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Birth defects more prevalent in mountaintop coal mining areas

Birth defects are significantly more common in areas of mountaintop coal mining and are on the rise as the practice becomes more common, according to a study by researchers at Washington State University and West Virginia University.

24 Jun 2011

New IUPUI facility to focus on urban health issues

A new center at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has a tall order to fill - improving the quality of life for billions of people.

24 Jun 2011

Sungwon president signs consent decree of permanent injunction for seafood products: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Sungwon Inc of Columbia, a Columbia, Md., corporation, and the company's president, Sang Ja Lee, have signed a consent decree of permanent injunction.

23 Jun 2011

FDA to beef up monitoring of imports

As Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg has been trying to correct inadequately controlled imported food and drugs overwhelming her organization’s ability to monitor them.

21 Jun 2011

Women, young people more worried about EHEC bacteria outbreak in Europe

The news coverage of the deadly EHEC bacteria outbreak in Europe came as a bombshell. Ghent University (Belgium) examined 6132 reactions of Belgian newspaper readers after reading the first news reports.

17 Jun 2011

IITA launches initiative to prevent aflatoxin contamination in African crops

African agricultural research groups led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and partners have launched a project seeking to provide farmers with a natural, safe, and cost-effective solution to prevent contamination of maize and peanut by a deadly cancer-causing poison, aflatoxin, in a bid to improve the health and income of families in Nigeria and Kenya.

17 Jun 2011

ISCO discovers novel technology to produce pure hepatocyte population

International Stem Cell Corporation announces the discovery of a novel, patent-pending technology to produce unlimited numbers of liver cells (hepatocytes) that are free of contamination with potentially dangerous undifferentiated cells.

16 Jun 2011

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics redesigns standard laboratory carboy

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has redesigned the standard laboratory carboy, adding a variety of ergonomic features that improve ease of use in advanced biopharmaceutical fluid handling and solution storage applications. These improvements are based on extensive input from professionals who work in laboratory and pharmaceutical environments.

13 Jun 2011

Therapeutic equivalent to replace penicillin

Antibiotics are among the greatest achievements of medical science. But lately the former multi-purpose weapon fails in the battle against infectious diseases. Bacteria are increasingly developing resistance to antibiotics. Researchers have now found a therapeutic equivalent which could replace penicillin and related phamaceuticals.

8 Jun 2011

FDA constantly takes steps to monitor E. coli O104 outbreak in U.S. food supply

The U.S. FDA has been in routine contact with the European Union and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the current outbreak of E. coli O104 and to track any illnesses in the U.S. that may be related to the outbreak.

4 Jun 2011

American College of Gastroenterology offers resources on foodborne illness, tips for food safety

For consumers in the United States concerned by the outbreak of E. coli in Europe, the American College of Gastroenterology offers background on foodborne illness, tips for food safety, and expert insight from its resources on digestive health on what to do in the case of foodborne illness.

4 Jun 2011

Copper effectively prevents spread of new E. coli strains

As the World Health Organisation suggests the E. coli outbreak in Germany is a strain never before seen in an outbreak - O104:H4 - laboratory science conducted at the University of Southampton indicates a role for copper in preventing the spread of such infections.

3 Jun 2011

Researchers molecularly characterize MRSA isolates from fire station environmental surfaces

MRSA transmission may be occurring in fire stations, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

2 Jun 2011

Scientists find no link between XMRV retrovirus and human disease

Delineation of the origin of the retrovirus known as XMRV from the genomes of laboratory mice indicates that the virus is unlikely to be responsible for either prostate cancer or chronic fatigue syndrome in humans, as has been widely published.

1 Jun 2011

Scientists find increases in rain and temperature could signal deadly cholera outbreaks months before they strike

With recent deadly cholera outbreaks in Haiti and Cameroon providing the latest indication of a menacingly resurgent disease, scientists have discovered rain and temperature fluctuations in at-risk areas could predict epidemics months in advance, according to a new study published today in the June 2011 issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

1 Jun 2011

Oasis introduces touchless electronic tissue dispenser

Oasis Brands, Inc. is bringing forth the evolution of the modern washroom with the introduction of the fully-enclosed, touchless Nvi Electronic Tissue Dispenser. The industry's first standard-sized electronic tissue dispenser is designed to reduce waste and labor cost while minimizing the risk of cross-contamination, and is ideal for those with limited range of mobility.

31 May 2011

Liquid crystal droplets could replace horseshoe crab blood in common endotoxin test

The Food and Drug Administration requires every drug they certify to be tested for certain poisons that damage patient health. The current gold standard for this is the limulus amoebocyte lysate assay that involves using the blood of horseshoe crabs, which strangely enough is blue, to test for endotoxin, a substance commonly associated with many symptoms caused by bacterial infections.

24 May 2011

Probability of contamination during handshaking could be lower than is commonly perceived

Graduations are a celebration of achievement and growth, but could all the pomp and circumstance increase your risk of exposure to harmful bacteria? A team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the risk of acquiring pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through shaking hands at graduation ceremonies across Maryland.

18 May 2011

SunTech Medical releases new line of disposable blood pressure cuffs

SunTech Medical, Inc., a leader in non-invasive blood pressure measurement products and technologies, announces the release of their new line of disposable blood pressure cuffs.

16 May 2011

Simple tips for avoiding allergies and asthma during summer

Summertime means outdoor fun at weddings, graduations, festivals and picnics. But uninvited guests ranging from stinging insects to grass pollen can ruin the fun for the millions of Americans with allergies and asthma.

13 May 2011