Communication
Two HIV/TB global leaders announce merger talksFormal merger negotiations were announced between two global leaders on HIV and TB: Health & Development Networks (HDN) and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance - at the XVII International AIDS Conference which concluded in Mexico on 8_August 2008. The merger will create a new joint organisation with a global mandate, which will be part of the Alliance family.
BIO welcomes advances in stem cell researchBiotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement regarding the news that researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute created 20 disease-specific stem cell lines thru the new induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) technique:
Breastfeeding increases trust hormone in mothers' brainsWhen a baby suckles at a mother's breast, it starts a chain of events that leads to surges of the "trust" hormone oxytocin being released in their mothers brains.
Canadian woman acquires new accent after strokeA canadian woman in southern Ontario is one of the first cases in Canada of a rare neurological syndrome (foreign accent syndrome) in which a person starts speaking with a different accent, McMaster University researchers report in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.
RFID may pose hazards to medical equipmentsThe use of radio frequency identification devices RFID appears to have the potential to cause critical care medical equipment to malfunction. Electromagnetic interference from these identification devices pose hazards to critical care medical equipments in hospitals and nursing homes.
Hearing loss common in diabetes patientsHearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
New drug labels better for pregnant & nursing mothersNew drug labeling system would provide better information about any prescription drug to pregnant women and nursing mothers as FDA proposes new rule to provide updated information on the use of prescription drugs and biological products during pregnancy and breast-feeding.
Brain and genes to improve anxiety treatmentRight now, about half of all people who take medicine for an anxiety disorder don't get much help from it. And doctors have no definitive way to predict who will, and who won't, benefit from each anti-anxiety prescription they write.
Stress affects learning and memoryShort-term stress lasting as little as a few hours can impair brain-cell communication in areas associated with learning and memory, University of California, Irvine researchers have found.
Sexual performance holds key to men's healthThe Australian male pride in sexual performance may help the fight against increasing obesity. This will be one of the messages from internationally regarded expert on obesity, men's health and ageing Professor Gary Wittert at the University of Adelaide's free Public Seminar Series.
Zebrafish offer useful screening tool for genes, drugs that protect against hearing lossA small striped fish is helping scientists understand what makes people susceptible to a common form of hearing loss, although, in this case, it's not the fish's ears that are of interest. In a study published in the Feb. 29 issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, researchers at the University of Washington have developed a research method that relies on a zebrafish's lateral line-the faint line running down each side of a fish that enables it to sense its surroundings-to quickly screen for genes and chemical compounds that protect against hearing loss from some medications.
UK's oldest existing motoring club on track to boost life-saving campaignThe 1,800-member Midland Automobile Club – which was founded in Birmingham on 11_January 1901 – is backing the call for more drivers and riders to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).
Race differences affect response to drugs and infectionsDifferences in gene expression levels between people of European versus African ancestry can affect how each group responds to certain drugs or fights off specific infections, report researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Expression Research Laboratory at Affymetrix Inc. of Santa Clara, CA.
Quest Diagnostics & Google provide patients electronic access to their diagnostic laboratory dataUS patients may soon have easy and secure access to their own medical diagnostic laboratory records as a result of a new collaboration between Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the nation's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, and Google, the world's leading Internet search company.
New chemical tool kit reveals insights into drug toxicityWhy do nearly 1 million people taking cholesterol-lowering statins often experience muscle cramps? Why is it that in the rare case when a diabetic takes medication for intestinal worms, his glucose levels improve? Is there any scientific basis for the purported health effects of green tea?
Do animals think like autistic savants?When Temple Grandin argued that animals and autistic savants share cognitive similarities in her best-selling book Animals in Translation (2005), the idea gained steam outside the community of cognitive neuroscientists.
Heavy cell phone users subject to cancersAn Israeli scientist, Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, has found a link between cell phone usage and the development of tumors. Dr. Sadetzki, a physician, epidemiologist and lecturer at Tel Aviv University, published the results of a study recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology, in which she and her colleagues found that heavy cell phone users were subject to a higher risk of benign and malignant tumors of the salivary gland.
