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Gay men seeking long-term romance online more likely to engage in safe sex

If a gay or bisexual man seeks sex or dating online, the type of partner or relationship he wants is a good indicator of whether he'll engage in safe sex, a new study suggests.

24 May 2011

Novel hepatitis C-like virus discovered in dogs

In a study to be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report the discovery of a novel hepatitis C-like virus in dogs. The identification and characterization of this virus gives scientists new insights into how hepatitis C in humans may have evolved and provides scientists renewed hope to develop a model system to study how it causes disease.

24 May 2011

HIV prevention study results raise public health questions about forcing patients into treatment

A New York Times "Week In Review" article examines how the results of a recent study showing combination antiretroviral therapy can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by 96 percent "reopens old questions" about the rightsof patients to refuse therapy and whether doctors, in the interest of public health, should force patients to start treatment.

24 May 2011

NIH awards $3.03 million grant to UTMB researcher to continue groundbreaking aging study

Rebeca Wong, one of the nation's foremost experts on aging, has been awarded $3.03 million by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health to continue a groundbreaking study in Mexico. Wong will use the grant for a longitudinal aging study she and collaborators started in 2001.

24 May 2011

Tobacco wars

According to reports, Australia is gearing up for the world's toughest laws on tobacco promotion but Health Minister Nicola Roxon denied Sunday the government's ultimate goal was a complete ban on smoking.

23 May 2011

Public smoking ban in NYC

Smoking has been banned from many parts of the U.S. over the last decade. New York City is now taking the war against tobacco a step further with a new law that goes into effect tomorrow, banning smoking outdoors - at beaches, boardwalks, parks, and pedestrian plazas.

23 May 2011

Zombie attack guidelines

According to a blog post, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has put together tips on how to avoid becoming attacked by zombies. A "Zombie Task Force" acting for the US Government has released official advice on how to survive an undead apocalypse.

23 May 2011

Johns Hopkins bioethicists urge disaster preparedness for mentally impaired

Johns Hopkins bioethicists say disaster-response planning has generally overlooked the special needs of people who suffer from pre-existing and serious mental conditions. Survivors already diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia, addictions and bipolar disorder are vulnerable long before a disaster strikes, they point out.

23 May 2011

Without medical liability reform, health care costs will continue to rise

Nearly half (44 percent) of almost 1,800 emergency physicians responding to a poll report that the biggest challenge to cutting costs in the emergency department is the fear of lawsuits. Even more respondents (53 percent) said the main reason they conduct the number of tests they do is the fear of being sued.

23 May 2011

Lifestyle modifications help control blood pressure levels: More evidence

Evidence continues to build that lifestyle modifications help control blood pressure (BP) levels. Data evaluating the consumption of coffee and alcohol and the impact of low fitness levels will be presented at the American Society of Hypertension, Inc.'s 26th Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition (ASH 2011) and will be featured in the May 22 ASH press briefing.

23 May 2011

Scientists direct embryonic, induced human stem cells to become astrocytes in lab dish

Pity the lowly astrocyte, the most common cell in the human nervous system. Long considered to be little more than putty in the brain and spinal cord, the star-shaped astrocyte has found new respect among neuroscientists who have begun to recognize its many functions in the brain, not to mention its role in a range of disorders of the central nervous system.

23 May 2011

Travel, hunting, and venison consumption linked to prion diseases

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have examined the potential for human exposure to prion diseases, looking at hunting, venison consumption, and travel to areas in which prion diseases have been reported in animals.

23 May 2011

Scientists invent Monolayer Stress Microscopy to measure physical forces during collective cellular migration

The physical forces that guide how cells migrate-how they manage to get from place to place in a coordinated fashion inside the living body- are poorly understood. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia have, for the first time, devised a way to measure these forces during collective cellular migration.

23 May 2011

Synthon opens state-of-the-art laboratory for biotechnology

Synthon opened its state-of-the-art laboratory for biotechnology today, an important step in the company’s development into a ‘specialty pharmaceutical’ firm. Ms. Renée Bergkamp, Director-General of Enterprise and Innovation of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, and Mr. Thom de Graaf, Mayor of Nijmegen, attended the official opening.

22 May 2011

Global scientists rebuke coming decision on carcinogenicity of radiofrequency and microwaves

In collaboration with the International EMF Alliance (IEMFA), scientists from Europe, North America, Australia and Israel have sent an Open Letter to Dr. Christopher Wild, Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), calling for a postponement of the forthcoming meeting May 24-31, 2011 in Lyon, France, “Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part II: Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field [includes mobile telephones],” at which determination of the carcinogenicity of cell phones and wireless technologies will be made.

22 May 2011

16 Countries announce new commitments to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality

Today 16 countries announced new commitments to dramatically reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality, as part of the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health.

21 May 2011

CDC issues guidelines on dealing with the walking dead

Hoping to draw attention to other disaster preparedness, a normally stoic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines this week on how to cope with an invasion of the brain-munching walking dead.

21 May 2011

Medicine, osteopathy, physical therapy and chiropractic colleges collaborate to study safety in spinal manipulation

A recent team grant by the Canadian Institute for Health Research is providing an innovative approach to researching patient safety for those who provide and receive spinal-manipulative therapy. The $2-million grant over five years brings together health researchers from across Canada and will involve input from four regulatory colleges in Alberta.

21 May 2011

Breast cancer survivors, advocates stress importance of Every Woman Counts program

Responding to Governor Brown's announced revised budget, breast cancer survivors and advocates from across the state stressed the importance of early detection.

21 May 2011

UM Board of Regents approves $13.7M renovation project for new health care policy institute

A new health care policy institute – one that is expected to become one of the largest of its kind in the nation – will be established at the University of Michigan's North Campus Research Complex.

21 May 2011

Public Health News and Research

Gay men seeking long-term romance online more likely to engage in safe sex

Novel hepatitis C-like virus discovered in dogs

HIV prevention study results raise public health questions about forcing patients into treatment

NIH awards $3.03 million grant to UTMB researcher to continue groundbreaking aging study

Tobacco wars

Public smoking ban in NYC

Zombie attack guidelines

Johns Hopkins bioethicists urge disaster preparedness for mentally impaired

Without medical liability reform, health care costs will continue to rise

Lifestyle modifications help control blood pressure levels: More evidence

Scientists direct embryonic, induced human stem cells to become astrocytes in lab dish

Travel, hunting, and venison consumption linked to prion diseases

Scientists invent Monolayer Stress Microscopy to measure physical forces during collective cellular migration

Synthon opens state-of-the-art laboratory for biotechnology

Global scientists rebuke coming decision on carcinogenicity of radiofrequency and microwaves

16 Countries announce new commitments to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality

CDC issues guidelines on dealing with the walking dead

Medicine, osteopathy, physical therapy and chiropractic colleges collaborate to study safety in spinal manipulation

Breast cancer survivors, advocates stress importance of Every Woman Counts program

UM Board of Regents approves $13.7M renovation project for new health care policy institute

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