GOOD NEWS

Ultra-fast analysis

Researchers at Purdue University have shown how a new ultra-fast chemical-analysis tool has numerous promising uses for detecting everything from cancer in the liver to “bio-markers” in urine that provide an early warning for diseases. The analytical chemists have most recently demonstrated how the technology, called desorption electrospray ionisation (DESI), rapidly detects the boundaries of cancerous tumours, information that could help ensure that surgeons remove the entire tumour. A review paper about DESI and related techniques appeared in the journal Science.

Calcium for mums

Getting enough calcium during pregnancy might help keep moms and their babies healthy, says a recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The study was conducted on healthy pregnant women from Argentina, Egypt, India, Peru, South Africa, and Vietnam, who took chewable calcium tablets or a similar tablet with no calcium (placebo), without knowing which type of tablet they were taking. It was found that women taking the calcium tablets were less likely to have severe complications of preeclampsia (high blood pressure and a high level of protein in urine accompanied by swelling in the legs, feet, and hands), a condition that affects some pregnant women.

BAD NEWS

Renal ailments rise

An editorial in the British Medical Journal says that chronic kidney disease is rising rapidly worldwide and is becoming a global healthcare problem. The article goes on to say that in the United Kingdom alone, the annual incidence of end stage renal disease is around 1,00 per 1,000,000 population. What is even more alarming than this is the fact that this figure has doubled over the past decade and is expected to continue to rise by five to eight per cent annually. The author feels that this is due to the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes.

Marijuana memory

According to a report in the American Academy of Neurology, memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time with marijuana use. The study found that frequent marijuana users performed worse than non-users on tests of cognitive abilities, including divided attention (paying attention to more than one stimulus at a time) and verbal fluency (number of words generated within a time limit).