HANOI Women's Roquan Smith Jersey , Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Some 70 percent of Vietnam's population are infected with Helicobacter Pylori (HP) bacteria which can lead to duodenal ulcers and stomach cancer, according to one of the biggest hospitals in the country.
Besides the high rate of people having HP bacteria in their stomachs, Vietnam faces another problem: the bacteria has developed resistance to many kinds of antibiotics due to abuse of antibiotics among patients, Bach Mai Hospital said on Monday.
Many kinds of medicines are 80-90 percent effective in treating stomach diseases caused by HP bacteria in many countries, but they are only 50-70 percent effective in Vietnam.
Antibiotic resistance is a hard-to-solve problem in Vietnam because many patients use antibiotics rampantly without prescriptions, local doctors said, noting that the resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality.
Over half of the world's population harbor HP in their upper gastrointestinal tract, and infection is more common in developing countries than Western countries, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MELBOURNE, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Genes that cause coronary artery disease (CAD) can also contribute to greater fertility in women, an Australian study has found.
The study, released by the University of Melbourne, should serve as a cautionary tale for using gene-editing technology to eradicate "undesirable" DNA without fully understanding the repercussions, researchers said.
CAD, a condition where plaque builds up in arteries, is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, killing 8.9 million people every year and affecting 110 million.
Sean Byars, the lead researcher from the University of Melbourne, said that researchers found that CAD genes had been allowed to pass between generations for centuries because of the positive impact the DNA had on the ability to have children.
He said it is possible that CAD is a by-product of humans being able to reproduce well.
"CAD genes are also important for childbearing capacity which suggests an alternative function and provides a possible reason why these genes have been maintained in modern populations despite the health costs they have," Byars told Xinhua on Friday.
"This study helps to provide a fundamental understanding of why the disease exists rather than avenues for treatment."
Researchers analyzed 56 distinct genetic regions from 12 regions worldwide, mainly from Africa, Europe and East Asia, to measure whether there had been recent changes in DNA associated with CAD.
They said that the research indicates that other "undesirable" genes could also have positive impacts on the body.
Byars said more research was needed into certain genes before they could be eradicated.
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By Peter Mertz
DENVER, the United States, July 28 (Xinhua) -- James Holmes' 22-year-old sister broke down in tears repeatedly on the witness stand Monday defending her big brother, who methodically planned and executed one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history.
Chris Holmes told the jury, who found her brother guilty of all 165 counts against him two weeks ago, that he had changed dramatically, and should not be given a death sentence.
Chris said she would never describe her brother as mean-spirited or selfish.
"He never wanted to be the center of attention, and he liked to keep how he was feeling to himself," she said. "He didn't want burden others...he was always looking out for my Mom," she said, tearfully.
With only days left in the defense's best chance go spare Holmes from a death penalty conviction, the first Holmes family member took the stand to defend the convicted.
If this emotional testimony is enough to convince one of the 12 jurors, then Holmes, who killed 12 and injured 70 others by gunfire at a Batman movie three years ago, will avoid execution and spend the rest of his life in jail.
The jurors are expected to vote on this key component of the trial -- "mitigating factors," such as Holmes's mental illness -- by the end of the week.
If the jurors decide that Holmes' terrible mental illness outweighs the premeditated murders he committed showing "extreme indifference," then the trial will end immediately and Holmes will be sentenced to life in prison.
However, if the jurors say "aggravating factors" such as Holmes' careful planning to maximize casualties in the 2012 attack outweigh the defenses' attempt to humanize Holmes, then a death sentence is likely.
As an added twist, the Holmes defense team Monday produced the key psychiatrist who testified three months ago that Holmes was sane at the time of the attack and helped sway the jury to reject Holmes' "not guilt by reason of insanity" plea.
Dr. Jeffrey Metzger framed a solid argument supporting Holmes' extreme psychosis -- a condition that could easily put "doubt" in the mind of one juror to find "mercy."
Meanwhile, Metzner, who testified Holmes knew right from wrong, also told jurors Monday the attack never would have happened if not for Holmes' mental illness.
"(Holmes) acted on his delusions, and that's a reflection of the severity of his mental illness," Metzner said.