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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's plans for e-health mean that physicians will be able to diagnose patients using webcams over the internet under a hi-tech health policy. Ms Gillard launched her futuristic health plans in Brisbane yesterday. Under this $392 million health plan, families with home computers will be able to get access to an after hours online doctor using webcams and internet messaging services such as Skype from July 2012. Services would improve once the Government rolls out its high-speed national broadband network.

16 Aug 2010

Australia’s first artificial heart in place

Angelo Tigano, 50 was given only two weeks to live at the start of this month. But last week surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney gave him the country's first artificial heart after a five-hour operation to keep him alive.

16 Aug 2010

NanoSmart receives USPTO Notice of Allowance for cancer tumor targeting technology

NanoSmart™ Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a California corporation developing novel biopharmaceuticals, is pleased to report that it has received a Notice of Allowance for a US patent on its proprietary cancer tumor targeting technology.

16 Aug 2010

Shah discusses foreign aid efficiency

At an event on Friday in Seattle, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah discussed foreign aid efficacy and ways "to streamline the federal agency and to help make the whole U.S. aid budget easier to understand and track," the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports. Shah said that the Obama administration is concerned about foreign aid transparency and its effectiveness, adding: "The president continues to live up to the overall commitment to develop foreign assistance."

16 Aug 2010

Washington Post: Debate over whether big health systems help cut costs

In Roanoke, Va., one company owns the city's two hospitals and six others in a region of 250,000 residents, commanding the area's largest economic engine and a workforce that includes 550 doctors, The Washington Post reports. Carilion Clinic's consolidation has sparked a local row: Is this the future of integrated, efficient health care delivery, or is it a gilded-age style monopoly?

16 Aug 2010

Amphetamine abuse associated with increased risk of aortic dissection

Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a tear in the main artery leading from the heart, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

16 Aug 2010

CVS/Pharmacy opens new store in Omaha

CVS/pharmacy celebrated its entry into the Omaha market today with a grand opening at one of its two new stores in the city of Omaha. Joining CVS officials at the ceremony were The Honorable Jim Suttle, Mayor of Omaha and City Councilmember Thomas Mulligan, District #7.

16 Aug 2010

Food Technology Service second-quarter revenues increase to $761,230

Food Technology Service, Inc. had revenues of $761,230 during the second quarter of 2010 compared to revenues of $652,724 for the same period in 2009. This is an increase of approximately 16.4 percent. The Company had net income before taxes during the second quarter of 2010 of $277,624 compared to net income of $165,926 during the second quarter of 2009. This is an increase of approximately 67.3 percent.

16 Aug 2010

Study reveals how galectin-3 carbohydrate-binding protein promotes angiogenesis

A new study describes how a carbohydrate-binding protein, galectin-3, promotes angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Targeting the protein, scientists identified two approaches that significantly reduced angiogenesis in mice. These discoveries, published online August 16 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, may lead to novel treatments for diseases caused by excessive angiogenesis, including age-related macular degeneration, cancer, and diabetes.

16 Aug 2010

$Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures$

Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures

Children at risk for diabetes before they reach puberty also appear to be at risk for weak bones, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

16 Aug 2010

Nutrastar second-quarter revenues increase 63.4% to $5.46 million

Nutrastar International Inc., a leading nutraceutical company which produces and distributes Chinese Golden Grass and other specialty food products, today announced financial results for their three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

16 Aug 2010

Also in Global Health News: Hunger in Guatemala; Flooding worsens Niger's food crisis; 'New Delhi' gene name concerns

"The efforts of public agencies, non-governmental organisations, private entities and international agencies have become indispensable in addressing the food crisis" in Guatemala, however "activists believe a greater public effort is necessary," Inter Press Service reports. The article examines efforts by various agencies working in Guatemala including the Rural Development Programme for Las Verapaces (PRODEVER), and Accion Contra el Hambre, a local anti-hunger organization.

16 Aug 2010

Michigan Accelerator Fund 1 launched to support early stage life science and technology companies

Michigan Accelerator Fund I, L.P., today announced the formation of the community's first venture capital fund formed specifically to support early stage life science and technology companies: the Michigan Accelerator Fund 1 (MAF1).

16 Aug 2010

Emisphere second-quarter net loss increases to $13.7 million

Emisphere Technologies, Inc. today announced financial and operational results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

16 Aug 2010

Liverpool scientists create new drug for malaria

As part of the -1.5 million project, researchers are now testing the drug to determine how the treatment could progress to clinical trials. The drug is made from simple organic molecules and will be cheaper to mass produce compared to existing therapies.

16 Aug 2010

Medco Health Solutions to acquire United BioSource Corporation

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and United BioSource Corporation today announced a definitive agreement under which Medco will acquire closely held UBC in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $730 million. The combination of America's leading advanced pharmacy with one of the world's most respected sources of post-approval drug and device research extends Medco's core capabilities in data analytics and research to further accelerate pharmaceutical knowledge – advancing patient safety and furthering evidence-based medicine.

16 Aug 2010

Politics and Health Reform: Democrats, Republicans trying to sway seniors

The Associated Press: Democrats, "running scared in an election year," are hopeful that a $250 check - to help seniors afford prescription drugs - will turn the tide of public opinion. "Democrats ... are trying to overcome older people's mistrust of the new health care law, which expands coverage for younger generations by cutting Medicare payments to hospitals and insurers. … Behind the hoopla, the reality is modest. The $250 check, for example, is just a fraction of what many people in the prescription coverage gap have to pay.

16 Aug 2010

TeamStaff reports sequential improvements in third-quarter 2010 revenue and gross margins

TeamStaff, Inc., a leading healthcare and logistical services provider to the Federal Government, today announced its financial results for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2010. As a result of the previously disclosed sale of TeamStaff Rx, which was completed on January 4, 2010, all results reported in this release have been reclassified to show TeamStaff Rx as a discontinued operation.

16 Aug 2010

State Roundup: Elderly inmates burden cash-strapped states; Drew University in LA faces financial troubles; Florida doctors opt not to break ties to AMA

The Associated Press reports on "the national surge in elderly inmates whose medical expenses are straining cash-strapped states and have officials looking for solutions, including early release, some possibly to nursing homes. ... That burden is becoming greater as the American Civil Liberties Union estimates that elderly prisoners — the fastest growing segment of the prison population, largely because of tough sentencing laws — are three times more expensive to incarcerate than younger inmates.

16 Aug 2010

Orthofix launches FUSION XT knee brace with new AirTech system

Orthofix International announced today that its Sports Medicine Division, Breg, has launched the FUSION® XT knee brace with its innovative new AirTech™ system. Designed to improve comfort and fit, AirTech is a complete system of air mesh vents and grooved channel frame pads that increase airflow throughout the brace. The system allows cool air in and moves warm air and moisture away from the skin, improving patient comfort. The new pad technology is also designed to reduce pinching and help alleviate pressure points.

16 Aug 2010