ItalyPaolo F. Nichelli, Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Nuovo Ospedale C. Sant’Agostino e Estense, Ba...

A MRI classification of periprosthetic soft tissue masses (pseudotumours) associated with metal-on-metal resurfacing hip arthroplasty

Skeletal Radiology — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:54:53 +0100

Conclusion Solid anterior pseudotumours were most likely to have the more severe symptoms and require revision surgery. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Scientific ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00256-011-1329-6Authors Jennifer Hauptfleisch, Department of Radiology, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Windmill Road, Oxford, OX3 7LD UKHemant Pandit, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford, Windmill Road, Oxford, OX3 7LD UKGeorge Grammatopoulos, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford, Windmill Road, Oxford, OX3 7LD UKHarinderjit S. Gill, Botnar Research...

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Cellular Automaton Model Predicts How Hair Follicle Stem Cells Regenerate

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Your hair -- or lack of hair -- is the result of a lifelong tug-of-war between activators that wake up, and inhibitors that calm, stem cells in every hair follicle on your body, according to Cheng-Ming Chuong, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Southern California (USC). Chuong presented the findings at the American Society for Cell Biology 2011 Annual Meeting in Denver. Building on research reported last April in Science, Chuong and his colleagues teamed with Oxford University mathematicians Philip Maini, Ph.D., and Ruth E. Baker, Ph.D... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Rare gene links vitamin D and MS

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:15:33 +0100

A rare genetic variant which causes reduced levels of vitamin D appears to be directly linked to multiple sclerosis, says an Oxford University study. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

Combating Counterfeit Medicines

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0100

In this week's PLoS Medicine, Paul Newton of Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR and the University of Oxford, UK and colleagues argue that public health issues, and not intellectual property or trade issues, should be the prime consideration in defining and combating counterfeit medicines. They say that the World Health Organization (WHO) should take a more prominent role. The authors advocate that an international treaty on medicine quality, under the auspices of the WHO, could play a key role in the struggle against counterfeit and substandard medicines... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Elsevier/Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Junior Research Prize in Endocrinology: ENDO 2011 conference report

Metabolism - Clinical and Experimental — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:52:27 +0100

In June 2011, I was privileged to travel to Boston, MA, to attend ENDO 2011, the Annual Meeting of the American Endocrine Society. Eight months earlier, I had participated in the Elsevier/Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Junior Research Prize in Endocrinology, a competition open to DPhil students and first-year postdoctoral researchers at the University of Oxford, with a prize of free registration, accommodation, and travel to the ENDO conference. The competition involved the submission of a 300-word abstract describing your contribution to endocrinology research. Four abstracts were selected for oral presentations to a panel of judges and an audience of researchers; and my presentation, entitled “Functional Studies of GATA3 Mutants in Oestrogen Receptor Positive ...

Fatal brain haemorrhage after MCA dissection: how aggressive should we treat?

Neuroradiology — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:20:06 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Letter to the EditorPages 1-4DOI 10.1007/s00234-011-0986-4Authors W. Kuker, Department of Neuroradiology, Oxford University Hospitals, West Wing, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU UKJ. Downer, Department of Neuroradiology, Oxford University Hospitals, West Wing, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU UKM. Cellerini, Department of Neuroradiology, Oxford University Hospitals, West Wing, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU UK Journal NeuroradiologyOnline ISSN 1432-1920Print ISSN 0028-3940 (Source: Neuroradiology)

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A Symposium of Reviews of Peculiar Institution: America's Death Penalty in an Age of Abolition: By David Garland (Oxford University Press, Belknap Press, Harvard University Press, 417pp.) Reviews by Anette Ballinger, David Brown, Pat Carlen, Richard Garside and Magnus Hornquist

British Journal of Criminology - recent issues — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: British Journal of Criminology - recent issues)

Chemotherapy Lowers Breast Cancer Mortality By One Third - 100 Trials Demonstrate

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Oxford University researchers have demonstrated that modern chemotherapy reduces breast cancer mortality by approximately one third in a large number of patients, compared with no chemotherapy. The findings of the meta-analysis of 123 randomized trials, which involved about 100,000 women with breast cancer over the past 4 decades have been published in an article by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) at the Clinical Trial Service Unit, University of Oxford, UK, which has been published Online First in The Lancet... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

World Muscle Society 2011 Report

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:57:25 +0100

At the recent World Muscle Society meeting, which took place in Portugal, a great deal of new data on exon skipping was presented, both on the status of current human clinical trials and on the efforts of investigators to improve the efficiency of the technique by combining exon-skipping with gene and stem cell delivery. Below are a few highlights from the meeting with the caveat that it was impossible to cover every poster and talk. Muscle Stem Cells Jenny Morgan of UCL Institute of Child Health in London found that irradiating the muscles of a host mouse produced good incorporation of donor satellite cells, although it was clear that too much radiation was also detrimental. Mayana Zatz of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, presented data demonstrating that human mesenchymal stem c...

