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Study supports role for SNARK protein in regulating glucose transport during muscle contraction and exercise

Skeletal muscles combust both lipids and carbohydrates during exercise. The carbohydrates consist of both glycogen stored in the muscles as well as glucose extracted from the blood. Being a major sink for glucose disposal, skeletal muscle represents an important model tissue for studying the intracellular signaling pathways leading to increased glucose transport.

21 Aug 2010

New FDA laws on egg safety would have prevented salmonella outbreak, Feds say

The Washington Post: "Salmonella-infected eggs traceable to a large egg producer in Iowa may have caused as many as 1,200 cases of intestinal illness … The eggs went to distribution companies in 17 states, mostly west of the Mississippi River, but were then sold nationwide. ... Many states, as well as egg-producer associations, have voluntary 'egg quality assurance' programs with guidelines similar to those that are now mandatory. … In healthy people, it rarely causes severe illness.

21 Aug 2010

FDA warns of typhoid fever through frozen mamey fruit pulp

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat frozen mamey fruit pulp sold under the La Nuestra brand by Montalvan Sales Inc. Ontario, Calif., or the Goya brand by Goya Foods Inc. Secaucus, N.J.

21 Aug 2010

Low testosterone levels to blame for low libido, fatigue and weight gain

While most frequently associated with women's health, age-related hormone changes, often dubbed menopause, can occur in men as well, causing symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, decreased desire for sex, hair loss, lack of concentration and weight gain. Experts estimate that more than 5 million men are affected, yet worry the number may be considerably higher since symptoms are frequently ignored.

21 Aug 2010

Scientists identify compound to treat Chagas' disease

A new compound may offer an effective drug candidate against the deadly tropical infection, Chagas' disease say researchers from Brazil. They report their findings in the August 2010 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

21 Aug 2010

Wellcome Trust supports research on role of 'rotten eggs' as an anti-inflammatory agent

A research project at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, which will study the effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S - the 'rotten eggs' gas) as an effective anti-inflammatory agent, has won a research grant of -140,000 over three years from the Wellcome Trust.

21 Aug 2010

'Rotten eggs' gas inside knee joint protects against inflammation

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gas more commonly associated with the smell of 'rotten eggs' and blocked drains. However, it has now been shown to be present naturally in our bodies and reside in knee joint synovial fluid, the protective fluid found in the cavities of joints that reduces friction between the cartilage of joints during movement. Synovial fluid H2S may play a role in reducing inflammation in joints.

21 Aug 2010

Dilation of blood vessels restores muscle synthesis in elderly

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers believe they've found a way to use widely available blood pressure drugs to fight the muscular weakness that normally accompanies aging.

21 Aug 2010

Stent implanted in artery inside skull of 14-year-old boy to prevent stroke

University at Buffalo neurosurgeon Elad Levy, MD, implanted a stent in an artery inside the skull of a 14-year-old boy to prevent a stroke, a procedure thought to be the first conducted in an adolescent.

20 Aug 2010

NIAID's renewed 'Centers for Countermeasures Against Radiation' program to support research at 7 institutions

A major research effort to develop medical products to diagnose, prevent and treat the short- and long-term consequences of radiation exposure after a radiological or nuclear terrorist attack has been renewed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

20 Aug 2010

Tasigna receives approval for chronic myeloid leukemia in Canada

Tasigna (nilotinib) capsules have been approved with conditions in Canada as a new therapy for patients with CML, in the chronic phase (first phase) of the disease. Patients must be resistant to or intolerant of at least one prior therapy, including (Pr)Gleevec (imatinib mesylate), an established standard of care.

20 Aug 2010

Cedars-Sinai opens Advanced Heart Failure Unit in California

The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute has opened an innovative 30-bed in-patient unit dedicated to providing advanced heart failure patients with an intensive, multidisciplinary approach to inpatient care.

20 Aug 2010

St. Vincent's Hospital performs Australia's first implant of SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart

On Aug. 5, St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney performed Australia's first implant of the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart. The patient, a 50-year-old male suffering from total heart failure, is the first recipient of the Total Artificial Heart in the Southern Hemisphere. The surgery was performed by heart surgeons Drs. Phillip Spratt and Paul Jansz.

20 Aug 2010

Genetic architecture controlling growth of 'back-up' blood vessels uncovered

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have uncovered the genetic architecture controlling the growth of the collateral circulation - the "back-up" blood vessels that can provide oxygen to starved tissues in the event of a heart attack or stroke.

20 Aug 2010

Immunosuppressive therapy benefits necrotizing myopathy patients with novel autoantibody specificity

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified a subgroup of patients with necrotizing myopathy who have a novel autoantibody specificity that makes them potential candidates for immunosuppressive therapy. The complete study is published in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

20 Aug 2010

Scientists discover genetic flaw that causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Nearly two decades after they identified the specific genetic flaw that causes a common type of muscular dystrophy, scientists believe they have figured out how that flaw brings about the disease. The finding by an international team of researchers settles a longstanding question about the roots of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy or FSHD.

20 Aug 2010

Renin test can predict appropriate drugs for BP patients: Study

Commonly prescribed drugs used to lower blood pressure can actually have the opposite effect-raising blood pressure in a statistically significant percentage of patients. A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that doctors could avoid this problem-and select drugs most suitable for their patients-by measuring blood levels of the enzyme renin through a blood test that is becoming more widely available. The study appears in the online edition of the American Journal of Hypertension.

20 Aug 2010

Model explains mechanical cause of high blood pressure

In a paper published today by Brahm Brahm, a model was introduced explaining the cause of high blood pressure. This model describes how both your heart and arteries contract to pump blood, creating pressure in the process. For the first time, this contraction cycle of the muscles in artery walls has been mathematically described.

20 Aug 2010

Binge drinking increases cardiovascular disease risk: Research

If you have high blood pressure, binge drinking may dramatically raise your risk of stroke or heart-related death, according to a South Korean study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

20 Aug 2010

USPTO rules out Oculir's claim on noninvasive glucose measuring device patent

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has held that all claims in Oculir's Patent No. 6,958,039 to be invalid as not patentable based on prior art from a patent disclosure by Yale researcher, Dr. Marc Abreu.

20 Aug 2010