Category Health/Medical

David Bello, M.D., listens to the heart of a patient at Orlando Health using a new device called HeartBuds, a smartphone and an app. Credit: Orlando Health

“They not only detect sounds inside the body just as well – or better – than traditional stethoscopes, but they are more sanitary,” said David Bello, MD, developer of HeartBuds. “And because they incorporate smartphone technology, we can now record, store and share those sounds as well. This could change the way we approach patient exams in the future.”

The stethoscope was invented in 1816 by French physician René Laennec, and has essentially been unchanged since. But on the eve of its 200th anniversary, the emergence of this new technology could mark the beginning of the end for this medical mainstay.

With HeartBuds, doctors use a sma...

This is human coronavirus 229E being inactivated on copper. Credit: University of Southampton

These viruses are linked to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome). Animal coronaviruses that ‘host jump’ to humans, eg SARS and MERS, result in severe infections with high mortality. The Southampton researchers found a closely-related human coronavirus – 229E – can remain infectious on common surface materials for several days, but is rapidly destroyed on copper.

Coronavirus 229E, which produces a range of respiratory symptoms from the common cold to more lethal outcomes such as pneumonia, can survive on surface materials including ceramic tiles, glass, rubber and stainless steel for at least five days...

Pregnant woman and doctor (stock image). A new, simple and safe DNA blood test could spell the end of invasive amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. Credit: © Dmitriy Melnikov / Fotolia

The new, simple and safe DNA blood test could spell the end of invasive amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. The research is the result of a collaboration between Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Plymouth University. The DNA test costs pence and is non-invasive – as opposed to the traditional amniocentesis test that is available on the NHS, involves a needle and carries a minor (1%) risk of miscarriage.

The test developed can be carried out on mothers at risk of X-linked genetic recessive diseases including haemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy and mothers at risk of haemolytic disease...

2 clock-like mutational processes have been found in human cells and the rates at which the two clocks tick in different human cell types have been determined. Image courtesy Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Courtesy/LANL

A theory that our cells have molecular clock processes ticking inside them, that damage DNA by generating mutations continuously throughout life, has just been proven.These clock-like mutational processes could ultimately be responsible for a large proportion of human cancer and aging. 2 clock-like mutational processes have been found in human cells and the rates at which the two clocks tick in different human cell types have been determined.

Every cell in the human body contains a copy of the human genome...