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Opinions: Chile's preparedness; Evangelical Christians; 'Locavorism'

The earthquake in Chile "was the fifth biggest ever measured, and several hundred times larger than the one that killed more than 220,000 in Haiti," according to a Wall Street Journal editorial. The editorial highlights Chile's preparation for earthquakes, including stricter building codes. "But such preparation is also the luxury of a prosperous country, in contrast to destitute and ill-governed Haiti.

3 Mar 2010

Researchers develop sensitive measuring system for cGVHD

Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new assessment tool to measure the severity of symptoms that can complicate stem cell transplantation. The tool assesses symptoms resulting from chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), and was presented with supporting research at the 2010 Bone and Marrow Transplant Tandem Meeting.

2 Mar 2010

Towns struggle with high health costs

In the final installment of a two-part series, The Boston Globe reports on municipal health costs and how financially strapped towns are seeking a change in state law so that they can have more flexibility in setting health costs.

2 Mar 2010

Inadequate sleep may lead to increase in belly fat

A study in the March 1 issue of the journal SLEEP shows that African-American and Hispanic young adults with short or long sleep durations had greater increases in belly fat over a five-year period compared with those who reported sleeping six to seven hours a night.

1 Mar 2010

Study shows ghrelin prevents acute liver damage, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation

Spanish researchers determined that rats treated with recombinant ghrelin displayed a reduction in liver fibrosis. Ghrelin, a stomach hormone, reduced the amount of fibrogenic cells by 25% in the treated rodents. Research further showed ghrelin prevented acute liver damage and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in the animal models.

1 Mar 2010

Study challenges psychiatrists' official diagnostic manual in preventing mistaken diagnoses of depression

A study in the March edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry senior-authored by Jerome C. Wakefield, a professor at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University with Mark Schmitz of Temple University and Judith Baer of Rutgers University, empirically challenges the effectiveness of psychiatrists' official diagnostic manual in preventing mistaken, false-positive diagnoses of depression.

25 Feb 2010

Deciphering babies' cries: Hope for new parents

Baby monitors of the future could translate infant cries, so that parents will know for certain whether their child is sleepy, hungry, needing a change, or in pain. Japanese scientists report details of a statistical computer program that can analyze a baby's crying in the International Journal of Biometrics.

25 Feb 2010

FDA approves Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' Prevnar 13 pneumococcal disease vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Prevnar 13, a pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine for infants and young children ages 6 weeks through 5 years. Prevnar 13 will be the successor to Prevnar, the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine licensed by the FDA in 2000 to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and otitis media. The new vaccine extends the protection to six additional types of the disease causing bacteria.

24 Feb 2010

Combination therapies effective for treating depression

Even after she left her alcoholic, abusive husband behind, Patrice, a nurse in Florida, couldn't summon the energy to keep her house straight, couldn't sleep.

24 Feb 2010

EHSI: Health stocks gain after federal decision on payments

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. voiced encouragement from the climb of healthcare stocks on Monday after a federal announcement on Medicare payment rates - helping offset any worries about a White House proposal to regulate premiums.

23 Feb 2010

Behavioral Neuroscience: Adolescents more susceptible to internal and environmental factors

While the otherworldly behavior of teenagers is well documented, University of Pittsburgh researchers have taken a significant step toward finally unraveling the actual brain activity that can drive adolescents to engage in impulsive, self-indulgent, or self-destructive behavior.

23 Feb 2010

Cord Blood America announces aim to be world's largest stem cell storage facility

Cord Blood America, Inc., the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells, a biological insurance policy, for families nationwide and internationally, said today in an interview of Matthew Schissler, co-founder and CEO, by analyst Francis Gaskins, that its goal is to be the world's largest stem cell storage facility.

22 Feb 2010

Hess to be honored with Target Hunger Harvesting Hope Humanitarian Award for addressing social issues

Target Hunger, a nonprofit agency working to alleviate hunger and its root causes in the heart of Houston’s inner city, will honor Hess Corporation with the Target Hunger Harvesting Hope Humanitarian Award for their work in the community to address social issues.

22 Feb 2010

Impact of global warming on food prices would likely to drive many into poverty

The impact of global warming on food prices and hunger could be large over the next 20 years, according to a new Stanford University study. Researchers say that higher temperatures could significantly reduce yields of wheat, rice and maize - dietary staples for tens of millions of poor people who subsist on less than $1 a day.

21 Feb 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

The Infectious Diseases Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog examines U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby's recent address to the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) where he reemphasized the Obama administration's commitment to "'maintaining, extending and increasing' the U.S. response to global AIDS." Goosby reflected on the lessons drawn from PEPFAR to date and presented components of the 5-year PEPFAR strategy, the blog notes.

20 Feb 2010

Opinion: Violence against women, rebuilding Haiti, food security

"Violence against women is a global epidemic, threatening the lives and safety of women and girls around the world," Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece in which he asserts his support of the International Violence Against Women Act. In the piece, Cardin describes how violence against women increases risks of health problems - such as dying in pregnancy and contracting HIV - and poverty (2/19).

20 Feb 2010

WHO urges medical aid agencies to remain in Haiti as health care system is rebuilt

On Wednesday, the WHO "urged medical aid agencies to stay in Haiti as long as possible while health care is rebuilt following last month's devastating earthquake," Agence France-Presse reports.

19 Feb 2010

Study shows prevalence of depression among low-income urban mothers

More than half of low-income urban mothers met the criteria for a diagnosis of depression at some point between two weeks and 14 months after giving birth, according to a study led by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers and published online by the journal Pediatrics.

19 Feb 2010

Feeding preterm infants in response to hunger and satiation cues may allow earlier hospital discharge

Although many parents and health care providers attempt to schedule a preterm newborn's feeding pattern, a new review of studies reveals that feeding in response to the infant's own hunger cues might result in earlier discharge from the hospital.

18 Feb 2010

First field study shows lack of exposure to morning light delays sleep in teenagers

The first field study on the impact of light on teenagers' sleeping habits finds that insufficient daily morning light exposure contributes to teenagers not getting enough sleep.

17 Feb 2010