Oxford University Press acquires 2 journals from Preston Publications

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Oxford University Press) Oxford University Press is pleased to announce the acquisition of two titles, Journal of Analytical Toxicology and Journal of Chromatographic Science, from Preston Publications, in a transaction managed by DeSilva+Phillips. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Map study finds P. vivax malaria has firm grip in Asia

Modern Medicine — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - In a new global map of the Plasmodium vivax malaria parasite, researchers from Britain's Oxford University found the disease is endemic in substantial parts of the world. (Source: Modern Medicine)

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Bias in protein and potassium intake collected with 24-h recalls (EPIC-Soft) is rather comparable across European populations

European Journal of Nutrition — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:40:34 +0100

Conclusion The results suggest that group-level bias in protein and potassium (for women) collected with 24-h recalls does not vary across centers and to a certain extent varies for potassium in men. BMI and study design aspects, rather than center-level characteristics, affected the biases across centers. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ContributionPages 1-14DOI 10.1007/s00394-011-0279-zAuthors Sandra P. Crispim, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsAnouk Geelen, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsJeanne H. M. de Vries, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The NetherlandsHeinz Freisling, Dietary Exposure Assessment Group, International Agen...

Cardiovascular episodes 'substantially reduced' with simvastatin use

Nursing Times Breaking News — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Long-term use of simvastatin is safe, with no increase in cancer cases or deaths from other, non heart-related causes, according to an Oxford University study published online in The Lancet. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)

Cures for killer diseases at risk from cuts

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:09:31 +0100

As budgets are slashed, academics are warning that crucial breakthroughs will be jeopardisedScientific breakthroughs with the potential to cure Parkinson's disease, provide vaccines for global killers such as HIV/Aids and malaria, and deliver solutions to curtail the environmental costs of building homes could be delayed by "ruinous" cuts to the development of research facilities at the country's leading universities, according to academics.They warn that the development of world-beating laboratories, manufacturing workshops and even the country's leading position in the field of computer technology are at risk from the government's cuts to spending on building projects and facilities maintenance at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Manchester, and Imperial College and University ...

New study finds timely acute care could cut the cost of stroke cost

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Oxford University Press) New research published in the journal Age and Aging suggests that timely acute care immediately after a stroke reduces the level of disability in stroke survivors and the associated need for long-term care, therefore reducing aftercare costs. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

The impact of subspecialization on training and the provision of emergency surgical services

Surgery (Medicine Publishing) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

The Surgery Journal Prize is a national essay competition run by Surgery and aimed at UK medical undergraduates. For 2011, essays were invited on the topic of The Impact of Subspecialization on Training and the Provision of Emergency Surgical Services and we received a good response. All submitted essays were judged by three assessors chosen from the Editorial Board of Surgery who, after careful deliberation, selected one overall winning entry and two runners-up. Myura Nagendran, a fifth-year medical student at Oxford University was awarded first prize – £500 worth of books and journal subscriptions from www.elsevierhealth.com. We are delighted to publish the winning essay below. (Source: Surgery (Medicine Publishing))

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New Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry, Second Edition. Edited by Michael Gelder, Nancy Andreasen, Juan Lopez‐Ibor, Jr., and John R. Geddes. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009. Pages: xxi + 1–986 (Vol. 1), 987–2022 (Vol. 2). ISBN: 978‐0‐19‐955992‐3 (Vol. 1), 978‐0‐19‐955993‐0 (Vol. 2), 978‐0‐19‐920669‐8 (set).

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental)

Concordia student awarded 2012 Rhodes Scholarship

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Concordia University) Michael Noonan, an undergraduate student at Concordia University has been selected as a 2012 Rhodes Scholar. Rhodes Scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study at the prestigious University of Oxford in England, valued at approximately $50,000 per year. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Bicruciate substituting total knee replacement: how effective are the added kinematic constraints in vivo?

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:56:34 +0100

Conclusion The Journey BCS showed no paradoxical anterior movement and sufficient posterior femoral roll back which corresponded with the engagement of the anterior and posterior cam-post mechanisms. Trends shown by the PTA/KFA and PFA/KFA kinematic profiles observed for the Journey group were more normal than those seen with other designs of TKR. However, despite being more close to normal than other implants, the Journey group showed a different kinematic profile to that of the normal knees, which is most likely due to the femur being too far posterior relative to the tibia. Level of evidence Case–control study, retrospective, comparative study, Level III. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory KneePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00167-011-1796-2Authors ...

