A team led by Yale University scientists has developed a way to rapidly manipulate and sort different cells in the blood using magnetizable liquids. The findings, which will be published the week of December 7 in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could dramatically improve the speed and sensitivity of tests used to detect cancer biomarkers, blood disorders, viruses and other diseases.

Research published this week in PLoS Medicine presents the most accurate assessment to date of the severity of the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic in the US. Scientists need to measure the severity of swine flu (how often infection with the swine flu virus results in symptoms leading to illness, hospitalization or death) so that appropriate pandemic plans can be put into place..

Cost-effectiveness studies are widely used to guide prescribing policy in many countries, as part of health technology assessment programmes. However, a new study published this week in /PLoS// Medicine/ by Tjeerd-Pieter van Staa and colleagues suggests that cost-effectiveness analyses based on data from randomized controlled trials may not be realistic enough to accurately inform policy…

In a study that promises to improve diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease, scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a fast and accurate method for quantifying subtle, sub-regional brain volume loss using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study is published the week of November 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

In a study that promises to improve diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease, scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a fast and accurate method for quantifying subtle, sub-regional brain volume loss using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study is published the week of November 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).