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Research on fruit fly provides inroads into understanding cancer development

Changes to proteins in a cell underlay many cancers. Rui Martinho at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ci-ncia (IGC), in Portugal, in collaboration with researchers in Ghent (Belgium) and Bergen (Norway) will use the fruit fly to understand exactly how changes to proteins, identified in the test-tube, impact on the way cells divide in a living organism

24 Aug 2010

Rural development in Australia

Rural health services in Australia are in bad shape. Cancer mortality rates are higher, waiting lines for doctor visits are longer, and budget share of Medicare spending is lower. Despite this the issue has not drawn the attention of the election campaign.

23 Aug 2010

'Village' movement and community health clinics offer alternative models of care

"The village movement dates to the 2001 founding of Beacon Hill Village in Boston. This year, the Village to Village Network launched to help other communities create their own senior support groups. Other sites created to help arrange help for seniors who want to live independently at home: Senior Helpers' services include companionship, conversation, meal planning and house cleaning as well as Alzheimer's and dementia care."

23 Aug 2010

Today's opinions: More on the trustee's report, cutting the deficit

Republicans claim to be deeply worried about the deficit — their favorite political target, followed closely by President Obama's relentlessly demonized health care reform. So why are they so determined to overturn one of the central cost-control mechanisms of the new reform law? (8/21).

23 Aug 2010

SEB opens new state-of-the-art laboratory operation, R&D facility

Cryo-Cell International, Inc., one of the largest and most established leaders in stem cell innovation today announced that S-Evans Biosciences, the Company's exclusive Célle menstrual stem cell technology license partner in China has opened a new state-of-the-art laboratory operation and research & development facility located in a Hi-Tech park designated to become an epicenter for stem cell and genomics R&D; cellular therapies and stem cell cryopreservation services.

23 Aug 2010

Preclinical studies of BIND-014 to be presented at ACS National Meeting

BIND Biosciences announced today the presentation of its Medicinal Nanoengineering platform at the ACS National Meeting, including results from preclinical studies on its lead nanomedicine drug , BIND-014, scheduled to enter clinical trials later this year. BIND-014 is a targeted, polymeric nanoparticle containing the cytotoxic agent, docetaxel, which is approved in major cancer indications, including breast, prostate and lung.

23 Aug 2010

Fluid dynamics and mechanics to simulate stent design and coating

Suncica "Sunny" Canic was good at math in school, so that's what she pursued as a career. But she always liked medicine, too. When she moved to Houston, Texas, and met some cardiologists at a party, she started talking with them about what they do-and knew she could help them.

23 Aug 2010

Medical loss ratio rules for insurers could bring controversy to Sebelius' office

Once the National Association of Insurance Commissioners finalizes recommendations on insurance companies' spending on medical costs versus administrative expenses, the next stop for that proposal will be the desk of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Politico reports.

23 Aug 2010

Health overhaul raises regulators' profiles, confuses consumers

Modern Healthcare's 2010 list of the sector's most powerful players is out, and because of the health law, regulators in usually lower-profile federal agencies have carved out places near the top of the roster for the second year in a row. The magazine reports, "Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, stood at No. 31 on the list three years ago. This year, just as in 2009, she holds the No. 7 spot. Clancy's clout has risen with the agency, which was created 20 years ago to support and conduct healthcare outcomes research."

23 Aug 2010

Health law changes rules for docs with in-house imaging machines

"For years, John Finkenberg, an orthopedic surgeon in San Diego, sent patients who needed MRIs to outside imaging centers. But last year, he and his five partners bought their own million-dollar machine and now, he says, the doctors can work more closely with the technicians and give their patients immediate results" (Galewitz, 8/23).

23 Aug 2010

APC dysfunction prevents synapse function required for learning, memory: Study

A clue to the causes of autism and mental retardation lies in the synapse, the tiny intercellular junction that rapidly transfers information from one neuron to the next. According to neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine, with students from the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts, a protein called APC plays a key role in synapse maturation, and APC dysfunction prevents the synapse function required for typical learning and memory.

23 Aug 2010

Obama administration rewriting medical privacy rules

The Obama administration is rewriting new rules on medical privacy after an outpouring of criticism from consumer groups and members of Congress who say the rules do not adequately protect the rights of patients. Hospitals and insurance companies, seeking to maintain greater control over patient notification, generally support the rules.

23 Aug 2010

Early palliative care treatment for lung cancer can help patients live longer: Research

Introducing palliative care at an early stage of treatment for advanced lung cancer could help patients to live for longer, as well as improving their mood and quality of life.

23 Aug 2010

First Edition: Aug. 23, 2010

Today's headlines include news about developments related to the nation's medical privacy rules and the power struggle surrounding implementation regulations for a key section of the new health law.

23 Aug 2010

Americans' confidence to access and pay healthcare services drops: Thomson Reuters Healthcare Survey

Americans' confidence in their ability to access and pay for healthcare has hit its lowest level since December, according to a consumer sentiment index from Thomson Reuters.Overall confidence dropped to 95 points on the Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index in July the lowest level since the index was launched in December 2009.

23 Aug 2010

TAP installs CompacT SelecT culture system at US biodefence campus to produce high quality cell lines

The Automation Partnership (TAP), a world leader in the design and development of innovative automation for life science applications, today announced CompacT SelecT™ automated cell culture system is being installed at a prestigious, new US defence facility, to produce high quality cell lines in containment conditions.

23 Aug 2010

FDA approves Alexion's Rhode Island manufacturing facility as commercial supply source for Soliris

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Alexion's Rhode Island manufacturing facility (ARIMF) in Smithfield, Rhode Island as a second source of commercial supply for Soliris® (eculizumab).

23 Aug 2010

Study finds post Katrina period increases mental health issues among children

Key findings documented in American Medical Association's Journal of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 60% of children - as many as 20,000 - displaced by Katrina either have serious emotional disorders, behavioral issues and/or are experiencing significant housing instability.One-third of children are reported to have been diagnosed with at least one mental health problem, but fewer than 50% of parents were able to access needed professional services.Children post-Katrina are 4.5 times more likely to have serious emotional disturbance than children not affected by the disaster

23 Aug 2010

Scientists report global shortage of radioactive isotopes for medical scans

Twenty million medical scans and treatments are done each year that require radioactive isotopes and scientists today described a global shortage of these life-saving materials that could jeopardize patient care and drive-up health care costs.

23 Aug 2010

Researchers discover unusual property of meiosis may lead to Down syndrome

In a study of egg cells using time-lapse microscopy, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have discovered an unusual property of meiosis - cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms.

23 Aug 2010