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Scientists determine structure of green pigment seen in nitrite-cured bacon, other meats

As with many concerned consumers, a team of University of Oklahoma researchers wondered if the green color sometimes seen in bacon is, in fact, harmful to human health. Recently, these OU scientists took an important first step in answering this question by determining the structure of the green pigment responsible for this 'nitrite burn.'

3 May 2012

Older Americans experience significant and troubling gaps in primary care

Large majorities of older Americans experience significant and troubling gaps in their primary care, according to a new national survey, "How Does It Feel? The Older Adult Health Care Experience," released today by the John A. Hartford Foundation, a champion for improved geriatric care and longtime partner of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University's College of Nursing.

2 May 2012

MD Anderson, UH Graduate College of Social Work announce new joint venture

The University of Houston (UH) will soon open its doors to the Center for Health Equity & Evaluation Research (CHEER), a new joint venture between the UH Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. CHEER will expand to conduct research at both MD Anderson and the newly opened center at UH GCSW.

2 May 2012

Tips for parents to engage their children in discussions about alcohol

During Alcohol Awareness Month, and with prom and graduation season just around the corner, now is a critical time for parents to engage their teens in discussions about alcohol, according to the Health Alliance on Alcohol.

2 May 2012

Roundup: Mass. premium increases muted; Iowa cuts payment to charity after fraud probe; Ga. asks EMS providers to save scarce drugs

State regulators on Monday approved third-quarter health insurance rates that will raise premiums an average of just 1.2 percent in the market serving small businesses and individuals, continuing a trend of more modest increases seen over the past three quarters. And several carriers, including Tufts Health Plan of Watertown and Fallon Community Health Plan, based in Worcester, will reduce their rates -- a rarity in Massachusetts health care -- according to data from the state Division of Insurance.

2 May 2012

House passes student loan plan that siphons health law's prevention trust fund

The student loan issue has become a politically charged showdown with the health law in the middle of the controversy.

30 Apr 2012

Parents attitudes influence adolescents' engagement in fighting

While it may be cute when a 3-year-old imitates his parent's bad behavior, when adolescents do so, it's no longer a laughing matter.

30 Apr 2012

Dangers of texting while driving

Some people have questioned whether a ban on texting while driving will actually lead to more crashes because drivers will conceal their cell phones, making it more dangerous to read and type messages. Research led by high school students, however, shows that texting while driving is unsafe regardless of where the phone is positioned.

30 Apr 2012

Kauffman Foundation sponsors National Conference on Value-driven Engineering

Researchers, health care engineers and medical device experts gathered this week for the inaugural National Conference on Value-driven Engineering to Improve Medical Innovation for U.S. Global Competitiveness assembled by the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) and sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

30 Apr 2012

CityBusters battle illness on public transit

The best place to enjoy a breath of fresh air may be a city bus, if Rice University students have their way. A team of graduating seniors has created a system for public transit that would continually clear the air of pathogens that can lead to tuberculosis (TB), flu and pneumonia.

30 Apr 2012

Bullying, ostracism strong predictors of increased symptoms of depression or anxiety

The challenges that come with battling a chronic medical condition or developmental disability are enough to get a young person down. But being left out, ignored or bullied by their peers is the main reason youths with special health care needs report symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

30 Apr 2012

John and Rebecca Moores professor earns UH 2012 Ester Farfel Award

H. Julia Hannay, the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Psychology, has earned the University of Houston (UH) 2012 Ester Farfel Award, a symbol of overall career excellence and the highest honor UH bestows on a faculty member. The annual award carries a cash prize of $10,000.

30 Apr 2012

Anticipation of cell phone use may contribute to motor vehicle crashes

It's well-known that using a cell phone while driving can lead to motor vehicle crashes. New research - to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston - shows that even anticipating calls or messages may distract drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

30 Apr 2012

Thinking analytically may affect faith in the divine: Study

According to lead author Will Gervais, a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, there has been no study exploring the cognitive origins of belief as well as disbelief. “There's been a long-standing intellectual tradition of treating science as one thing and religion as separate, and never the twain shall meet,” he said. But in recent years, he added, there has been a push “to understand religion and why our species has the capacity for religion.”

29 Apr 2012

Devices to aid dementia sufferers suggested

Five novel ideas were shortlisted for further development in a competition run by the Design Council and the Department of Health, to help make the lives of hundreds of thousands of people with dementia easier and more enjoyable.

29 Apr 2012

Longer looks: Why we still have faith in physicians

This patient is no fool, and she does't award trust liberally. … Yet, somehow, (Mary) Morse-Dwelley never lost faith in Pellegrini. She'd hear the click of her doctor's shoes in the hallway, see her blond hair and funky glasses, and feel confident that she was in good hands. This, too, represents a broad trend: As we have become better-informed patients, we have grown more cynical about a health care system that is ever more corporate and reliant on technology.

27 Apr 2012

House GOP eyes prevention trust fund as means to pay for student loan plan

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has scheduled a Friday vote on the proposal, which some news outlets describe as a "bitter pill" for Democrats.

27 Apr 2012

Research develops new scale to help measure levels of homophobic bullying

A new study from Educational and Psychological Measurement found that when it comes to homophobic bullying, there could be a gender gap.

27 Apr 2012

Simple wrist sensor could gauge severity of epileptic seizures

In this week's issue of the journal Neurology, researchers at MIT and two Boston hospitals provide early evidence that a simple, unobtrusive wrist sensor could gauge the severity of epileptic seizures as accurately as electroencephalograms (EEGs) do - but without the ungainly scalp electrodes and electrical leads.

27 Apr 2012

Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies secures funding for development and testing of innovative neurotechnology

Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies Secures Over $4.5 Million in Funding to Fuel New Product Development for Parkinson's Disease and Neuroscience Education April 24, 2012: Valley View, OH - Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies announced today they have secured over $4.5 million is funding for new product development. The funding includes three new projects sponsored by the National Institutes of Health's SBIR program. Each project is focused on developing and testing innovative neurotechnology. Two projects focus on the monitoring and treatment of Parkinson's disease while another will develop a wireless physiological monitor and web-based teaching system for high school neuroscience courses.

26 Apr 2012