Science Weekly: Your beating heart

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:18:00 +0100

Vastly superior to any artificial mechanical pump, a human heart beats without pause for an entire human lifetime and is exquisitely tuned to the body's changing needs from moment to moment. In this special edition of the podcast Guardian science correspondent Alok Jha and Kevin Fong, an anaesthetist and media fellow at the Wellcome Trust, discuss the physiology, chemistry and dynamics of this remarkable organ and how research into tissue regeneration is opening up a new frontier in the treatment of damaged hearts.There are contributions from heart experts Prof Michael Shattock from King's College London, cardiologist Prof Raymond MacAllister of University College Hospital and cardiac stem cell researcher Prof Paul Riley from the University of Oxford.The show also features music specially ...

First Time Mothers' Home Births Have A Higher Risk Of Complications

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:00:00 +0100

Women who are pregnant for the first time and decide to have a home birth should be aware that there is a significantly higher risk of complications, compared to first time mothers who have the baby in an an obstetric or midwifery unit, researchers from Oxford University reported in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). However, for second and subsequent births, women with low risk pregnancies do not have a statistically significantly higher risk, the authors added... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Isis laboratory funding shortfall 'damaging UK's research standing'

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:14:19 +0100

Scientists say lack of annual £3m for running costs means £400m facility is under-usedHundreds of scientific experiments are being dropped by British universities because there is too little money to run one of the country's major research facilities.Work on high priority fields from green energy and drug design to biotechnology and microchips has been disrupted, threatening the UK's research base and the country's standing internationally, scientists said.The government spent £400m on building the Isis neutron source, a world-class laboratory in Oxfordshire, but the machine goes unused much of the time for the lack of £3m a year to pay electricity and other running costs. The lab has been forced into part-time dormancy since the government cut the science budget and research funders a...

Synthesis, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity of Schiff Base Derived from S-Methyldithiocarbazate and Methylisatin

Journal of Chemical Crystallography — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:58:01 +0100

Abstract New tridentate nitrogen–oxygen–sulfur Schiff base has been prepared from the condensation reaction of S-methyldithiocarbazate and methylisatin. The compound crystallized in triclinic crystal system with space group P − 1, Z = 2, V = 612.92(3) Å3 and unit cell parameters a = 6.8540(2) Å, b = 8.3022(2) Å, c = 11.5243(4) Å, α = 79.8186(13)°, β = 90.5224(14)° and γ = 72.1362(13)°. Crystal structure reveals that the compound exists in the thione form with the methylisatin moiety is trans with respect to the C3–N2 and C3–S4 bonds whereas the methyl group of the dithiocarbazate moiety is cis with respect to the C3–N2 and C3–S5 bond...

Affairs of the heart: Emergency repairs

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:13:48 +0100

Prof Paul Riley of the University of Oxford explains his team's revolutionary approach to preventing heart failure in people who are at high risk of a heart attackAlok JhaMatt HallNoah Payne-FrankKevin Fong (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)

Screening for traumatic exposure and psychological distress among war-affected adolescents in post-conflict northern Uganda

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:43:59 +0100

Conclusion War-affected adolescents may continue to suffer from significant psychological stress in the years following the cessation of conflict. Multiple exposure to a number of different types of traumatic event may directly increase the likelihood of psychological distress especially for those exposed to the most extreme violence. The feasibility of employing a locally developed and validated screening instrument is demonstrated. Implications for future research and intervention in post-conflict areas are considered. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperPages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s00127-011-0454-9Authors John D. McMullen, School of Psychology, Queens University Belfast, David Kier Building, Belfast, BT9 5BP UKPaul S. O’Callaghan, School of Psychology...

The interrelation of needs and quality of life in first-episode schizophrenia

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:37:32 +0100

This study relied on data from the EUFEST trial, designed to compare first- and second-generation antipsychotics during 1 year. At baseline, 498 patients have been included. The first (baseline) and the last assessment (12 months after baseline) were used for the analyses. Predictors of quality of life were determined using regression analyses. We tested the complex longitudinal interrelations between baseline and outcome measures with structural equation models. Unmet needs were not definitively confirmed as a predictor of subsequent quality of life, unless unmet needs changing to no needs were separated from unmet needs changing to met needs. Each unmet need that changed to no need enhanced the quality of life (mean score 1–7) by 0.136 scale points. This study suggests ...

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Chris Huhne blasts Lord Lawson's climate sceptic thinktank

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:00:02 +0100

In conclusion, Huhne writes: "The scientific case for action is robust. We would be failing in our duties to pretend otherwise and we must with other countries take the actions necessary to protect our planet from significant climate change."Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at London School of Economics, said: "The GWPF's members are having an increasingly negative impact on the quality of UK public debate and policy-making on climate change, and it is time that they were held to account for their actions." A recent Oxford University study on the reporting of climate scepticism identified Lawson and GWPF director Benny Peiser as "by far" the most quoted climate sceptics in the UK media.The Guardian has als...