Botox cosmetic alternatives for wrinklesFacial plastic surgeon Dr. D.J. Verret of Innovations Facial Plastic Surgery, Texas, USA, reported certain botox alternatives like temporary fillers such as hyaluronic acid can erase the lines by filling in the depression, or Surgiwire procedure can repair skin wrinkles and lines.
Adverse reactions linked to Botox use, warns FDAThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration today notified the public that Botox and Botox Cosmetic (Botulinum toxin Type A) and Myobloc (Botulinum toxin Type B) have been linked in some cases to adverse reactions, including respiratory failure and death, following treatment of a variety of conditions using a wide range of doses.
UK doctors have no confidence in NHS databaseNine out of ten UK doctors have no confidence in the government's ability to safeguard patient data online, a poll conducted by British Medical Association, BMA News has revealed.
Pfizer's anti smoking Chantix latest safety informationChantix (varenicline), a prescription medication used to help patients stop smoking reported to have certain adverse effects like changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and actual suicidal behavior. US FDA issued a Public Health Advisory to alert health care providers, patients, and caregivers.
Babies excrete vaccine-mercury quickerFebruary's issue of Pediatrics offers another reason to rethink blaming the spike in autism diagnoses on thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative routinely used in several childhood vaccines until the late ‘90s.
Pediatricians call for cancellation of ABC's ELI STONE premiereThe American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is demanding ABC cancel the opening episode of "Eli Stone" scheduled for Thursday, January 31. As reported in The New York Times, the episode features a lawyer who argues in court that a vaccine caused a child's autism.
Ongoing review of cholesterol drug VytorinThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public that the agency will conduct a review of Merck and Schering Plough's recent trial once the FDA receives the final study results.
A good fight with spouse good for health & marriageA good fight with your spouse may be good for your health, research suggests. Couples in which both the husband and wife suppress their anger when one attacks the other die earlier than members of couples where one or both partners express their anger and resolve the conflict, according to preliminary results of a University of Michigan study.
Chromosomal abnormalities play substantial role in autismGenome-wide scans of families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have revealed new evidence that previously unknown chromosomal abnormalities have a substantial role in the prevalent developmental disorder, according to a report published online Jan. 17th in the American Journal of Human Genetics, a publication of Cell Press.
Consumer Healthcare supports FDA over OTC cough and cold medicines withdrawalOn behalf of the leading makers of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) offered its support for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision against the use of oral OTC cough and cold medicines in children under the age of two.
Fragile X syndrome affecting brain cellsResearchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are uncovering how brain cells are affected in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism.
Colonoscopy fears overcome when patients support patientsPatients who have had a colonoscopy can play a life-saving role by encouraging other patients to follow through with their own colorectal cancer screenings, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. These peer coaches can provide important information to combat myths and fears that serve as barriers to colonoscopy – issues patients say their doctors often fail to address.
TV prescription drug ads minimize risk informationA new University of Georgia study finds that most of prescription drug ads on television still do not present a fair balance of information, especially when it comes to the risk of side effects.
7 tips to keep the holidays happyToday's busy families have moved toward a pattern of individual activities (listening to an iPod, surfing the internet), rather than joint activities, according to Dennis Orthner, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work.
Potential drugs for mental retardation and autism treatmentResearchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have corrected key symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice. The work, which will be reported in the Dec. 20 issue of Neuron, indicates that a certain class of drugs could have the same effect in humans. These drugs are not yet approved by the FDA, but will soon be entering into clinical trials.
India to share experience in controlling avian fluThe Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that India is committed to share the experience of control and containment of the outbreak of influenza in poultry. He was speaking at a three-day International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, here.
Aging brain failures to communicateA team of Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers has shown that normal aging disrupts communication between different regions of the brain. The new research, which used advanced medical imaging techniques to look at the brain function of 93 healthy individuals from 18 to 93 years old, shows that this decline happens even in the absence of serious pathologies like Alzheimer's disease.
Gene identified that influences alcohol consumptionA variant of a gene involved in communication among brain cells has a direct influence on alcohol consumption in mice, according to a new study by scientists supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Army.
Night shift work may cause cancerA study by the World Health Organization has found that night shift work increases the risk of cancer in humans. The study found that after prolonged exposure to night shift work, women are at a higher risk to develop breast and colon cancer. Men who work the night shift are more likely to experience prostate cancer.