Health Research: Quality Control for portable, rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing ♦ Obesity more dangerous than lack of fitness ♦ Large proportion of IBS sufferers are vitamin D deficient

NanoOK: Quality Control for portable, rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing Scientists have been putting Oxford Nanopore's MinION sequencer through its paces with an open-source, sequence alignment-based genome analysis tool called 'NanoOK.'

Email between patients, physicians improves health A third of patients with chronic conditions who exchanged secure emails with their doctors said that these communications improved their overall health.

Large proportion of IBS sufferers are vitamin D deficient A large proportion of people living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are vitamin D deficient, a new study has found. The British study, which is the first of its kind, found that out of 51 IBS patients tested 82 per cent exhibited insufficient vitamin D levels.

Obesity more dangerous than lack of fitness A new study has dismissed the concept of 'fat but fit.' In contrast, the results from the new study suggest that the protective effects of high fitness against early death are reduced in obese people.

Health News: Preservation of Antibiotic Legislation ♦ Dissemination of staph infections in hospitals ♦ Prescribe exercise for people with HIV + more

Rep. Slaughter Reintroduces Preservation of Antibiotic Legislation  Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) reintroduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act , which would ban non-therapeutic uses of medically important antibiotics in food animal production. “My legislation would save eight critical classes of antibiotics from being routinely fed to healthy animals” Continue Reading

The dissemination of staph infections in hospitals  Wireless sensors recording human interactions explain the transmission of germs, such as MRSA, in hospitals, according to new research.Continue Reading

Experiments reveal key components of the body's machinery for battling deadly tularemia  Key molecules that trigger the immune system to launch an attack on the bacterium that causes tularemia have been discovered by researchers. Tularemia is a highly infectious disease that kills more than 30 percent of those infected, if left untreated. It can be readily transmitted by air, insect bites or through contaminated food or water Continue Reading

Along with antiretroviral medications, doctors may prescribe exercise for people with HIV  In addition to antiretroviral medications, people with HIV may soon begin receiving a home exercise plan from their doctors. Continue Reading

Scientists use DNA sequencing to trace the spread of drug-resistant TB Scientists have used DNA sequencing to trace the fatal spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis between patients in the UK. TB is spread by inhaling tiny airborne droplets from an infected person. Continue Reading