Observatory: Mapping Grapheme-Color Synesthesia in the Brain

NYT Health — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:25:02 +0100

Neuroscientists from the University of Oxford are trying to determine what exactly is different about the brains of those with grapheme-color synesthesia. (Source: NYT Health)

Is Richard Branson all he's cracked up to be? | Aditya Chakrabortty

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:00:00 +0100

The billionaire Virgin boss is no radical, he's no entrepreneur, he's just a plain old-fashioned carpetbaggerLast week, you, me and every other taxpayer in Britain each handed £13 to the billionaire Richard Branson. Not that we were told about this national whip-round. Instead, George Osborne claimed the heavily discounted sale of Northern Rock to the Virgin boss and a few of his chums represented "value for money". That's a funny way to describe a deal where taxpayers come out at least £400m poorer, but at least we now have an answer to that perennial pre-Christmas question of what to give the man who has everything.And what do Team Branson plan to do with the Rock? Listen to Virgin Money chairman David Clementi's talk of creating "a significant banking competitor" and you'd have come a...

Is the end of the world really nigh?

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:05:21 +0100

Science is moving ever closer to understanding how, and when, humanity may be extinguishedJudging by the run of successful natural disaster films in the past few years, people are fascinated by the idea of the end of the world. In Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, a virus ravaged the UK and beyond; an asteroid was the world-ending threat in Deep Impact and Armageddon; and climate change got a starring role in The Day After Tomorrow.In the real world, we don't know how the Earth (or humanity) might meet its end or when that will happen. Pondering and predicting the event has usually been a job for the world's great religions: all of them have some idea about how humans will meet their maker. Indeed, "the end" (or judgement day) is usually a deity's way of cleansing our planet, to allow a fresh r...

Impact of FDA Guidance for Developing Diabetes Drugs on Trial Design: From Policy to Practice

Current Cardiology Reports — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:54:45 +0100

Abstract In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance requiring robust assessment of cardiovascular safety for all antidiabetic drugs to be licensed in the future. Here, we review the circumstances giving rise to the FDA guidance and describe the characteristics of clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov in the 36 months before and after the guidance was issued. We noted a doubling in the number of cardiovascular outcome trials registered and a sixfold increase in the median number of patients included in cardiovascular outcome trials in the latter 36 months. As the size and duration of follow-up for these trials increases, the clinical trials industry will need to adapt. The present review summarizes current attempts to streamline ...

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Erratum

Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

In the article above, on page 322, the affiliations of the authors were published incorrectly at the bottom. The correct academic affiliations are: Herbert W. Marsh, Oxford University, UK; University of Western Sydney, Australia; and King Saud University, Saudi Arabia Gregory Arief D. Liem, University of Sydney, Australia Andrew J. Martin, University of Sydney, Australia Benjamin Nagengast, Oxford University, UK Alexander J. S. Morin, University of Sherbrooke, Canada; Educational Excellence and Equity (E3) Research Program, Center for Educational Research (University of Western Sydney) (Source: Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment)

Further delineation of pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 6 due to mutations in the gene encoding mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetase, RARS2

Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:57:26 +0100

We report two novel mutations and expand the phenotypic spectrum of this likely underdiagnosed PCH variant, where recognition of the characteristic neuroradiological phenotype could potentially expedite genetic diagnosis and limit invasive investigations. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s10545-011-9413-6Authors Emma Glamuzina, Department of Metabolic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UKRuth Brown, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKKieran Hogarth, Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UKDawn Saunders, Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UKIsabelle Russell-Eggitt, Department of Ophthalmology, Ulverscroft Vision R...

"Central pain mechanisms" (2011-11-29)

Institute of Psychiatry | Events — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:31:04 +0100

<h1 dir="ltr" align="left:: <span class="345322910-01112011:: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue::Title- Central pain mechanisms</span> </span> <h1 dir="ltr" align="left:: <span class="345322910-01112011:: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue::Speaker- Professor Irene Tracey, Director of Oxford University (Source: Institute of Psychiatry | Events)

Malaria's weak spot pinpointed in the hunt for an effective vaccine

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0100

The parasite uses a lock-and-key mechanism to invade red blood cells that is common to all malaria strainsScientists have uncovered an important lead in their search for an effective vaccine against malaria, identifying a lock-and-key mechanism the parasite uses to invade red blood cells that seems to be shared by all strains of the disease. They have found that blocking the mechanism prevents infection.Malaria affects more than 300 million people every year and is responsible for around a million deaths, the majority of them children in sub-Saharan Africa under the age of five. The disease is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, which is spread by mosquitoes, with most deaths resulting from infection with Plasmodium falciparum.In recent weeks, an experimental vaccine called RTS,S has been s...

Could nuclear power be the answer to global energy needs?

