Articles
Ebola - one year on, where are we?
One year ago, the world held its collective breath. Were we going to be able to reverse the death and suffering we were seeing on the streets of capital cities in West Africa? [ + ]
Can we die from a broken heart?
Dying of a broken heart is more than a myth. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (also known as broken heart syndrome) is a condition first recognised by Japanese researchers more than 20 years ago, and it has gained a great deal of attention in Western countries in the past ten years. [ + ]
New president appointed for ACIPC
Professor Ramon Shaban has been appointed President of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC). The announcement was made at the ACIPC AGM in Hobart where the college is currently hosting its annual conference. [ + ]
Virtual reality opens up blocked heart
Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to revolutionize aspects of medicine and healthcare. Several medical specialties are already using it to train physicians and assist diagnosis and treatment. A group of cardiologists from the Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland has successfully used a VR device to guide the opening up (revascularisation) of a chronically blocked right coronary artery. [ + ]
Nurse fronts penalty rates campaign
Teidi Chad, veteran nurse, is the face of a campaign defending penalty rates launched by UnionsACT in October. [ + ]
Stronger warning for popular painkillers
Following a review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), a range of popular painkillers will carry a stronger warning, alerting users to the potential for increased risk of heart attack, stroke and in the case of diclofenac, liver toxicity. [ + ]
Men need to break a sweat to avoid stroke
Emerging evidence suggests physical activity is a good means of preventing a stroke. In the event that someone who regularly exercises does have a stroke, they are likely to have a less severe stroke and better outcomes in the early and later stages of rehabilitation. [ + ]
Nov 16-22 Antibiotics: handle with care
Antibiotics must be used at the right time, in the right dose, for the right length of time, and for the right reason. These are among the important messages in Antibiotic Awareness Week 2015. [ + ]
Terror attacks put paramedics on the line
With terror attacks increasing across the globe, the spotlight is on paramedics who are often the first respondents to major emergencies. Research conducted by Garry Stevens and his team from the Disaster Response & Resilience Research Group (DRR), University of Western Sydney, reveals that a paramedic’s confidence and willingness to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives-related (CBRNE) incidents differs from that relating to their ‘routine’ emergency work. [ + ]
Malaria protein may lead to a cure
Malaria is responsible for almost half a million deaths a year, mainly in developing countries. The parasite undergoes a complex life cycle that requires two hosts – a mosquito and a mammal. New research from The University of Nottingham could reveal how the malaria parasite thrives within its insect and human hosts, leading to potential new treatments. [ + ]
The next epidemic? Predicting where and when
Software 'agents' modelled on real-life individuals will be used by University of Sydney researchers to develop high-precision computer models that can predict where or when an epidemic may strike. [ + ]
3-D printing of human tissue
A team led by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has developed a technique to build tiny models of human tissues, called organoids, more precisely than ever before, using a process that turns human cells into a biological equivalent of LEGO bricks. These mini-tissues in a dish can be used to study how particular structural features of tissue affect normal growth or go awry in cancer. They could be used for therapeutic drug screening and to help teach researchers how to grow whole human organs. [ + ]
