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Teleflex partners with Access Scientific to distribute The PICC WAND vascular access device

Teleflex has partnered with Access Scientific Incorporated, San Diego, California to become the U.S. distributor of The PICC WAND™ Safety Introducer with ARROW® peelable sheath. This new, all- in-one vascular access device provides clinicians a faster, safer, simpler way to insert a peel away sheath for PICC or Midline catheter placements.

7 Sep 2010

Researchers quantify effects of drying to measure bacteria after hand wash

Not drying your hands thoroughly after washing them, could increase the spread of bacteria and rubbing your hands whilst using a conventional electric hand dryer could be a contributing factor. Frequently people give up drying their hands and wipe them on their clothes instead, but hand-hygiene is a key part of infection control and drying hands after washing is a very important part of the process.

7 Sep 2010

Chemicals in non-stick cookware elevates cholesterol level among children: Report

Children and teens with higher blood levels of chemicals used in the production of non-stick cookware and waterproof fabrics appear more likely to have elevated total and LDL cholesterol levels, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

7 Sep 2010

EQP program helps healthcare professionals identify quality of dietary supplements

Not all supplements are created equally but Emerson Ecologics, the largest provider of dietary supplements and services to healthcare professionals, is taking aggressive steps to make it more clear to healthcare professionals and their patients which manufacturers to trust when it comes to a supplement's purity, identity and potency.

3 Sep 2010

U.S. DOE's SRNL and Ukraine's IRL to collaborate on radiation ecology research

Under a recently signed agreement, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the Ukraine's International Radioecology Laboratory (IRL) will collaborate on radiation ecology research, including projects in the region impacted by the catastrophic accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant 24 years ago. Researchers at IRL use the area around Chernobyl as an extensive laboratory for studying the effects of radioactive contamination and methods of decontamination.

3 Sep 2010

New test detects TB faster, with more accuracy than current diagnostics, study says

A new molecular test for tuberculosis can diagnose the disease and detect a drug-resistant form of it in less than two hours and more accurately than current tests, according to the findings of a study published online in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, Reuters reports (Kelland, 9/1).

3 Sep 2010

Study finds source of tetracycline from bone analysis of Nubians

A chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows that they were regularly consuming tetracycline, most likely in their beer. The finding is the strongest evidence yet that the art of making antibiotics, which officially dates to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, was common practice nearly 2,000 years ago.

3 Sep 2010

Study finds high content of aluminium in infant formulas

The aluminium content of a range of the most popular brands of infant formulas remains high, and particularly so for a product designed for preterm infants and a soya-based product designed for infants with cow's milk intolerances and allergies, researchers have found.

3 Sep 2010

Salmonella contamination drives retail sales of pasteurized shell eggs

Consumer demand for safe eggs has driven retail sales of pasteurized shell eggs up by more than 50% since Aug. 16 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended their use to prevent illness from egg-related Salmonella Enteritidis, announced National Pasteurized Eggs (NPE).

31 Aug 2010

Nanotherapeutics files NanoDTPA IND for treatment of radiation exposure

Nanotherapeutics, Inc., announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for NanoDTPA™ an orally administered capsule that is a less invasive treatment alternative to the FDA approved injectable Zn-DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentacetic acid). DTPA is used to remove radioactive compounds from the body to help eliminate the contamination. The NanoDTPA™ capsule is a unique orally-bioavailable fine particle formulation that allows DTPA to be absorbed into the body from the gastrointestinal tract.

30 Aug 2010

Environmental impact and health hazards of recycling e-waste

Much of the world's electronic waste is being shipped to China for recycling and the cottage industry that has sprung up there to recover usable materials from computers, cell phones, televisions and other goods may be creating significant health and environmental hazards.

30 Aug 2010

Lysozyme can protect anthrax contamination in processed foods: Study

An antibacterial enzyme found in human tears and other body fluids could be applied to certain foods for protection against intentional contamination with anthrax, scientists reported here today at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

27 Aug 2010

CMC Biologics completes new, disposable manufacturing facility at Seattle

CMC Biologics, a Contract Manufacturing Organization with manufacturing sites in Europe and the USA, today announced the completion of a new state-of-the-art disposable manufacturing facility at its Seattle, WA site. The addition comes as part of a staged major expansion plan, which will add significant production capacity to its existing facility to accommodate a growing demand for cGMP manufacture of biopharmaceuticals.

25 Aug 2010

Mayo researchers develop new laboratory cell lines to study anaplastic thyroid cancer

To their deep dismay, researchers at Mayo Clinic discovered several years ago that laboratory samples of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) they were using to help them find new treatments for this lethal disease were probably some other kind of cancer. It quickly became evident that the situation in their lab was common throughout the world. Up to half of the cell lines that were supposed to originate from patients with this rare thyroid cancer were either colon or melanoma cancer.

25 Aug 2010

Prenatal exposure to atrazine leads to prostate inflammation in male rats

A new study shows that male rats prenatally exposed to low doses of atrazine, a widely used herbicide, are more likely to develop prostate inflammation and to go through puberty later than non-exposed animals. The research adds to a growing body of literature on atrazine, an herbicide predominantly used to control weeds and grasses in crops such as corn and sugar cane. Atrazine and its byproducts are known to be relatively persistent in the environment, potentially finding their way into water supplies.

25 Aug 2010

Kinetic Concepts announces U.S. launch of Prevena Incision Management System

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. announced today the U.S. launch of the Prevena™ Incision Management System, the latest addition to KCI's negative pressure technology platform.

24 Aug 2010

Labcyte receives patent for acoustic droplet ejection technology

Labcyte, whose Echo liquid handling platforms move liquids with sound, today announced the grant of its 40th US patent. Patent number 7,717,544 describes how in real time acoustic energy is optimized to transfer a droplet of any fluid, even those that are unknown. Labcyte's acoustic droplet ejection technology offers touchless transfer of a wide variety of fluids, with major benefits in life science applications including drug discovery, genomics, proteomics and diagnostics.

24 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

Cornell University experts comment on recall of 380 million eggs

Cornell University experts on farm animals and food safety comment on the recall of at least 380 million eggs in the past week due to concerns over salmonella contamination.

21 Aug 2010

FDA issues update to nationwide Salmonella infected egg recall

Through tracebacks conducted as part of its ongoing investigation into the increase of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses nationwide, FDA and the State of Minnesota identified Hillandale Farms in Iowa as a second potential source of contaminated shell eggs.

21 Aug 2010