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In an effort to find the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome, researchers have identified 17 immune molecules whose concentrations in patients’ blood correlate with disease severity. ...Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is poorly understood and notoriously difficult to diagnose or treat, and some medical professionals question whether it is psychological or biological in nature. One area of research has been cytokines — molecules the immune system uses to communicate while combating foreign invaders in the body. (Caruso, 7/31)

Imagine feeling horribly sick, day after day, yet doctors repeatedly tell you they can't find anything wrong. That typically happens to people with the mysterious illness commonly known as "chronic fatigue syndrome." Research findings from Stanford University released Monday could point the way to a long-sought diagnostic laboratory test for the condition, and possibly a first-ever treatment. (Tucker, 7/31)

The human throat houses billions of bacteria, most of them harmless. But one species is becoming more common, and it is anything but benign. Drug-resistant gonorrhea has been on the rise for years; the World Health Organization has reported an increase in more than 50 countries. Now scientists say the epidemic is being driven by a particular mode of transmission: oral sex. (Pattani, 7/31)

Of the world’s countries, only six — three rich ones and three poor ones — have taken the steps they should have to evaluate their ability to withstand a global pandemic, according to a recent report sponsored by the World Bank. Just three wealthy countries — Finland, Saudi Arabia and the United States — have gone through two external evaluations of their readiness to face pandemics, one for human diseases and one for animal outbreaks, the study found. (McNeil, 7/31)

There are trillions of microbial species in the world and thousands of them live in or on the human body. Bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms congregate in mini ecosystems called microbiomes, found almost anywhere you can imagine. (Pattani, 7/31)

By now, the connection between sleep and weight gain has been well established. Numerous studies have provided evidence that sleeping too little — less than five hours — messes with your hormones, slows down your metabolism and reprograms your body to eat more. But just how serious are the consequences in terms of numbers? (Cha, 7/31)

Studies show that about three-quarters of patients who see doctors for sinus complaints leave with prescriptions for antibiotics. Unfortunately, these often don’t meet the prescribing guidelines that are meant to curb unnecessary use of the germ-fighting drugs. (Hensley, 7/31)

Before being deployed overseas for the Iraq War in 2003, Army reservist Don Morrison filled out military forms that gave instructions about where to send his body and possessions if he were killed. “I thought, wow, this is mortality right in your face,” Morrison, now 70, recalled. (Andrews, 8/1)