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Fetal exposure to crude oil chemical may increase risk of heart disease

While it may be years before the health effects of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are known, a new study shows that fetal exposure to a chemical found in crude oil is associated with an increased risk of congenital heart disease.

30 Apr 2011

Scientists discover how immune cells recognize invading pathogens in the body

Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have discovered how a molecular receptor on the surface of white blood cells identifies when invading fungi have established direct contact with the cell surface and pose an infectious threat.

30 Apr 2011

Study reveals dangerous chemicals in foam carpet pads

In the first public study of its kind, a type of foam carpet pad commonly sold in the USA was demonstrated to contain flame retardant chemicals that raise concerns about human health. Lowered IQ's in children exposed in utero, infertility, and cancer are among health effects linked to exposure from these halogenated chemicals.

29 Apr 2011

E-Cigarette company welcomes FDA regulation

The recent ruling in the Sottera, Inc. v. Food & Drug Administration case has once again brought the E-Cigarette industry into the spotlight and Green Nicotine Electronic Cigarettes could not be better prepared. Many electronic cigarette companies will have to scramble to prepare for FDA regulation, but Green Nicotine Electronic Cigarettes has been prepared for these types of regulations since 2009.

28 Apr 2011

Low-cost colorimetric sensing array identifies bacterial infections

Bacterial infections really stink. And that could be the key to a fast diagnosis.

28 Apr 2011

American Lung Association releases 2011 annual air quality report

Today, the American Lung Association released its annual report on air quality, State of the Air 2011, which includes lists of the nation's most polluted metropolitan areas.

27 Apr 2011

Magnetic 'nanobeads' help detect chemical and biological agents

Researchers at Oregon State University have found a way to use magnetic "nanobeads" to help detect chemical and biological agents, with possible applications in everything from bioterrorism to medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring or even water and food safety.

27 Apr 2011

Researchers report game-changing advance in stem cell science

In a paper published in the April 25 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco and colleagues report a game-changing advance in stem cell science: the creation of long-term, self-renewing, primitive neural precursor cells from human embryonic stem cells that can be directed to become many types of neuron without increased risk of tumor formation.

26 Apr 2011

New discoveries in stem-cell technology

A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has made two significant stem-cell discoveries that advance medicine and human health by creating powerful new approaches for using stem cells and stem-cell-like technology.

26 Apr 2011

American Academy of Pediatrics sounds alarm on chemicals

Pediatricians group warns that federal regulations have failed to protect children from dangerous exposure.

25 Apr 2011

As practices change, family physician has trouble retiring

Dr. [Ronald] Sroka has practiced family medicine for 32 years in a small, red-brick building just six miles from his childhood home. ... Dr. Sroka, 62, thought about retiring. He tried to sell his once highly profitable practice. No luck. He tried giving it away. No luck. Dr. Sroka's fate is emblematic of a transformation in American medicine. ... [D]octors like him are increasingly being replaced by teams of rotating doctors and nurses who do not know their patients nearly as well. A centuries-old intimacy between doctor and patient is being lost.

25 Apr 2011

Simple, obvious and obscure ways to keep minds sharp and brains healthy

From a glance at the magazine stands, Americans appear obsessed with losing weight, cutting their cardiac risks and seeking to improve their odds against cancer. But where's the focus on brain health?

25 Apr 2011

Research sheds light on molecular movements of neural transporters

A team of scientists from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Weill Cornell Medical College has shed light on the molecular workings of transporter proteins, molecular machines embedded in the cell membranes of neurons that modulate the transfer of signals between cells and recycle neurotransmitters.

25 Apr 2011

United Water and NCPA embark on an effort to encourage safe disposal of unused medications

United Water and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) announced a partnership today to encourage people throughout the United States to properly dispose of their unused or expired medications in an environmentally-friendly manner. A major part of the campaign will center around the NCPA's website dedicated to the program - www.DisposeMyMeds.org - that directs people to their local independent pharmacy where they can drop off their unused medications.

22 Apr 2011

Hospitals to host Earth Day events emphasizing link between health, environment

Hospitals and other members of the health care sector will be marking Earth Day 2011 with a wide variety of events showcasing their efforts to develop sustainable operations and reduce their environmental footprint.

22 Apr 2011

UC Berkeley researchers form new Synthetic Biology Institute

An alliance of top researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has formed the UC Berkeley Synthetic Biology Institute, advancing efforts to engineer cells and biological systems in ways that promise to transform technology in health and medicine, energy, the environment, new materials, and a host of other critical arenas.

22 Apr 2011

Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides linked to lower IQ in children

In a new study suggesting pesticides may be associated with the health and development of children, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health have found that prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides - widely used on food crops - is related to lower intelligence scores at age 7.

21 Apr 2011

New research confirms cigarettes' toxic impact on environment

Each year more than 360 billion cigarettes are smoked in the United States. Where do all those butts go? Public roads, waterways, parks and beaches. New research released today further demonstrates the negative impact that cigarette filters and discarded cigarette butts have on the environment.

19 Apr 2011

Chronic exposure to polluted air can lead to inflammation

Chronic inhalation of polluted air appears to activate a protein that triggers the release of white blood cells, setting off events that lead to widespread inflammation, according to new research in an animal model.

16 Apr 2011

Organic pollutants in flame retardents cause molecular changes in reproductive organs

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are chemicals that have been widely used as flame retardants and are now classified as persistent organic pollutants. Health concerns in humans have arisen based primarily on studies with laboratory animals exposed to high levels of PBDEs. Three commercial mixtures of PBDEs have been manufactured in or imported into the United States which include penta-, octa-, and deca-brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs).

15 Apr 2011