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CMSP Daily Wantlist Blog

2009-07-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Concern over Ebola Virus in Pigs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Who Wants to Live Longer???

Tests raise life extension hopes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

CMSP Cool Image of the Day Blog

by Fergus Walsh, BBC medical correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Once-Only Dose Rabies Vaccination Hopeful

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

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

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

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

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

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Coffee May Reverse Alzheimer's

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July everybody!!!!!

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-07-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

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

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Daily Sex Best for Good Sperm
By Emma Wilkinson, BBC News health reporter in Amsterdam

Daily ejaculation may be the best way to improve sperm quality. Having sex every day improves sperm quality and could boost the chances of getting pregnant, research suggests. In a study of men with fertility problems, daily ejaculation for a week cut the amount of DNA damage seen in sperm samples.

Speaking at a fertility conference, the Australian researcher said general advice for couples had been to have sex every two or three days. Early results from the trial had already shown promising results.

Dr David Greening, from Sydney IVF, told delegates at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting that eight in ten men taking part showed a 12% drop in sperm DNA damage after the seven days.

Although there was a big drop in sperm numbers from 180 million to 70 million over the week, men were still within the normal "fertile" range. Sperm also became more active over the seven days with a small rise in motility, he added.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

New Cancer Drug Shows Promise

Researchers say a new type of cancer treatment has produced highly promising results in preliminary drug trials. Olaparib was given to 19 patients with inherited forms of advanced breast, ovarian and prostate cancers caused by mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

In 12 of the patients - none of whom had responded to other therapies - tumors shrank or stabilized. The study, led by the Institute of Cancer Research, features in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers, working with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, found that patients experienced very few side-effects, and some reported the treatment was "much easier than chemotherapy".

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day Blog

2009-06-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today's Cool Image comes from CMSP's Lightning collection.

Photographed by Kent Wood.

An energetic but rare early April thunderstorm pummels downtown Tucson with lightning strikes everywhere.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Cool Image shows a pair of Vampire Bats. I thought they were only in the movies! These bats are the common type, Desmodus rotundus.

Vampire bats are bats whose food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy. There are three bat species that feed solely on blood: the Common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), the Hairy-legged Vampire Bat (Diphylla ecaudata), and the White-winged Vampire Bat (Diaemus youngi). All three species are native to the Americas, ranging from Mexico to Brazil, Chile, and Argentina.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Cool Image shows a windmill on a farm at sunset.

In the United States, the development of the water-pumping windmill was the major factor in allowing the farming and ranching of vast areas of North America, which were otherwise devoid of readily accessible water. They contributed to the expansion of rail transport systems throughout the world, by pumping water from wells to supply the needs of the steam locomotives of those early times. Two prominent brands were the Eclipse Windmill developed in 1867 (which was later bought by Fairbanks-Morse) and the Aermotor, which first appeared in 1888 and is still in production. The effectiveness of the Aermotor's automatic governor, which prevents it from flying apart in a windstorm, led to its popularity over other models. Currently, the Aermotor windmill company is the only remaining water windmill manufacturer in the United States. They continue to be used in areas of the world where a connection to electric power lines is not a realistic option.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Cool Image shows a plane in the same flight path as the sun.

Cool image.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Heart failure can be one reason for collagen in the heart. When the heart muscle becomes damaged and cannot pump as effectively as it once did then the heart can become enlarged and causes collagen to build up inside. This makes the heart inflexible and eventually leads to heart failure.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day Blog

2009-06-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today's Cool Image show bacteria and other growth forms found in water from a birdbath. Bird bath water contains a variety of avian fecal microorganisms introduced by the birds which defecate in the water and also drink it.

Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the water to keep algae at bay. It won't harm the birds, and it keeps the birdbath much cleaner.

This blog will be on self control next week. There will be a new image each day of the week (next week). Cool pictures, not much of a story.

Have a nice weekend and a great week next week.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has over 100,000 on the CMSP.com website available for download and license.

Small files and royalty free images can be viewed and purchase online at CMSP's sister site: www.cmspRF.com

Any questions, contact CMSP at sales@cmsp.com

CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

June 17, 2009 Bubonic Plague Reported in Libya

The World Health Organization (WHO) is sending an expert to Libya to look into a reported outbreak of bubonic plague not far from the Egyptian border. Libyan officials say at least one person has died and several more have been infected in the town of Tubruq.

Cases of the disease, which was known as the Black Death in medieval Europe, are reported quite frequently in sub-Saharan Africa. Bubonic plague can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early.

The WHO received a request from Libya to investigate the suspected cases in Tubruq on Tuesday, spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said.

An expert is on his way to Tubruq where he will help a government team study epidemiological data and check the reported cases.

If confirmed, it would be the first outbreak in that part of Libya for about 25 years, Ms Bhatiasevi said.

The Associated Press news agency quoted a Libyan official as saying that two people had been treated and sent home, and 10 others turned out not to have the disease.

Oh well, there goes my plan for a string of vacation rental cabins in Libya. Whats next?

Custom Medical Stock Photo has a huge selection of virus and bacteria images. Call CMSP or email research@cmsp.com for more info.

