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NIH to launch study on Gulf oil spill health effects

The National Institutes of Health will launch a multi-year study this fall to look at the potential health effects from the oil spill in the Gulf region. The Gulf Worker Study, announced by NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., in June, is in response to the largest oil spill in U.S. history, caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Collins pledged $10 million in NIH funding for the study's initial phases.

8 Sep 2010

New vaccines fact sheet released by Research!America

Research!America is highlighting the vital importance of vaccines with a new fact sheet in its Investment in Research Saves Lives and Money series. CDC recently reported that routine vaccination rates are increasing among teens aged 13-17, but for many diseases the vaccination rates are far below the CDC's recommended 90% mark. With kids heading back to school and flu season fast approaching, now is a good time to remind readers of the importance of vaccines and disease prevention.

8 Sep 2010

Personalized reminders effective in encouraging seniors to get annual flu shots

Personalized post cards or phone calls can be effective in encouraging more seniors to get their annual flu shots, according to a new review of evidence. Professional facilitators are also successful at urging providers to perform a suite of preventive services, including flu shots for seniors.

8 Sep 2010

Study finds alternative birthing room reduces Caesarian section surgery

Giving birth in an alternative setting within a hospital like a bed-free birthing room or one designed to be "homelike" is just as safe for healthy women as laboring in a traditional hospital bed and women who use these rooms are nearly twice as likely to be satisfied with their birth experiences, according to an updated Cochrane review.

8 Sep 2010

Research reveals sports injury outcome during 2010 Winter Olympics

At least one in 10 athletes sustained an injury and a further one in 14 fell ill during the 2010 Winter Olympics, held in Canada, reveals research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

8 Sep 2010

Obese adolescents' recovery to normal weight by young adulthood difficult

The older teens get, the more likely they are to pack on pounds, and obesity rates climb sharply between adolescence and young adulthood, finds a new study from Australia.

8 Sep 2010

Study suggests better quality primary care improves health

Financial incentives in primary care cut heart disease deaths and hospital admissions, particularly among people from deprived areas, finds research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

8 Sep 2010

'Compliant concept' wins CTI Medtech Award 2010

"And the winner is- 'compliant concept' - Michael Sauter and his team receive the CTI Medtech Award 2010" was the announcement heard in the Casino in Bern on August 31st. The Medtech Event organized by the CTI, the Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency, is the meeting place for all the main players in the medical technology branch in the country.

8 Sep 2010

Global Fund investigates allegations that donated malaria drugs were stolen, resold in some African countries

After recent research found that some donated malaria drugs are being stolen and sold commercially in several African countries, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Communications Director Joe Liden said the group is looking into the situation "in a number of countries," PBS' NewsHour's blog, "The Rundown" reports.

8 Sep 2010

NIH announces award to improve human microbiome research

The National Institutes of Health today announced it has awarded approximately $42 million to expand the scope of eight demonstration projects designed to link changes in the human microbiome to health and disease.

8 Sep 2010

Octapharma announces new study of IVIG in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy

Octapharma AG today announced the imminent start of the biggest ever study of an intravenous immunoglobulin preparation (IVIG) in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).

8 Sep 2010

Researchers investigate brain network to understand mind disorders

Uncovering the secrets of the brain requires an intense network of collaborative research. Building on a tool that was co-developed in his laboratory and described in a recent issue of Brain, Dr. Yaniv Assaf of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology is collaborating with an international team of scientists to understand how different parts of the human brain "connect" and to turn this information into a "brain atlas."

8 Sep 2010

Occupational exposure to substances is a major risk factor for neurodermatitis

A child who can't stop scratching himself may well be suffering from atopic dermatitis, also known as neurodermatitis. Extreme irritability of the skin with a concomitant urge to scratch is typical of the disorder. The condition often appears during the first year of life and is on the increase in industrialized countries.

8 Sep 2010

UC San Diego researchers receive grant to study pharmacogenomics for bipolar disorder

An international team, led by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers, has been awarded a $6.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the pharmacogenomics of a key mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder.

8 Sep 2010

Scientists study behaviour of proteins that trigger age-related ailments

Scientists hope to gain insights into a range of age-related ailments, such as dementia, by examining the behaviour of proteins thought to trigger the conditions.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh are to study proteins found in the body to try to find out why these molecules can sometimes clump together as people get older. The clumps interfere with the biological processes that enable the body to function healthily.

8 Sep 2010

Synthetic derivative of Retinoic acid can induce cell death

Retinoic acid (RA), a natural derivative of vitamin A, is the basis of a number of treatments against cancer. Nevertheless, it has certain disadvantages, such as the possibility of the appearance of retinoic acid syndrome, present in 25 % of cases and which can lead to death. The development of 4-HPR, a synthetic derivative of RA, has meant a considerable advance due to its greater efficacy compared to its predecessor.

8 Sep 2010

FAO names 15 experts to new food security advisory body

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has named 15 experts to a committee "to help formulate policies to ensure food security and avoid a repeat of the food crisis of a few years ago," VOA News reports (DeCapua, 9/6).

8 Sep 2010

Study finds multivitamins have no impact on cancer recurrence, survival

Patients with colon cancer who used multivitamins during and after being treated with post-surgical chemotherapy did not reduce the risk of the cancer returning or their dying from it, according to researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

8 Sep 2010

Lack of sleep likely to develop diabetes, heart disease: Research

People who sleep less than six hours a night may be three times more likely to develop a condition which leads to diabetes and heart disease, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.

8 Sep 2010

Children's Hospital Boston engages Particle Sciences for drug product development services

Particle Sciences Inc. (PSI), a leading pharmaceutical Contract Research Organization (CRO), has been engaged by Children's Hospital Boston to help advance early stage molecules and drug innovations into new therapeutic products for patient care. Under the established framework between Children's and PSI, Particle Sciences provides drug product development services aimed at progressing the specific drug or drug product candidate to the point where it becomes attractive to potential licensees.

8 Sep 2010