University of Bristol news — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:32:25 +0100

A new Nuclear Research Centre, a joint venture between the University of Bristol and the University of Oxford, was officially opened yesterday [Tuesday 8 November]. (Source: University of Bristol news)

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THT encourages Oxford to Stand Up, Stand Out for World AIDS Day

Terrence Higgins Trust — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:20:54 +0100

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is calling for people in Oxford to Stand Up, Stand Out and get involved in its World AIDS Day campaign this December.Around 20 people are still being diagnosed with HIV every day in the UK and it is an incurable and life threatening condition. With close to 100,000 people now living with the infection and numbers increasing every year, THT is launching its Stand Up, Stand Out campaign to raise greater awareness of HIV, vital funds for HIV prevention services and support for people living with the virus.World AIDS Day, has been running since 1988 and is dedicated to raising awareness of HIV and AIDS. It’s easy to get involved with this year’s campaign in Oxford, and people can take part in the following ways:THT staff and studen...

Synthesis and anti-bacterial activities of some novel pyrazolobenzothiazine-based chalcones and their pyrimidine derivatives

Medicinal Chemistry Research — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:13:14 +0100

Abstract A novel series of fifteen pyrimidine derivatives was prepared from pyrazolobenzothiazine-based chalcones by refluxing with guanidine hydrochloride. The starting materials 4-(3,4-dimethyl-5,5-dioxidobenzo[4,3-c][1,2]thiazin-2(4-H)yl)phenyl)ethanone (2) or 4-(3,4-dimethyl-5,5-dioxidobenzo[4,3-c][1,2]thiazin-2(4-H)yl)benzaldehyde (3) were obtained by N-arylation of 3,4-dimethyl-2,4-dihydrobenzo[e]pyrazolo[4,3-c][1,2]thiazine 5,5-dioxide (1) with 4-fluoroacetophenone or 4-fluorobenzaldehyde, respectively, using phase transfer catalyst, hexadecyl-tri-n-butylphsophonium bromide. The N-arylated product (2) or (3) was reacted in MeONa/MeOH with diversified aromatic aldehydes or ketones to furnish two series of new chalcones 4 and 5. Refluxing of 4 or 5 with guanidine hydrochl...

Vivid visual mental imagery in the absence of the primary visual cortex

Journal of Neurology — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:47:34 +0100

In this study, we show that in spite of his near-complete cortical blindness, SBR exhibits vivid visual mental imagery both behaviorally and when measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. The pattern of cortical activation to visual mental imagery in SBR is indistinguishable from individual sighted subjects, in contrast to the visual perceptual responses, which are greatly attenuated. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original CommunicationPages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00415-011-6299-zAuthors Holly Bridge, FMRIB Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU UKStephen Harrold, FMRIB Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU UKEmily A. Holmes, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKMark Stokes, Departmen...

Interaction of insulin and PPAR-α genes in Alzheimer’s disease: the Epistasis Project

Journal of Neural Transmission — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:13:09 +0100

Abstract Altered glucose metabolism has been described in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We re-investigated the interaction of the insulin (INS) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) genes in AD risk in the Epistasis Project, including 1,757 AD cases and 6,294 controls. Allele frequencies of both SNPs (PPARA L162V, INS intron 0 A/T) differed between Northern Europeans and Northern Spanish. The PPARA 162LL genotype increased AD risk in Northern Europeans (p = 0.04), but not in Northern Spanish (p = 0.2). There was no association of the INS intron 0 TT genotype with AD. We observed an interaction on AD risk between PPARA 162LL and INS intron 0 TT genotypes in Northern Europeans (Synergy factor 2.5, p = 0.016), but not in Nort...

Researchers Design A Viral Vector To Treat A Genetic Form Of Blindness

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital have developed a viral vector designed to deliver a gene into the eyes of people born with an inherited, progressive form of blindness that affects mainly males. The vector is part of a clinical trial investigating the use of gene therapy to cure choroideremia, a disease that affects an estimated 100,000 people worldwide. The trial is being conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford in England. The vector was designed by Dr... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Use Of New Catalyst To Synthesize Two Potent Anti-Cancer Molecules

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0100

Research carried out at Boston College, in collaboration with scientists at MIT and the University of Oxford, has led to the development of an efficient and highly selective catalyst for ring-closing olefin metathesis, one of the most widely used reactions in chemical synthesis, the team reports in this week's issue of the journal Nature. The team used the new catalyst, part of a large and important class of carbon-carbon double bonds, to synthesize epothilone C and nakadomarin A, both of which are molecules that have been shown to be potent anti-cancer agents... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

'English' diet could save lives in rest of UK

NHS News Feed — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:25:00 +0100

Conclusion This study suggests that improving the average diet in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland could reduce variations in disease mortality rates across the UK. This modelling study was based on observational data, so the results should be interpreted cautiously and considered as theoretical estimates only. The study had several limitations, stemming from weaknesses in modelling as well as limitations to the underlying observational research: Models rely on theoretical scenarios, and can only estimate how diseases occur and progress in the real world. Multiple factors contribute to the development of the illnesses examined here, and diet is only one of them. Smoking, drinking alcohol, exercise habits and genetics are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease, strokes and certa...