CMSP's Cool Image of the Day Blog

2009-06-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

X-rays are a type of radiant energy similar to radio waves.

They are capable of penetrating the body making it possible to capture pictures of internal structures. As a brief burst of radiation passes through the body and based on its energy and the composition and density of body tissues the image is produced on a special X-ray film.

Yes, this is a cool image. Custom Medical Stock Photo

CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

Today's Cool Image for Monday June 15, is of a flea. What does a flea and a vampire bat have in common? They both practice hematophagy.

Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. Fleas are external parasites, living by hematophagy off the blood of mammals and birds.

Hematophagy (sometimes spelled haematophagy or hematophagia) is the habit of certain animals of feeding on blood. Since blood is a fluid tissue rich in nutritious proteins and lipids that can be taken without enormous effort, hematophagy has evolved as a preferred form of feeding in many small animals such as worms and arthropods.

Some fish, such as lampreys, and mammals, especially the vampire bats, also practice hematophagy.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has a huge selection of parasites imagery. Call CMSP at 773-267-3100 or email research@cmsp.com for more info. :)

Have a great day and a nice week.

CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Experts Close to Roots of Graying

Going gray can be distinguished. The grey hairs that develop with age really are signs of stress, at least of the cellular kind, say scientists. Genotoxic stress, namely anything that damages the genetic code of life DNA, causes a malfunction of the cells ultimately responsible for hair color.

The stress sets off a chain of reactions involving specialized cells called melanocyte stem cells, their work on mice in Cell journal reveals. Similar mechanisms appear to be at work in humans too, they say.

The findings could help explain why people with Ataxia telangiectasia, a rare, neurodegenerative syndrome caused by a mutation in a gene called ATM, go gray prematurely. In their study, Dr Emi Nishimura and colleagues found the ATM "caretaker" gene serves as a checks and measures system to stop melanocyte stem cells going awry.

It is the job of these cells within the hair follicles to make the mature pigment-producing melanocytes that give hair its youthful color.

Don't stress, let CMSP help you find the image you need. Custom Medical Stock Photo has hundreds of images of stress and maturing. Email CMSP at research@cmsp.com or call 773-267-3100.

So don't stress out, unless your bald or already gray. Have a nice weekend.

CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

WHO To Declare Flu Pandemic

UN health officials are expected to declare the first global flu pandemic in 40 years, after holding emergency talks on the swine flu crisis. The World Health Organization called the meeting after a steep rise in the number of cases in Australia. It has little option but to declare a pandemic now there are nearly 28,000 recorded cases.

Hong Kong said it was closing all its nurseries and primary schools for two weeks following 12 school cases.

The last global flu pandemic came in 1968 over the Hong Kong flu. That pandemic killed about one million people.

A disease is classed as a pandemic when transmission between humans becomes widespread in at least two regions of the world.

And you thought we were done with the swine flu. Not quite.

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CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

An allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to certain substances. The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances which are harmless to non allergic people. The main reason for this is that allergic people make a special antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) which can react with environmental substances in a harmful way. These substances are called allergens.

While there may be more allergy sufferers generally in the United States, different areas will have distinct experiences. The Northeast, because of the high population and the types of plants that grow there, is usually the strongest allergy area, and it will likely have a heavier season than last year, according to CNN. A large area from Minneapolis, Minnesota, all the way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will also be stronger, as will areas from Louisiana to South Carolina.

The area around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Delaware, and New York will be about the same as last year. The West Coast, Texas, and many Southern states, on the other hand, will have fewer than or about the same number of allergy sufferers as last year, it has been reported.

Get the tissues out or move out West!!!!

Custom Medical Stock Photo has a large number of allergy related images. Contact CMSP at research@cmsp.com for help or more info.

CMSP's Cool Image of the Day

2009-06-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Can Problems be Solved by Sleeping?

Sleeping on a problem really can help solve it say scientists who found a dreamy nap boosts creative powers. They tested whether "incubating" a problem allowed a flash of insight, and found it did, especially when people entered a phase of sleep known as REM.

Volunteers who had entered REM or rapid eye movement sleep - when most dreams occur - were then better able to solve a new problem with lateral thinking, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

We propose that REM sleep is important for assimilating new information into past experience to create a richer network of associations for future use.

In the morning of the test day, 77 volunteers were given a series of create problems to solve and were told to mull over the problem until the afternoon either by resting but staying awake or by taking a nap monitored by the scientists. Compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM sleep increased the chances of success on the problem solving task.

The study at the University of California San Diego showed that the volunteers who entered REM during sleep improved their creative problem solving ability by almost 40%. The findings suggest it is not merely sleep itself, or the passage of time, that is important for the problem solving, but the quality of sleep.

Researchers concluded only REM sleep enhances creativity. They believe REM sleep allows the brain to form new nerve connections without the interference of other thought pathways that occur when we are awake or in non-dream-state sleep.

So go take a power nap before trying to figure out how to save the world.

Custom Medical Stock Photo has a library filled with sleep related images. Email CMSP at research@cmsp.com for more info.