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Few U.S. medical schools provide effective training on how to address weight issues in obese patients

It's no secret that obesity is a major problem in America. More than one-third of adults and one-sixth of children are obese and it is one of the leading causes of preventable death. The costs associated with obesity are estimated at $99 million annually, comparable to the economic toll of cigarette smoking.

1 Nov 2012

Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis: an interview with Ellen Mowry

Vitamin D is actually a hormone. For the most part, humans obtain vitamin D through sun exposure. Ultraviolet light from the sun promotes the conversion of a compound in the skin to pre-vitamin D.

31 Oct 2012

Development of children with ASD much like that of children without ASD at 6 months of age

The development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is much like that of children without ASD at 6 months of age, but differs afterwards. That's the main finding of the largest prospective, longitudinal study to date comparing children with early and later diagnosis of ASD with children without ASD. The study appears in the journal Child Development and has implications for clinical work, public health, and policy.

31 Oct 2012

Roundup: SCOTUS won't hear Okla. 'personhood' case; Vt. pushes state employees to use CHIP for kids coverage; N.J. hospitals want bundled payments

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case involving the anti-abortion-rights movement's push to define "personhood" in the law. By rejecting the appeal, the justices left in place a lower court's decision that found a personhood measure in Oklahoma would violate the Constitution. Only four of the nine justices have to agree for the court to take a case, so Monday's rejection could be a sign that the court's four conservative justices aren't interested in wading into personhood, a concept that has divided opponents of abortion rights.

31 Oct 2012

CINJ visiting scientist receives International - U.S. Annual Meeting Scientific Abstract Award

Songbing Qin, MD, a visiting scientist to The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, has received the International - U.S. Annual Meeting Scientific Abstract Award at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) being held in Boston this week.

30 Oct 2012

Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation receives $2.2 million grant

Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation (BIR) has received a $2.2 million grant extending for another five years the institute's designation as a National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Model System site for traumatic brain injury.

29 Oct 2012

Scientists hope to unravel mystery of how Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease

Investigators at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have accelerated the search for the bacterial genes that make the Lyme disease bacterium so invasive and persistent. The discovery could advance the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, which affects an estimated 30,000 Americans each year.

29 Oct 2012

Researchers investigate unique features of arcuate neurons in the hypothalamus

Maintaining a healthy body weight may be difficult for many people, but it's reassuring to know that our brains and bodies are wired to work together to do just that-in essence, to achieve a phenomenon known as energy balance, a tight matching between the number of calories consumed versus those expended. This careful balance results from a complex interchange of neurobiological crosstalk within regions of the brain's hypothalamus, and when this "conversation" goes awry, obesity or anorexia can result.

29 Oct 2012

State roundup: Surging number of high-deductible health plans; Mass. contemplates physician-assisted 'suicide'; Costs slowing in Colo.

High-deductible health insurance plans are catching on in states struggling to contain escalating costs among their own employees, according to a brief the National Governors Association released Thursday. Nationally, insurance industry figures show that 13.5 million workers -- public and private -- are enrolled in high-deductible plans, which have soared in popularity in recent years among private sector employers trying to cope with high costs. The idea is that health costs will decline because workers will have more of an incentive to look for the best value in health care.

29 Oct 2012

NHCS researchers develop human heart cell model of ARVC

Researchers at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) have successfully created a human heart cell model of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), an inherited heart muscle disorder which puts one at high risk of developing life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

26 Oct 2012

Researchers discover genetic biomarker for age-related hearing loss

University of South Florida researchers have identified a genetic biomarker for age-related hearing loss, a major breakthrough in understanding and preventing a condition of aging that affects 30 million Americans and greatly diminishes their quality of life.

26 Oct 2012

Prasugrel reduces cardiovascular events among patients managed medically for ACS

A study has found that the anti-clotting medication prasugrel reduced cardiovascular events among patients who present with an acute coronary syndrome and are managed medically after an angiogram is performed to determine coronary anatomy.

25 Oct 2012

New study finds bacteria cue single-celled choanoflagellates to form colonies

Bacteria have a bad rap as agents of disease, but scientists are increasingly discovering their many benefits, such as maintaining a healthy gut.

25 Oct 2012

Med school enrollment grows 1.5%

But officials warn that a cap on federally funded residencies could slow the number of doctors coming into the system.

25 Oct 2012

CINJ makes experts available during National Lung Cancer Awareness Month

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 6,000 new cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed in New Jersey this year, and 4,200 people will die from the disease.

25 Oct 2012

Hot flashes and night sweats can return after SSRI treatment in women

Hot flashes and night sweats can return after women stop using escitalopram-an antidepressant-to treat these menopause symptoms, according to a study published online this month in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

25 Oct 2012

Patients without lung injury may benefit from mechanical ventilation with lower tidal volume use

Among patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome, protective mechanical ventilation with use of lower tidal volumes (the volume of air inhaled and exhaled during each breath) was associated with better outcomes including less lung injury, lower mortality, fewer pulmonary infections and a shorter hospital length of stay, according to a meta-analysis of previous studies, reported in the October 24/31 issue of JAMA.

25 Oct 2012

Article describes most promising strategies for vascularization of bone tissue substitutes

New, advanced techniques are needed that can mimic the normal blood supply that feeds natural bone to improve the viability and success of restorative procedures to replace damaged or diseased bone tissue using engineered constructs. A comprehensive review article describing the most promising strategies for vascularization of bone tissue substitutes is published in Tissue Engineering, Part B: Reviews, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

25 Oct 2012

Feedback intervention improves hand hygiene compliance in modern hospitals

A major three-year trial led by researchers at UCL, in partnership with the Health Protection Agency, has shown that giving one-to-one feedback to healthcare workers makes them twice as likely to clean their hands or use soap.

25 Oct 2012

Patient and partner focus needed in rehab after prostatectomy

Most patients who undergo radical prostatectomy are keen to attend a rehabilitation program to help recover sexual potency, but the process can be frustrating and demanding, with high patient dropout rates, say researchers.

24 Oct 2012

Medical School News and Research

Few U.S. medical schools provide effective training on how to address weight issues in obese patients

Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis: an interview with Ellen Mowry

Development of children with ASD much like that of children without ASD at 6 months of age

Roundup: SCOTUS won't hear Okla. 'personhood' case; Vt. pushes state employees to use CHIP for kids coverage; N.J. hospitals want bundled payments

CINJ visiting scientist receives International - U.S. Annual Meeting Scientific Abstract Award

Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation receives $2.2 million grant

Scientists hope to unravel mystery of how Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease

Researchers investigate unique features of arcuate neurons in the hypothalamus

State roundup: Surging number of high-deductible health plans; Mass. contemplates physician-assisted 'suicide'; Costs slowing in Colo.

NHCS researchers develop human heart cell model of ARVC

Researchers discover genetic biomarker for age-related hearing loss

Prasugrel reduces cardiovascular events among patients managed medically for ACS

New study finds bacteria cue single-celled choanoflagellates to form colonies

Med school enrollment grows 1.5%

CINJ makes experts available during National Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Hot flashes and night sweats can return after SSRI treatment in women

Patients without lung injury may benefit from mechanical ventilation with lower tidal volume use

Article describes most promising strategies for vascularization of bone tissue substitutes

Feedback intervention improves hand hygiene compliance in modern hospitals

Patient and partner focus needed in rehab after prostatectomy

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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