Humans ventured as far as Torquay more than 40,000 years ago

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:15:58 +0100

The early humans were pioneers who took advantage of a temporary warm spell to visit Britain during the last ice ageA fragment of human jaw unearthed in a prehistoric cave in Torquay is the earliest evidence of modern humans in north-west Europe, scientists say.The tiny piece of upper jaw was excavated from Kents Cave on the town's border in the 1920s but its significance was not fully realised until scientists checked its age with advanced techniques that have only now become available.The fresh analysis at Oxford University dated the bone and three teeth to a period between 44,200 and 41,500 years ago, when a temporary warm spell lasting perhaps only a thousand years, made Britain habitable.The age of the remains puts modern humans at the edge of the habitable world at the time and incre...

Study shows promise for teen suicide prevention

UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0100

Roughly 1 million people die by suicide each year. In the U.S., where nearly 36,000 people take their own lives annually, more than 4,600 victims are between the ages of 10 and 24, making suicide the third leading cause of death in this age group. Youths treated at hospital emergency rooms for suicidal behavior remain at very high risk for future suicide attempts. But despite the urgent need to provide them with mental health follow-up care, many don't receive any such care after their discharge. Consequently, a major goal of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's National Strategy for Suicide Prevention has been to increase rates of follow-up care after discharge for patients who come to the emergency department (ED) due to suicidal behavior. Now, a new study...

Ohio State researchers design a viral vector to treat a genetic form of blindness

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Ohio State University Medical Center) Researchers in Ohio have developed a viral vector designed to deliver a gene into the eyes of people born with an inherited, progressive form of blindness that affects mainly males. The vector is being tested in a clinical trial investigating the use of gene therapy to cure choroideremia, a disease that affects an estimated 100,000 people worldwide. The trial is being conducted at the University of Oxford in England. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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Dementia Costs Europe 189 Billion Euros A Year

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0100

New research from Oxford University in England estimates the total cost of dementia across 15 western European countries in 2007 was 189 billion euros (Â£165 billion), most of which is made up of unpaid care from family and friends. The Alzheimer's Research UK-funded study is currently in press and about to be published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Dr Ramon Luengo-Fernandez, of the University's Health Economics Research Centre, led the work... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

MHC class II genes in the European badger (Meles meles): characterization, patterns of variation, and transcription analysis

Immunogenetics — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:16:08 +0100

We present the first characterization of MHC class II genes, isolated from genomic DNA (gDNA) and complementary DNA (cDNA), in the European badger. Examination of seven individuals revealed four DRB, two DQB, two DQA, and two DRA putatively functional gDNA sequences. All of these sequences, except DRA, exhibited high variability in exon 2; DRB had the highest variability. The ABS codons demonstrated high variability, due potentially to balancing selection, while non-ABS codons had lower variability. Positively selected sites were detected in DRB and DQA. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated trans-species polymorphism of class II genes. Comparison with cDNA from whole blood revealed that only DRB had a transcription pattern reflecting the alleles that were present in the gDNA, while the ot...

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas: assessment of malignant potential

Endocrine — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:57:36 +0100

Abstract Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are rare catecholamine-secreting tumors which arise from the adrenal glands or sympathetic neuronal tissue. Malignant transformation of these tumors occurs in a significant proportion and may therefore lower overall survival rates. In patients with PPGLs it is impossible to identify malignant disease without the presence of metastatic disease, something which can occur as long as 20 years after initial surgery. Early identification of malignant disease would necessitate a more aggressive treatment approach, something which may result in better disease outcome. We have therefore reviewed possible predictors of malignancy and current developments in order to help clinicians to swiftly assess malignant potential in patient...

Cellular characterisation of the GCKR P446L variant associated with type 2 diabetes risk

Diabetologia — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:45:44 +0100

Conclusions/interpretation Our study suggests the common human P446L-GKRP variant protein results in elevated hepatic glucose uptake and disposal by increasing active cytosolic GCK. This would increase hepatic lipid biosynthesis but decrease fasting plasma glucose concentrations and provides a potential mechanism for the protective effect of this allele on type 2 diabetes risk. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2348-5Authors M. G. Rees, Oxford Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UKS. Wincovitch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USAJ. Schultz, Institute for Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Bi...

