Currently, says David Barthel, president and CEO of the SmartPill Corporation, the company that makes the brainy capsule, gastroparesis patients must endure a gauntlet of invasive, expensive, and often inconclusive tests.

"They would go anywhere from an endoscope [in which a tube is passed through the mouth to the stomach], to a barium test [in which a thick liquid that shows up on X-rays is swallowed and tracked], to a gastric emptying centrifugy test," Barthel explains. "These patients will often run through all these procedures [and others] and it could take anywhere from six months to two years to accurately diagnose a motility patient."

The company's bionic pill is designed to replace this hodgepodge of tests, helping doctors diagnose the condition within days.

As the plastic-sheathed pill passes through the stomach, intestines, and bowel, it transmits critical diagnostic information—such as pH, temperature, and the amount of pressure in the stomach and intestines—to a receiver that a physician later connects to a computer. Included in the digital signal is the pill's position in the body, giving doctors a clear picture of how effectively the stomach and other GI-tract components are pushing food toward the final destination.

In the latest study the same Dunn team examined cells from the lining of the colon taken from healthy volunteers eating different diets.

They found higher levels of DNA damage in the cells taken from people eating red meat.

Work by the Open University team suggests the reason could be the presence of substances called N-nitrosocompounds, which form in the large bowel after eating red meat.

Their work suggests that these compounds combine with DNA, and alter it so that it is more likely to undergo harmful changes or mutations that increase the likelihood of cancer

One of the newly discovered bacteria types is a relative of Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the hardiest organisms alive.

D. radiodurans is a so-called extremophile because it thrives in extreme environments that would kill most organisms, such as radioactive waste dumps and hot springs. While a radiation dose of 10 grays (Gy) would kill a human, D. radiodurans can take up to 5,000 Gy with no visible effect. It can survive heat, cold, vacuum, and acid. It is so resilient scientists nicknamed it "Conan the Bacterium," after the fictional barbarian warrior.

It's unclear, however, whether the new D. radiodurans relative is likewise resistant to radiation, said David Relman, a microbiologist and immunologist at Stanford University and principal investigator in the study.

"This thing could be a totally different and novel bacteria, but only because its closest relative is famous for being incredibly radioresistant would we even think this one might be as well," Relman told LiveScience.

Recent posts include news of a new bean that doesn't cause gas, the origin of the phrase "P.U.," and information on sending an anonymous greeting card to tell someone they're too gassy.

And then there's this tidbit from the blogger himself:

"Indeed, this year I personally suffered for days with flatulence issues, after eating too much of my Aunt's delicious homemade cole slaw."

With PPH, the hemorrhoid is not removed. It is moved back to its normal position.

"There's a special stapling device that will allow us to return or reduce the hemorrhoid tissue back into the ano-rectal canal," said Dr. Scott Covington, of Wake Surgical Center in Raleigh.

Once in place, the surgeon literally staples the tissue down. Fisher had the surgery on a Friday and was back to work on Monday.

"It's been over a year now, and I've not had any problems whatsoever," she said.