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Young father receives life-saving intervention prior heart transplant surgery

James "Jimmy" Armstrong hadn't missed a "Mac" in 28 years. At 44, he's one of the youngest "goats" in the Chicago Yacht Club. Sailors receive the designation of "goat" once they've completed 20 or more "Macs", the 333-mile boat race from Chicago to Mackinac, Mich. Armstrong has sailed the race every year since he was 16. But, he wasn't among the sailors this past July. Instead, he was in intensive care awaiting heart transplant following a harrowing experience spurred by severe case of myocarditis-a little-known condition causing inflammation of the heart muscle.

15 Nov 2010

Researchers find structural deficits in gray matter may be associated with daytime sleepiness

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may blame their daytime difficulties on simple sleepiness, but new research suggests that their brains may be to blame. Specifically, their cognitive challenges may be caused by structural deficits in gray matter, brought on by the intermittent oxygen deprivation that comes with OSA. The good news is that these deficits may be partially or fully reversible with early detection and treatment, according to Italian researchers

15 Nov 2010

ACAAI scientific meeting to discuss pediatric allergies

Your child may be allergic to your holiday pumpkin pie, according to allergists at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Phoenix, Nov. 11-16. Hot topics discussed in pediatric allergies include pumpkin and caterpillar allergies, and outgrowing childhood allergies.

12 Nov 2010

Senator calls for air pollution test in Chicago

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is calling for an air pollution test, in response to recent Chicago Tribune investigative reports that Chicago commuters are exposed to high levels of diesel soot.

12 Nov 2010

Physical activity level decreases among college students

During college years, students become more sedentary and as their physical activity levels decrease, Body Mass Index and weight increase. Basically, students came out of college significantly less active and heavier compared to the start of their freshman year, said Jeanne Johnston, assistant professor in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

11 Nov 2010

Microwave vital signal sensing measures heart rate variability

Current medical techniques for monitoring the heart rate and other vital signs use electrodes attached to the body, which are impractical for patients who want to move around. Plasma physicist Atsushi Mase, a scientist at Kyushu University in Japan, and colleague Daisuke Nagae have developed a new technique to disconnect people from their electrodes by using microwaves.

11 Nov 2010

Lung cancer in smokers versus non-smokers shows different genetic mutations

A group of scientists at B.C. Cancer Agency have found that lung cancers in smokers have different genetic mutations and look different than lung cancer in non-smokers. According to senior scientist at the BC Cancer Agency Research Centre Wan Lam, this finding is significant because it means that from now on, research, treatments and diagnostics should be tailored to the distinct genetic variations in the different lung cancers instead of expecting that a one-size fits all approach will work. He said, “At the current time, treatment does not distinguish between these different types. The subtypes are all grouped together. But with this work, we are beginning to tease out the subtypes.” The study was presented Tuesday at a conference in Philadelphia of the American Association of Cancer Research.

10 Nov 2010

Article shows link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy, SIDS

The link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may relate to the negative effects of nicotine on the development of brain centers that regulate breathing, according to an article in the recent issue of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

10 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 9, 2010

Today's news includes reports about the Supreme Court's decision regarding an early challenge to the health law.

9 Nov 2010

Loyola University surgeon uses new technique to reopen blockages in coronary arteries

In some heart patients, coronary arteries become so clogged that they are difficult or impossible to reopen with conventional balloon angioplasties. Dr. John Lopez of Loyola University Health System is using a new angioplasty technique to reopen these tough blockages by going through the "back door." The technique, called retrograde recanalization, was developed in Japan and is beginning to catch on in centers with advanced expertise in cardiac catheterization.

4 Nov 2010

Study confirms human excrements contribute to water pollution

Every person emits the equivalent of approximately two tonnes of carbon dioxide a year from the time food is produced to when the human body excretes it, representing more than 20% of total yearly emissions. That is what a study by the Universidad de Almer-a says, confirming for the first time that human excrements contribute to water pollution, primarily with nitrogen and phosphorus.

3 Nov 2010

Study suggests heredity may play a role in determining infant's susceptibility to AOP

A potentially life-threatening challenge characterized by pauses in breathing that can last for more than 20 seconds, apnea of prematurity (AOP) affects more than 50 percent of premature infants and is almost universal in the smallest of preemies. Caused in part by an underdeveloped central nervous system that can't adequately regulate breathing outside of the womb, especially during sleep, AOP is not yet fully understood by scientists and remains a grave concern among neonatologists and parents alike.

3 Nov 2010

Defibtech named one of Connecticut’s 40 fastest growing technology companies

Defibtech, LLC, a leading innovator in the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) market, has been named as a 2010 Marcum Tech Top 40 winner, a celebration of the 40 fastest growing companies in Connecticut, and was honored on October 28, 2010 at the Tech Top 40 awards program at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Conn. This is the fourth year that Defibtech has been named as one of the fastest growing technology companies in Connecticut. Selection was based on the percentage revenue growth during the four year period from 2006-2009.

2 Nov 2010

Innovative lifesaving device for patients with advanced heart failure

Bradley Cantley, 41, headed home from UC San Diego Medical Center connected to a lifesaving heart machine called a left ventricular assisted device (LVAD). For patients with advanced heart failure, the mechanical pump rapidly improves circulation throughout the body and serves as a bridge to transplant. Cantley is the first of many patients, locally and globally, who will benefit from the expanded heart surgery program at UC San Diego Health System.

2 Nov 2010

Most hospital patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea

Eighty-one percent of hospital patients are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, a Loyola University Health System study has found.

2 Nov 2010

XXXXL suits now on the racks: UK health experts concerned

In a worrying development Britain’s largest ‘off-the-peg’ suit - the XXXXL - has gone on sale, boasting a 64 inch chest jacket and 60 inch waist trousers. Health experts fear the development and say that a record 5.5 million overweight Britons are now officially on GP registers with an eight percent rise over last year.

1 Nov 2010

Study classifies best-selling scented household products as carcinogens

A new study led by the University of Washington has revealed that in a test of best-selling scented household products including detergents, dryer sheets, soaps, hand sanitizers, lotions, deodorants, and shampoos, almost a quarter of the chemicals detected were classified as toxic or hazardous under federal law, and some were even classified as possible carcinogens.

30 Oct 2010

New shuttlte program helps probe spaceflight-induced immune-system impairment

When the space shuttle Discovery lifts off on its final flight Nov. 2, its six astronauts will be joined by 16 rodent passengers on a historic mission of their own. Riding in special self-contained modules that automatically supply them with food and water, the mice will be part of a long-term NASA effort aimed at understanding why spaceflight makes humans more vulnerable to infection by viruses and bacteria.

30 Oct 2010

Researchers analyze how sleep disorders affect risk perception in driving

Within the framework of a recent research project, University of Granada researchers will analyse how sleep disorders affect risk perception in driving. To such purpose, three last-generation simulators provided by the Faculty of Psychology will be employed.

29 Oct 2010

Henry Ford Hospital physicist receives ASTRO's Basic Science Abstract Award

Henry Ford Hospital physicist Lei Ren, Ph.D., is among an elite group to be awarded for basic science research in radiation oncology at the 52nd annual American Society for Radiology Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in San Diego.

29 Oct 2010