Oxford University research on the rising cost of dementia

Alzheimers Society — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:04:00 +0100

Research by Oxford University academics claims Britain spends more on dementia than any of the 15 pre expansion EU countries except for Germany, which has a much higher population. (Source: Alzheimers Society)

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SciFinder - Unlimited access provided to 48 schools in U.K. and Ireland

CAS - Chemical Abstracts Service — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:01:23 +0100

CAS and Eduserv are collaborating to provide unlimited SciFinder access to the CHEST Consortium, which comprises 48 academic institutions in the U.S. and Ireland, including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and University of Manchester. (Source: CAS - Chemical Abstracts Service)

Re: Mortality Trends for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer in English Populations 1979–2006

The Journal of Urology — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

M. E. Duncan and M. J. Goldacre Unit of Health-Care Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom (Source: The Journal of Urology)

Why people get lost: the psychology and neuroscience of spatial cognition, Paul A. Dudchenko, Oxford University Press, pages, $54.95, ISBN: 978-0-19-921086-2; 299

Journal of the Neurological Sciences — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Who hasn't felt one or more of these symptoms? Getting lost is a universal experience, writes University of Stirling lecturer Paul A. Dudchenko in the first chapter of his book, unambiguously titled Why People Get Lost, that reviews experimental evidence to delve into the reasons that might be. “Being lost,” he defines, “means being unable to find one's way.” Thus, his work addresses the psychological aspects of our ability to navigate our environment, along with the neural correlates that underlie them. Dudchenko presents a series of questions that neatly frames the organization of the book. Do people have an internal sense of direction? Where is it in the brain? How does it develop? Do certain brain disorders hinder cognitive mapping? The first chapter closes with a spoiler. Our ...

[News of the Week] Newsmakers

Science: Current Issue — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:36:42 +0100

This week's Newsmakers are Joel Miller of the University of Western Australia, FoSheng Hsu of Cornell University, Cedric Tan of the University of Oxford, and Emma Ware of Queen's University, winners of this year's "Dance Your Ph.D." contest. (Source: Science: Current Issue)

Serious claims belong in a serious scientific paper

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:59:01 +0100

If you have a serious new claim to make, it should go through scientific publication and peer review before you present it to the mediaThis week Baroness Susan Greenfield, professor of pharmacology at Oxford reportedly announced that computer games could cause dementia in children. This would be very concerning scientific information. But this comes from the opening of a new wing of an expensive boarding school, not an academic conference. Then a spokesperson told a gaming site that's not what she means. Though they didn't say what she does mean.Two months ago the same professor linked internet use with rising autism diagnoses (not for the first time), then pulled back when autism charities and an Oxford professor of psychology raised concerns. Similar claims go back a long ...

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Oxford graduates' perceptions of a global health master's degree: a case study

Human Resources for Health — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Feedback from students, when they had either resumed their positions 'in the field' or pursued further training, was useful in identifying valuable and positive aspects of the programme and also in identifying areas for further action and development by the programme's management and by individual teaching staff. (Source: Human Resources for Health)

Two-pore Channels Pair Up♦ [Papers of the Week]

Journal of Biological Chemistry — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

♦ See referenced article, J. Biol. Chem. 2011, 286, 37058–37062 Two-pore channels (TPCs) are receptor complexes that have been recently discovered to release Ca2+ in response to NAADP, a potent Ca2+-mobilizing agent. Humans express two of the three known TPC isoforms: TPC1 and TPC2. These channels are found in the endolysosomal system, but how they interact with one another to produce gateways for ions is unclear. In this Paper of the Week, Antony Galione and colleagues at Oxford University in the United Kingdom demonstrate that TPC1 and TPC2 form homo- and heteromeric complexes by interacting in a head-to-tail symmetry. The authors suggest that the homo- and heteromeric complexes differ in their functions, such as Ca2+ signaling and mediating endolysosomal fusion events. jbc;286/43/e9...

Pregnant women advised to get flu jab

NHS News Feed — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Conclusion This well conducted study highlights the possible risk to babies of maternal infection with H1N1. The research has some limitations, which mean the results should be interpreted with some caution. The researchers used a historical cohort of pregnant women to act as a comparison, some of whom had given birth during 2005-6. It is possible that pregnancy outcomes have changed between this time and the time the infected women gave birth. The researchers point out that this risk is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the national surveillance of perinatal mortality has not identified any changes that were likely to affect these findings. Although the researchers adjusted their analysis for confounders, it is possible that both measured and unmeasured confounders affected the re...

GM crops promote superweeds, food insecurity and pesticides, say NGOs

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:53:31 +0100

Report finds genetically modified crops fail to increase yields let alone solve hunger, soil erosion and chemical-use issuesGenetic engineering has failed to increase the yield of any food crop but has vastly increased the use of chemicals and the growth of "superweeds", according to a report by 20 Indian, south-east Asian, African and Latin American food and conservation groups representing millions of people.The so-called miracle crops, which were first sold in the US about 20 years ago and which are now grown in 29 countries on about 1.5bn hectares (3.7bn acres) of land, have been billed as potential solutions to food crises, climate change and soil erosion, but the assessment finds that they have not lived up to their promises.The report claims that hunger has reached "epic proportions...

