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Addiction to tanning

A new study reveals addiction of a new kind – addiction to tanning. Researchers have believed for several years that tanners exhibit similar behavior to alcoholics and drug addicts.

15 Aug 2011

Starpharma starts bacterial vaginosis prevention study of VivaGel

Starpharma Holdings Limited today announced the commencement of its Phase 2 study of VivaGel for the prevention of bacterial vaginosis (BV), following receipt of ethics approval.

15 Aug 2011

Fresh food for years with newly discovered natural preservative

Scientists have discovered a natural preservative capable of destroying a whole class of bacteria, including E.coli and listeria and now food can be made to remain fresh and last for years. There would also be no need to refrigerate produce treated with the preservative, called, bisin, which is produced by harmless bacteria.

15 Aug 2011

Multi-prong approach needed to fight famine in Somalia

"The Obama administration deserves credit for acting in advance to ameliorate the effects" of drought in East Africa, a New York Times editorial states, noting that USAID has been working since last summer, when the crisis was predicted, to "plac[e] food and other supplies in Kenya, Djibouti and South Africa" and "working on programs to help Somalia and other countries improve food production to avert future crises."

12 Aug 2011

Mixed reports from aid organizations in Somalia after al-Shabab pulls out of Mogadishu

The news from the Horn of Africa is "mixed," NPR's "All Things Considered" reports, adding, "More food is getting through and security has improved for now, but tens of thousands of children have already died and many more are at risk." According to NPR, "Aid groups were pleased last week when al-Shabab, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization, pulled out of the capital, Mogadishu. That made a dangerous country a little bit less so for aid workers".

12 Aug 2011

NCTR and state of Arkansas enter MOU to establish virtual Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science

An agreement to establish a virtual Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science was signed today between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) and the state of Arkansas.

12 Aug 2011

Clinton announces additional $17M for Horn of Africa, urges long-term investment in agriculture, food aid

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday announced in a speech at the International Food Policy Research Institute that the U.S. has pledged an additional $17 million in emergency food aid to the Horn of Africa, with $12 million going to humanitarian operations in Somalia, VOA News reports.

12 Aug 2011

Faith influences health behaviors of American Muslim patients

The perceived role of God in illness and recovery is a primary influence upon the health care beliefs and behaviors of American Muslims, a first-of-its-kind study has discovered. Outreach and education efforts by the health care community can help address Muslim concerns and improve health care quality in this rapidly growing population, the report recommends.

12 Aug 2011

NAI reaches settlement with VPX over beta-alanine patent litigation

Natural Alternatives International, Inc., a leading formulator, manufacturer and marketer of customized nutritional supplements, today announced that it reached a settlement with one of the defendants to litigation pending before the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, Vital Pharmaceutical, Inc..

12 Aug 2011

International community, especially China, must invest more in African agriculture and health

A drought and "security crisis as a result of political conflicts, civil war and anarchy" in Somalia are to blame for the famine recently declared by the U.N., but "[t]he international community is also to blame for responding too slowly and neglecting its responsibilities in this preventable disaster," a Lancet editorial says.

12 Aug 2011

Plant scientists reveal genetic mechanism that enables viral organisms to cause diseases

CSIRO plant scientists have shed light on a problem that has puzzled researchers since the first virus was discovered in 1892 - how exactly do they cause disease? In a major breakthrough that helps us better understand how viruses cause diseases in plants - and potentially in animals and humans - Dr Ming-Bo Wang and Neil Smith of CSIRO Plant Industry have revealed a genetic mechanism that enables viral organisms to infect hosts and cause diseases.

12 Aug 2011

More biodiversity needed to keep ecosystems functioning

The biological diversity of organisms on earth is not just something we enjoy when taking a walk through a blossoming meadow in spring; it is also the basis for countless products and services provided by nature, including food, building materials, and medicines as well as the self-purifying qualities of water and protection against erosion.

12 Aug 2011

Fibrate drugs may not prevent heart attacks in diabetes patients with elevated cholesterol

Type 2 diabetes patients, who face higher risk of cardiovascular disease, often take a combination of medications designed to lower their LDL or "bad" cholesterol and triglyceride levels while raising their HDL or "good" cholesterol because doctors long have thought that taken together, the drugs offer protection from heart attacks and improve survival.

12 Aug 2011

Nutrastar second quarter revenue increases 40.8% to $7.68 million

Nutrastar International Inc., a leading producer and supplier of premium branded Traditional Chinese Medicine consumer products, today announced record financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.

12 Aug 2011

Feed the future helping countries develop agricultural sectors

"Spearheaded by USAID, President Obama's food security initiative - Feed the Future - is helping countries develop their own agricultural sectors so they can feed themselves," USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah writes in a post on the agency's "IMPACTblog."

12 Aug 2011

Ecological research on disease prevention and human biome

Public awareness about the role and interaction of microbes is essential for promoting human and environmental health, say scientists presenting research at the Ecological Society of America's (ESA) 96th Annual Meeting from August 7-12, 2011.

12 Aug 2011

Rising food prices in East Africa exacerbating food shortages, famine, FAO says

"The prices of grain and milk in the drought-hit Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia have risen to record highs, exacerbating hardship for the estimated 12.4 million people in the region who are facing severe food shortages and famine in some parts of Somalia," according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's August food price monitor, the U.N. News Centre reports.

12 Aug 2011