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New York Times examines emergence of XDR-TB in Australia, PNG

"Australia's first death from XDR-TB -- extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, which is nearly incurable -- has alarmed health officials and added new heat to a debate over how to treat immigrants with dangerous diseases," the New York Times reports.

27 Mar 2013

Housing and health: an interview with Hilary Thomson, Senior Investigator Scientist at the UK Medical Research Council

I have been working on this topic for 13 years. Our research programme centres around generating research evidence which can be used in public policy to promote health. This is a broad topic and investigates the potential for investment in socio-economic determinants of health, like housing, transport, welfare, employment etc, to have an impact on health.

26 Mar 2013

New vaccine proves highly effective against H5N1 virus

Until now most experimental vaccines against the highly lethal H5N1 avian influenza virus have lacked effectiveness. But a new vaccine has proven highly effective against the virus when tested in both mice and ferrets. It is also effective against the H9 subtype of avian influenza.

26 Mar 2013

Johns Hopkins undergraduates develop Cooling Cure to protect newborn from brain damage

When babies are deprived of oxygen before birth, brain damage and disorders such as cerebral palsy can occur. Extended cooling can prevent brain injuries, but this treatment is not always available in developing nations where advanced medical care is scarce.

22 Mar 2013

Study shows wireless, self-contained sensor records, transmits brain activity data

A compact, self-contained sensor recorded and transmitted brain activity data wirelessly for more than a year in early stage animal tests, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

20 Mar 2013

Brown fat cells protective against obesity and diabetes

Brown fat is a hot topic, pardon the pun. Brown fats cells, as opposed to white fat cells, make heat for the body, and are thought to have evolved to help mammals cope with the cold. But, their role in generating warmth might also be applied to coping with obesity and diabetes.

15 Mar 2013

Research shows THz pulses destroy skin tissue and increase tumor-suppressing proteins

Terahertz (THz) radiation, a slice of the electromagnetic spectrum that occupies the middle ground between microwaves and infrared light, is rapidly finding important uses in medical diagnostics, security, and scientific research. As scientists and engineers find evermore practical uses for this form of radiation, questions persist about its potential human health risks.

15 Mar 2013

Link between outdoor heat and hospitalization for respiratory disease in the elderly

Outdoor heat is associated with a significantly increased risk of emergency hospitalization for respiratory disorders in the elderly, according to a large epidemiological study of more than 12.5 million Medicare beneficiaries.

8 Mar 2013

Focal laser ablation uses targeted heat to burn away cancerous cells in prostate

Men with low-risk prostate cancer who previously had to choose between aggressive treatment, with the potential for significant side effects, and active surveillance, with the risk of disease progression, may have a new option.

6 Mar 2013

Toshiba launches new Aquilion ONE/ ViSION Edition

The Toshiba family of Aquilion CT scanners has recently been expanded to include the new Aquilion ONE/ ViSION Edition, a faster version of the very successful Aquilion ONE, of which over 700 have been ordered globally.

1 Mar 2013

Medical Adhesives for Reusable or Disposable Medical Devices

An interview with Robert Michaels, discussing the major challenges faced by engineers designing medical devices and the development of new medical adhesives.

From Master Bond Inc. 28 Feb 2013

Mutant HSP70i protein may offer potent treatment opportunities for vitiligo

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers have developed a genetically modified protein that dramatically reverses the skin disorder vitiligo in mice, and has similar effects on immune responses in human skin tissue samples.

28 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Former Sen. Gramm criticizes Obama on budget cuts; Debate on revamping Medicare needs less heat, more deliberation

While history shows that a divided government can enact significant spending cuts as an alternative to sequesters, that doesn't appear to be the path Mr. Obama intends to follow. Instead of protecting civilian defense workers, the president will continue to force the Pentagon to buy biofuels at $27 per gallon to promote his green agenda.

27 Feb 2013

Princeton metabolic model can predict how parasites would fare in altered climates

Knowing the temperatures that viruses, bacteria, worms and all other parasites need to grow and survive could help determine the future range of infectious diseases under climate change, according to new research.

27 Feb 2013

NYAM initiative to create improved supports for New York's older adults during disasters

The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) has received $185,000 from The New York Community Trust and $100,000 from Altman Foundation to launch an initiative to create improved supports for New York's community-dwelling older adults before, during, and after disasters and other mass, long-term events, like power outages and heat waves.

26 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Health care 'price gouging;' Health law pushing employers to cut workers' hours; Medicare spending must be tamed

Steven Brill's cover story on the Looking Glass world of healthcare pricing may be the longest article Time Magazine has ever published, but more importantly, it is a fresh sign that the medical-industrial complex should be worried as the deadline for launching Obamacare rolls closer.

26 Feb 2013

Comprehensive portfolio of antiretroviral products from Mylan

Mylan Inc., one of the world's leading generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies, today announced that its subsidiary in South Africa, Mylan (Proprietary) Limited, has launched a comprehensive portfolio of antiretroviral (ARV) products.

25 Feb 2013

New bio-mimicking therapeutics could help treat skin wounds

In "before" and "after" photos from advertisements for wound-healing ointments, bandages and antibiotic creams, we see an injury transformed from an inflamed red gash to smooth and flawless skin. What we don't appreciate is the vital role that our own natural biomolecules play in the healing process, including their contribution to the growth of new cells and the development of new blood vessels that provide nutrients to those cells.

21 Feb 2013

Resistant starch kills pre-cancerous cells and reduces inflammation

As the name suggests, you can't digest resistant starch so it ends up in the bowel in pretty much the same form it entered your mouth. As unlovely as that seems, once in the bowel this resistant starch does some important things, including decreasing bowel pH and transit time, and increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids. These effects promote the growth of good bugs while keeping bad bugs at bay.

20 Feb 2013

North Carolina researchers successfully coat polymer implants with YSZ bioactive film

Researchers from North Carolina State University have for the first time successfully coated polymer implants with a bioactive film. The discovery should improve the success rate of such implants - which are often used in spinal surgeries.