Baby deaths 5 times higher among pregnant women who caught swine flu

the Mail online | Health — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:40:09 +0100

Experts at Oxford University have urged pregnant women to become immunised against swine flu after finding the 2009 strain increased the number of stillbirths. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

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Facebook friend tally is associated with differences in brain structure

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0100

People with lots of Facebook friends have denser grey matter in three regions of the brain, a study suggestsThe brains of people with large numbers of Facebook friends are different from those of people with fewer online connections, say neuroscientists.The researchers at University College London found that users with the greatest number of friends on the social networking site had more grey matter in brain regions linked to social skills. The finding suggests that either social networking changes these brain regions, or that people born with these kinds of brains behave differently on websites like Facebook.In August, Baroness Susan Greenfield, former director of the Royal Institution, made the controversial suggestion that greater use of digital technology might be responsible for incre...

In vivo sagittal plane kinematics of the FPV patellofemoral replacement

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:55:57 +0100

Conclusion The kinematics of the FPV implant was closer to normal than those of total knee implants; however, there were still differences from the normal knees. Level of evidence III. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory KneePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00167-011-1717-4Authors A. P. Monk, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKB. H. van Duren, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKH. Pandit, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKD. Shakespeare, Nuffield Health Warwickshire Hospital, Leamington Spa Warwickshire, UKD. W. Murray, Nuffield De...

New IVF screening tool studied

NHS News Feed — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:32:00 +0100

Conclusion This conference abstract describes a tool that can look at different aspects of the ‘quality’ of egg and embryo cells at the same time, rather than having to use separate tests to measure them separately. Preliminary research on a small sample suggests that this technique produces similar results to analysing these features separately. These appear to be promising findings but it is important to emphasise that this research has been presented as a conference abstract, and that there is only limited information available at present. Further details of how this research was carried out and its results should be available when it is published. It will also have to go through the peer review process, during which it is assessed by other experts in fertility on how robust the sci...

IVF test that 'guarantees success available within months'

the Mail online | Health — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:03:05 +0100

By allowing only the best eggs or embryos to be selected for IVF, the Oxford University test is expected to slash the odds of miscarriage and greatly boost the chances of a woman having a healthy baby. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Fundamentals of Crystallography, 3rd edition. By C. Giacovazzo, H. L. Monaco, G. Artioli, D. Viterbo, M. Milaneso, G. Ferraris, G. Gilli, P. Gilli, G. Zanotti and M. Catti. Edited by C. Giacovazzo. IUCr Texts on Crystallography No. 15, IUCr/Oxford University Press, 2011. Pp. xxi + 842. Price (hardback) GBP 90.00. ISBN 978-0-19-957365-3.

Acta Crystallographica Section A — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Acta Crystallographica Section A)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Autism birthweight link not clear

NHS News Feed — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:40:00 +0100

Conclusion This study has suggested that about 5% of children of low birthweight (<2000g) in the US may go on to develop autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). This is higher than previous estimates for the general population of children in the US (estimated at 0.9% among eight year olds). When considering these results there are both strengths, such as the prospective nature of the study, and limitations that must be taken into account: The children in this study were specifically assessed to see if they had autism, which means that more cases might be picked up than would be found than in the general population, who are not all assessed for autism. Ultimately, this raises the question of whether the results reflect greater prevalence among underweight babies or greater rates of diagno...

Simple Measurement of Aneurysm Residual after Treatment: the SMART scale for evaluation of intracranial aneurysms treated with flow diverters

Acta Neurochirurgica — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:37:55 +0100

Conclusions Further studies need to show the applicability and possible predictive value of this new grading scale on the efficacy of the stent in promoting intra-aneurysmal flow stagnation, thus creating the potential to harmonize the results of future papers. This may help to optimize treatment and future device design. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Experimental researchPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00701-011-1177-0Authors Iris Quasar Grunwald, Acute Vascular Imaging Centre (AVIC), NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford and Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU UKM. Kamran, Oxford Neurovascular and Neuroradiology Research Unit, Level 6 West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UKR. A. Corkill, Departme...

Book Review: G. MacNaughton and P. Hughes, Parents and Professionals in Early Childhood Settings. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, 208 pp., ISBN-13: 9780335243730

Journal of Early Childhood Research — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Early Childhood Research)

A novel approach of homozygous haplotype sharing identifies candidate genes in autism spectrum disorder

Human Genetics — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:49:52 +0100

We present a large scale analysis to identify candidate genes which may contain low-frequency recessive variation contributing to ASD while taking into account the potential contribution of population differences to the genetic heterogeneity of ASD. Our strategy, homozygous haplotype (HH) mapping, aims to detect homozygous segments of identical haplotype structure that are shared at a higher frequency amongst ASD patients compared to parental controls. The analysis was performed on 1,402 Autism Genome Project trios genotyped for 1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We identified 25 known and 1,218 novel ASD candidate genes in the discovery analysis including CADM2, ABHD14A, CHRFAM7A, GRIK2, GRM3, EPHA3, FGF10, KCND2, PDZK1, IMMP2L and FOXP2. Furthermore, 10 of the previou...