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UCSD researchers make new attempt to develop malaria vaccine candidate

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine used algae as a mini-factory to produce a malaria parasite protein. The algae-produced protein, paired with an immune-boosting cocktail suitable for use in humans, generated antibodies in mice that nearly eliminated mosquito infection by the malaria parasite.

19 Feb 2015

MD Anderson, CATCH Global Foundation partner to lower cancer risk in children

Cancer prevention experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have allied with the CATCH Global Foundation, whose comprehensive child health program reaches children and their families in more than 10,000 educational settings nationwide, to promote behavior that will lower children's lifelong risk of developing cancer.

19 Feb 2015

Loyola researchers receive grant to improve health of low-income minorities

Loyola University Chicago health sciences researchers have received a $500,000 grant from the George M. Eisenberg Foundation for Charities, based in Arlington Heights, Ill., for a 10-year study to improve the health of low-income minority residents in communities surrounding Loyola's Health Sciences Campus in Maywood.

19 Feb 2015

Sugar intake and tooth decay: an interview with Professor Nigel Pitts

Globally, dental caries (the technical term for tooth decay) is the most prevalent non-communicable disease, affecting 80% of the global population. Healthy teeth support overall well-being, while dental caries can contribute to high levels of pain and anxiety, as well as leading to other medical problems.

18 Feb 2015

Nearly one out of two U.S. adults suffers from periodontal disease

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that nearly one out of two U.S. adults age 30 and over—64.7 million Americans—has periodontitis, the advanced form of periodontal disease.

18 Feb 2015

Scientists identify role of tau-associated MAPT gene in development of Alzheimer's disease

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has identified the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene as increasing the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).

18 Feb 2015

Nicotine addiction medication produces greater reductions in smoking prior to quitting

Among cigarette smokers not willing or able to quit smoking in the next month but willing to reduce with the goal of quitting in the next 3 months, use of the nicotine addiction medication varenicline for 24 weeks compared with placebo produced greater reductions in smoking prior to quitting and increased smoking cessation rates at the end of treatment and at 1 year, according to a study in the February 17 issue of JAMA.

18 Feb 2015

Electric fans prevent heat-related elevations in heart rate, core body temperature

Although some public health organizations advise against the use of electric fans in severe heat, a new study published in the February 17 issue of JAMA demonstrated that electric fans prevent heat-related elevations in heart rate and core body temperature.

18 Feb 2015

UNICEF and UNAIDS go ‘All In’ to end the AIDS epidemic among adolescents

AIDS has become the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Just one in four children and adolescents under the age of 15 have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment. Deaths are declining in all age groups, except among 10–19 year olds.

17 Feb 2015

The growing evidence on standardised packaging of tobacco products

The scientific journal Addiction has today published a collection of peer-reviewed research papers and commentaries that bring together key parts of the evidence base for standardised packaging of tobacco products from 2008 to 2015.

17 Feb 2015

Rivers, streams could be a major source of antibiotic resistance in the environment

Rivers and streams could be a major source of antibiotic resistance in the environment. The discovery comes following a study on the Thames river by scientists at the University of Warwick's School of Life Sciences and the University of Exeter Medical School.

17 Feb 2015

Permanency of marital relationship contributes to sexual frequency, shows study

While people in the early years of marriage have sex more frequently, and their sexual activity tapers off over time, a slight rebound occurs for those whose marriages endure longer than half a century, according to new research.

17 Feb 2015

Study: Most risk calculators used by clinicians overestimate risk of heart attack

Most "risk calculators" used by clinicians to gauge a patient's chances of suffering a heart attack and guide treatment decisions appear to significantly overestimate the likelihood of a heart attack, according to results of a study by investigators at Johns Hopkins and other institutions.

17 Feb 2015

ASU to host inaugural meeting for brand new scientific society in Tempe, Arizona

Arizona State University will host a premiere opportunity to engage and mingle with luminaries in the burgeoning field of evolutionary medicine, a new interdisciplinary approach that is becoming an essential perspective in our view of disease, today's medical practice and the worldwide impact on public health as it hosts the Inaugural International Society for Evolution, Medicine & Public Health Meeting, March 19-21, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona.

17 Feb 2015

Medical practitioners rarely prescribe proper treatments for childhood diarrhea, pneumonia in rural India

Few health care providers in rural India know the correct treatments for childhood diarrhea and pneumonia - two leading killers of young children worldwide. But even when they do, they rarely prescribe them properly, according to a new Duke University study.

16 Feb 2015

Winter weather may cause vitamin D deficiency

Residents of snowy, northern U.S. cities are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and worse, may not even know it.

16 Feb 2015

Poll: Half of parents support delayed school start times for adolescents

Should teenagers be able to hit the snooze button one more time before school? Ask their parents and half say they would support later school start times, according to today's University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

16 Feb 2015

Public health researchers report frequency of two muscle-weakness disorders

Researchers in public health have reported in the first broad study in the United States the frequency of two muscle-weakness disorders that strike mostly boys: Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Becker muscular dystrophy.

16 Feb 2015

Researchers report first evidence of Seoul hantavirus in wild rats in the Netherlands

In a paper just published in the peer reviewed journal Infection, Ecology & Epidemiology, researchers report discovering the first evidence of Seoul hantavirus (SEOV) in the wild rat population in the Netherlands. The discovery comes on the heels of similar ones in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom in recent years, and has some researchers concerned about the potential spread of the virus to humans.

16 Feb 2015

Study evaluates recent sleep trends for U.S. adolescents

Sufficient sleep is critical for adolescent health, yet the number of hours slept per night has decreased among teenagers in the United States over the last 20 years. A study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that female students, racial/ethnic minorities, and students of lower socioeconomic status are particularly affected, with teens in these categories less likely to report regularly getting seven or more hours of sleep each night compared with their male counterparts, non-Hispanic white teenagers, and students of higher socioeconomic status, respectively.

16 Feb 2015

Public Health News and Research

UCSD researchers make new attempt to develop malaria vaccine candidate

MD Anderson, CATCH Global Foundation partner to lower cancer risk in children

Loyola researchers receive grant to improve health of low-income minorities

Sugar intake and tooth decay: an interview with Professor Nigel Pitts

Nearly one out of two U.S. adults suffers from periodontal disease

Scientists identify role of tau-associated MAPT gene in development of Alzheimer's disease

Nicotine addiction medication produces greater reductions in smoking prior to quitting

Electric fans prevent heat-related elevations in heart rate, core body temperature

UNICEF and UNAIDS go ‘All In’ to end the AIDS epidemic among adolescents

The growing evidence on standardised packaging of tobacco products

Rivers, streams could be a major source of antibiotic resistance in the environment

Permanency of marital relationship contributes to sexual frequency, shows study

Study: Most risk calculators used by clinicians overestimate risk of heart attack

ASU to host inaugural meeting for brand new scientific society in Tempe, Arizona

Medical practitioners rarely prescribe proper treatments for childhood diarrhea, pneumonia in rural India

Winter weather may cause vitamin D deficiency

Poll: Half of parents support delayed school start times for adolescents

Public health researchers report frequency of two muscle-weakness disorders

Researchers report first evidence of Seoul hantavirus in wild rats in the Netherlands

Study evaluates recent sleep trends for U.S. adolescents

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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